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Politics : GOPwinger Lies/Distortions/Omissions/Perversions of Truth -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Ron who wrote (21426)	9/2/2004 6:17:11 PM
From: TigerPaw	Respond to of 173976

But, by early December, hundreds of jihadists, including Osama bin Laden, were girding for a final battle at a one-square-mile redoubt near the Pakistan border known as Tora Bora--providing perhaps the best, and last, opportunity to destroy Al Qaeda. It never happened. Franks relied on Afghan militiamen, not Americans, for the assault. While they promised to seal off Al Qaeda's retreat, the corruption and relative lack of skill among the Afghans allowed bin Laden and his men to flee across the Pakistan border, and U.S. bombing was unable to stop them. Bin Laden (who had used the U.S. retreat from Somalia in 1993 and years of insufficient U.S. retaliation to his '90s attacks as the basis for his critique of America as a paper tiger) claimed victory: "The U.S. forces dared not break into our positions, despite the unprecedented massive bombing. ... Is there any clearer evidence of their cowardice, fear, and lies regarding their legends about their alleged power?" As it turns out, the Afghan militiamen that Franks was relying on were Taliban. They never intended to trap Bin Landen. That was a fool's strategy. They took the money and ran, millions and millions of dollars of our grandchildren's money. TP