Bush has spent a lot of money -- and caused a lot of death and injury -- to wipe out the Taliban and Al Qaeda. Not happening. Does this mean we invade Pakistan?:
Two years after the Pakistani Army began operations in border tribal areas to root out members of Al Qaeda and other foreign militants, Pakistani officials who know the area say the military campaign is bogged down, the local political administration is powerless and the militants are stronger than ever.Bush and the White House spin machine keep saying Bin Laden is living in a cave. Bottom line is that he is living. And, it's not like he was hanging out in a villa on the beach before 2001 anyway.
Both Osama bin Laden, who released a new audiotape of threats against the United States this week, and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are believed to be living somewhere in the seven districts that make up these tribal areas, which run for more than 500 miles along the rugged Afghan border and have been hit by several American missile strikes in recent weeks.
The officials said they had been joined by possibly hundreds of foreign militants from Arab countries, Central Asia and the Caucasus, who present a continuing threat to the authorities within the region.
The tribal areas are off limits to foreign journalists, but the Pakistani officials, and former residents who did not want to be identified for fear of retribution, said the militants - who call themselves Taliban - now dispensed their own justice, ran their own jails, robbed banks, shelled military and civilian government compounds and attacked convoys at will. They are recruiting men from the local tribes and have gained a hold over the population through a mix of fear and religion, the officials and former residents said.
Bush and Bin Laden really owe each other a lot. In a sick way, they've made each other's careers. Bush's failure to deal with Bin Laden's impending attack on the U.S. made Bin Laden a legend. And, the invasion of Iraq has generated a slew of new recruits for Al Qaeda. On the other hand, by continuing to issue threats against the U.S., Bin Laden gives Karl Rove the ability to keep pushing national security as a political weapon against Democrats. Bin Laden's message before right before the 2004 election helped at a critical time. And, let's not forget that Bin Laden has given Bush the excuse to break the law in the U.S. by illegally spying on American citizens.
