WaPo: General (Schoomaker) Plays Down Value Of Capturing Bin Laden

[babylonsister]

This from the guy who's job it was to find Bin Laden. If he's not a worthy target, what the hell are we even there for?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/02/23/AR2007022301799.html

General Plays Down Value Of Capturing Bin Laden

Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Saturday, February 24, 2007; Page A08

FORT WORTH, Feb. 23 -- The Army's highest-ranking officer said Friday that he was unsure whether the U.S. military would capture or kill Osama bin Laden, adding, "I don't know that it's all that important, frankly."

"So we get him, and then what?" asked Gen. Peter J. Schoomaker, the outgoing Army chief of staff, at a Rotary Club of Fort Worth luncheon. "There's a temporary feeling of goodness, but in the long run, we may make him bigger than he is today.

"He's hiding, and he knows we're looking for him. We know he's not particularly effective. I'm not sure there's that great of a return" on capturing or killing bin Laden.

Schoomaker pointed to the capture of Saddam Hussein, the killings of his sons, Uday and Qusay, and the killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi as evidence that the capture or death of al-Qaeda's leader would have little effect on threats to the United States.

Days after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, President Bush said he wanted bin Laden "dead or alive," and then-Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said, "It is not enough to get one individual, although we'll start with that one individual."

Bush reaffirmed the goal last September in a prime-time speech, warning bin Laden: "No matter how long it takes, America will find you, and we will bring you to justice."

But Schoomaker's remarks echoed comments last year by Vice President Cheney, who seemed to play down the value of capturing or killing bin Laden days before the Bush speech. "He's not the only source of the problem, obviously. . . . If you killed him tomorrow, you'd still have a problem with al-Qaeda," the vice president said.

Schoomaker, who is due to be replaced as chief of staff in April by Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commanded the U.S. Special Operations Command before becoming chief of staff. Special operations personnel have been leading the hunt for bin Laden along the mountainous border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[Botany]

1. Oh for the love of God

I'm not sure there's that great of a return" on capturing or killing bin Laden.

spin that one freeper scum who lurk here 24/7

[babylonsister]

2. Unbelieveable, isn't it. No words here. nt

[havocmom]

3. Yep. No way to profiteer in the actual capture of the Bogey Man

Saddam in a hole, then a cell, then court, then a grave turned out to be not so good for the quarterly reports. Saddam done in just made more call for an end to the alchemy of turning blood into gold for Halliburton and others.

Gotta keep Bin Laden alive and free so they can trot out the Bogey Man when they need crowd control.

[Botany]

6. I have a family member who works for the Navy in D.C.

He is in and out of the Pentagon all the time. What kind of
half baked clap trap program are we running?

Why bin Laden is still sucking O2 is beyond me. We have caused
the deaths of over 500,000 Iraqis, 3,200 Americans, and have taken
more than 44,000 wounded, injured, or taken sick and yet we are
farting around w/ bin Laden.

I don't care if he is in Pakistan, Afghanistan, or Saudi Arabia we have
(or used to) the best fighting forces and technology in the world ....
WHY IS BIN LADEN NOT DEAD?

bush, "my job to protect America." :puke:

[babylonsister]

7. Bogey man and crowd control; great point, havocmom!

Were his whereabouts known, they couldn't drag out those quarterly tapes and pics of him they're so fond of using. :eyes:

[dansolo]

4. Then why did they make such a big deal about capturing Saddam?

Saddam was (allegedly) only guilty of wanting to attack us, when bin Laden was successful in actually attacking us.

[Monkeyman]

5. Yep

100% right

[sakabatou]

8. What TF happened to the whole "gung-ho-

dead-or-alive crap?

[Eurobabe]

9. Need to keep him around (even if on ice) as OOOGA-BOOOGA man

Just in case their (BFEE) false flag ops get mussed up.

[babylonsister]

10. Why are we over there again? nt