gerbie | I don't get it

It's probably me again, call me ignorant, call me stupid, but there are still a few things I don't get. The Americans are bombing for over a week now. They have hit a lot of strategic points of the Taliban. Don't get me wrong, I do not think the Taliban is a great organisation, but they were involved only sideways weren't they? Apart from that the Americans have managed to hit one of the last civilian areas in Kabul, a UN-quarter, a red cross store and a hospital. So are they co-operating in destructing the country? Like a decade and some years ago, when they were training the military leaders of the Taliban?

Another thing is that Bush won't stop until Bin Laden is taken. The other day I read a small article in which I was told that the Taliban, for the second time had offered to extradict Bin Laden, though not to the US. FOR THE SECOND TIME. I have been reading the papers reasonably well, seen the news most days, read LJ every day, but I haven't even heard the first time. So why do these bombings have to continue? Why does the US think they have the sole right to Bin Laden? Wouldn't it be much more appropriate to have him in an independent court, for instance the peace tribunal in The Hague? My personal opinion, which might not matter much, but I'll give it anyway, is that the chance on a fair trial in the US for Bin Laden are slim. Were I the Taliban, I'd say exactly the same. Guarantee a fair trial and we'll get him for you.

Funny detail: The US has never recognized the Taliban as the official government in Afghanistan. So who can they negotiate with, should this be an option?

I've lost it again.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

IS the government thinking? Or are they really just responding to public outcry? The Americans have always been big on justice, it was a victory for justice that OJ went free, even though nearly everybody was convinced that he did it. The same could be true with OBL. Judge him abroad and present the evidence. That's the only way to go about, without outrage in the rest of the world.

Oh, the government is thinking, that's for sure. Even though justice is a core American idea, bureucracy and ignoring the public are even more important. We have a long history of doing the opposite of public opinion. I doubt an impartial trial abroad was ever seriously considered.

Don't you think that the current flow of attacks on Afghanistan is a result of pressure by the people? I think they have considered, knowing full well that the Taliban won't negotiate with the US, as the US won't negotiate with Bin Laden, they chose not to go for that option, after the public outcry.

To an extent, I agree. If the U.S. would have done nothing, there would have been huge outcry. But at the same time, if they would have gone after OBL in a different way, Americans would feel pretty much like they do now. The government just felt like they had to do something.

I do think the U.S. was hoping (although probably not very optimistically) to avoid bombing Afghanistan. If the Taliban had agreed to the initial demands, our military wouldn't be there now. Of course, the chances of this happening were slim, but I think the U.S. would have accpeted this. It would have been odd, though. Imagine iuf we had bin Laden before the bombings started. There would be no military retaliation for Sept 11. The fact that they waited as long as they did is still amazing to me.

True, but how long will it take for the American people that this could be a next vietnam, or for the russian experts, a second Afghanistan. i.e. a war that will drag on, but can't be won.

Oh, I think that's obvious that's what's going to happen. I mean, how are you ever going to totally wipe out terrorism? Any malcontent with a decent chemical lab could be a terrorist. I would be curious to know what Bush's plans are for that. I know he's mentioned the possibility of a long, drawn-out war. I don't think anyone thinks this will be a repeat of the Gulf Conflict.

Though the similarities are there: both Iraq and the Taliban were beneficiaries from the US foreign policy for quite a bit, retrieving plenty of money and suddenly ended up on the wrong side and declared enemey number one...

I don't get it

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