How Should Kerry Deal With The Capture of Bin Laden?

[ulTRAX]

With a new military offensive beginning in Afghanistan, Bush seems determined to make the capture or killing of Bin Laden his coup de grace for Election 2004.

While I believe that capture of Saddam meant little... simply because he never attacked us, it gave many of the public the illusion Bush was making progress on the war against terrorism. Why Saddam was bumped to the top of the hit list over Bin Laden and Al Quida is a valid question that never seems to get asked.

So how can Kerry inoculate himself against an October Surprise regardless of what month it occurs in? How can Kerry inoculate the public to become MORE suspicious of any well-timed capture or killing of Bin Laden?

I believe Kerry should start hammering away NOW at Bush's inattention to Bin Laden for the past 12-18 months. Obsessed with Saddam... Bush diverted military and intelligence resources from Afghanistan to the Iraq campaign. Bush, in essence, gave Bin Laden a holiday.

I believe Bush is vulnerable here because it seems clear he is cynically placing election politics before national security.

[ComerPerro]

1. How about that quote from before the war, a year ago

Where Bush said that he didn't know and didn't care where bin Laden was?

[grannylib]

3. Good one, and you are right, this issue needs to be nipped in the bud...

Kerry IMHO needs to start now by pointing out that even if Bin Laden is captured, we will not be safer because there will very likely be major backlash with retaliatory terrorist attacks...just because we get him does not mean the whole network will fall apart.
And Saddam...hmmm...we still got him?? Have not heard much about him now have we??? And remember how right after we 'got' him the Terraist Alert went UP? Yeah, we were safer all right with a guy who was never any imminent threat to us now in our pockets in our country.

[trotsky]

7. Here it is

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
-- George W. Bush, September 13, 2001

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and I really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
-- George W. Bush, March 13, 2002

[ulTRAX]

14. Kerry's Comeback....

Kerry: "You know, we're meeting here during the presidential primary season and we're witnessing a clear trend. It looks like we have a winner in both the Republican and Democratic primaries. Those in the GOP are an interesting group with a lot of strong differences of opinion. They're against nation building and they're for it; for avenging 911 yet invading a nation that did not attack us; in favor of capturing Bin Laden and giving him an 18 month holiday. And that's just one resident of Pennsylvania Avenue"

[KensPen]

2. Conservatives are screaming about Politicizing of 9-11

If I was Kerry I would point out that Bush has ensured all investigations are completed after the election,

and at first was dragging his feet and diverting resources in capturing Bin Laden,
and has now stepped up efforts as the election draws near.


Who is really playing political gamesmanship?

[bubba_fett]

19. Whoa

Another neophyte...me siggy is jealous...

[Cocoa]

4. I agree he should start preparing for this

I think he should start talking almost like bin Laden is already caught, or at least concede he will be caught soon. Say bin Laden will be caught, but he should have been caught at Tora Bora. Why did Bush let him be at large all this time?

Same with the economy. Even if jobs start being produced, it's way too late. Bush has been promising this for over two years, they keep saying job growth is just around the corner. Every month, every quarter. And the media until very recently gave him credit for the success he predicted for himself, as if it were reality.

[ulTRAX]

6. tora bora

Cocoa wrote "I agree he should start preparing for this. I think he should start talking almost like bin Laden is already caught, or at least concede he will be caught soon. Say bin Laden will be caught, but he should have been caught at Tora Bora. Why did Bush let him be at large all this time?"

Early on Kerry had been critical of the Tora Bora operation. Bush wanted to keep US casualties down so he let some local war lord do most of the dirty work... allowing the bulk of the Al Quida forces to escape.

[9119495]

5. Here is the answer

"This is a great vicotry for Americans no matter what party you support. I congratulate our armed forces who have struggled for years in Afghanistan, often without adequate resources due to our war with Iraq. Now we must begin the process fo healing the Afghan nation. I have a plan to bring democracy to the region, whereas President Bush strongly opposes nation-building. This is our great opportunity to prevent future terrorists."

[LeahMira]

9. Good answer!

I think all Americans will feel glad when bin Laden is captured... whether it really makes sense to be glad or not. Still, the fact is that America is at least partially responsible for creating the conditions that someone like bin Laden can use to his own advantage.

It would be a great opportunity to prevent future terrorists if we were willing to provide the sort of assistance that the Afghan people believe they need, and not the sort of assistance that the U.S. believes they ought to have.

[SlavesandBulldozers]

12. this is a great answer

We owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to our fighting forces. The capture/killing of Osama is their doing, not the President's. I would expect Kerry to acknowledge the fighting women and men of this country. I would expect Bush to harness the capture/death of Osama for political gain.

[ulTRAX]

15. I like the first half

But I think it should be adjusted to cover some future event.... not just reacting after it happens. Kerry should TODAY be out front supporting those troops in Afghanistan and demanding they get the resources to do their job.... all the time raising the issue of how Bush diverted resources away from the REAL war. I don't think the second half matters since Bush already changed his position against nation building over two years ago.

[seabeyond]

8. good for the military, they did their job

now, get back to work on mopping up al queda

[BabsSong]

10. Have an idea (from a military analyst)

Heard the semi-crosseyed military analyst they have on MSNBC or CNN (?)say something that perked up my ears. After diagraming where bin Laden is, etc., and talking about the new push to get him, he said he "hopes that the forces don't do something risky and stupid". Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh---could Kerry begin to hammer this thought: Bush ignored bin Laden to push his lying war down our throats; but for the pure politics of getting re-elected he has pushed our forces to take risks to find bin Laden now as part of re-election stunt and thus, we could either be putting their lives in great jeapordy OR we could make a misstep and start off an international incident with Pakistan and other Muslim countries????????????? I think, folks, this might fly.

[Aristus]

11. "...and once again, our armed forces deserve our thanks and gratitude.

Now a question for Mr. Bush; why did this take three years, 100 billion dollars and 600 American lives? Why did you blow off Bin Laden in order to go after someone who was no threat to the US and had nothing to do with 9-11?" John Kerry, on the long-delayed capture of Osama Bin Laden.

[NewJeffCT]

16. $100 billion? Try about $160 and counting

To be well over $200 billion by election day...

[DinahMoeHum]

13. Simple. Kerry can say that if * hadn't distracted us with Iraq. . .

we could have had bin Laden a year or so earlier.


:kick:

[zbdent]

17. Pointing out that W had a bad attention span, and that the OBL boogey-man

is back in time for the Presidential race.

W didn't bother completing one war before starting another.

[Tactical Progressive]

18. Democrats should start innoculating now by saying

the least George Bush could do is capture Osama bin Laden before he leaves office.