Yes, two short days after the anniversary of 9/11 Rummy makes it official. He want the fine men and women doing anti-terrorism sweeps home........ from Afghanistan. The place where the prosecution of the War on Terror to eliminate Al Qaeda began is no longer a project of interest I guess. No longer is it important to find those responsible for the horrors of the WTC and bring them to justice as was promised to us then.
Any further work on this is to be outsourced to NATO if he can manage it.
On had to wonder how the families of those who died that terrible day that feel about this. Have they received any satisfaction? Seen any justice meted out?
No. Not really. Unless they only wanted the sad satisfaction of seeing the lives of others as shattered as their own were.
(continued)
But with this statement the administration officially throws in the towel. The search for the culprits started four years ago is now an unneccessary drain on resources. the search for the culprits a collosal (and expensive) failure.
In 2001 and 2002 Republicans stated with pride that they were treating this as a war instead of some assinine law enforcement problem as they assumed the Democrats would have chosen. But you know something? Police don't close a case until the culprit is caught. Wars give way to geopolitics. An in this case this administration is planning to leave the battlefield with their primary objective still not achieved.
So, let's review the relevant quotes on how important this objective was in order shall we?
"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."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
"I want justice...There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI
"...Secondly, he is not escaping us. This is a guy, who, three months ago, was in control of a county [sic]. Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run. Listen, a while ago I said to the American people, our objective is more than bin Laden. But one of the things for certain is we're going to get him running and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that's what's happening. He's on the run, if he's running at all. So we don't know whether he's in cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open -- we just don't know...."
- Bush, in remarks in a Press Availablity with the Press Travel Pool,
The Prairie Chapel Ranch, Crawford TX, 12/28/01, as reported on
official White House site
"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden's whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
"I'm tired. I think I'll go home now."
-- Donald Rumsfeld.
Whoops, sorry, that last one was Forrest Gump. I still get those two confused sometimes...