On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:20:09 -0700, nom=de=plume wrote:


It seems pretty clear to me there was a strong connection:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban...sama_bin_Laden

What seems to be forgotten over the years, the Taliban offered up bin
Laden several times. There were strings attached, and I can't blame Bush
for not accepting the offers, but, with hindsight, perhaps, there was
enough of an opening that with diplomacy, we could have avoided this
war. The Taliban, at the time, wasn't the enemy. Bin Laden was, and
still is.

"thunder" wrote in message
t...
On Mon, 07 Sep 2009 23:20:09 -0700, nom=de=plume wrote:


It seems pretty clear to me there was a strong connection:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taliban...sama_bin_Laden

What seems to be forgotten over the years, the Taliban offered up bin
Laden several times. There were strings attached, and I can't blame Bush
for not accepting the offers, but, with hindsight, perhaps, there was
enough of an opening that with diplomacy, we could have avoided this
war. The Taliban, at the time, wasn't the enemy. Bin Laden was, and
still is.


That's right. Unfortunately, that ship has sailed. I've heard that there is
still a possibility of dealing with the less radical elements of the
Taliban, and there's a general movement toward a "diplomatic" solution
involving the US, the Taliban, Pakistan, and India. The latter is Pakistan's
real focus, which is why I've heard they would like Afganistan to remain
unstable... so it doesn't become an Indian ally.

--
Nom=de=Plume