Arafat reject Osama's "help"

[skywalker]

Originally posted by The Hierophant: This is just my crackpot theory, but even if Osama is dead, and even if the American administration knows he is dead, they arn't exactly going to go around telling everyone. Right now, the hunt for Osama is still political gold for the US war administration. They can get alot of really solid leverage by appealing to American citizen's hatred of terrorists, they need to keep this fire stoked and burning if they want to get the majority of their seeming middle-eastern objectives completed before the next election (a quelled Iraq, sedate Palestine etc). It makes sound political sense to keep 'alive' such a virile and widely-recognized political icon as Osama, even if in fact he really is 'dead'.

Beat me to it by just a minute!

Mark

[Ronn_Bman]

Just my two cents, but I don't think there would be any benefit from pretending Osama's alive if they know he's dead. I don't think the American people are backing the war on terrorism just because they can focus on Osama. I think the focus has been steadily moved away from Osama. He's just one man. Osama and the September 11th attacks awakened Americans to the idea that terrorism isn't just for everyone else, and whether Osama's dead or alive, that realization isn't going away.

The American people don't need Osama alive to back a possible war with Iraq either. We will need evidence of WMD, but that evidence will speak for itself. No need to focus on a sickly fanatic.

I think they'd love to be able to prove he's dead, and that he was killed in the war on terror, but he certainly isn't the key.

[ 12-15-2002, 05:34 PM: Message edited by: Ronn_Bman ]

[Attalus]

LOL, it seems like just a while ago the the Dems were criticizing GWB for "neglecting" the search for Osama and concentrating on Iraq too much, as if we couldn't do two things at once. No, I think if any military personnel found good evidence of his demise, the urge to bear such good news would overcome their discretion. But, Ziroc does have a good point. Where are all of the taunting videotapes? Seems that, if he was alive, he would be telling us "nana-nana-booboo, can't catch me!"