I'm not sure US command really WANTS to catch BeenLeaden.  No doubt they would be really pissed if an independent did the deed.

Personally, I don't care WHO kills the jackass, just so he becomes worm food.

There is also the background thought that his capture would set off a chain reaction of attacks at home and abroad.  Currently he is fairly out of touch and unable to truly direct enemy operations.  Its hard when you can't use comm gear and have to rely on runners catching up to you while you are on the run.  An Osama who drops dead from kidney failure or old age is much better than a martyr who's desciples decide to blow up something of value to avenge him.  

Saddam was no big deal in this regard as he had very few true followers.  His people obeyed him out of fear, Osama's follow him out of loyalty.

Want an accurate assessment of Idema? Take a look at how many BTDT Special Forces guys he has defending him. Not active duty guys who have a career to worry about, but guys who were in when he was.


*crickets chirping*




Exactly.

Musings in the middle of the night:


I know almost nothing of Idema.  He may be a fraud - or not.  You can bet, however, that there is NO WAY the government wants anyone other than them to hunt or find OBL.  Just as the Pakis don't want him caught, under ANY circumstances.  The Feds have a vested interest in NOT publicly admitting it if they DO catch the scumbag or send him for his 70  virgin pigs.  As long as they can focus on OBL they can deny we are at war with most of islam, justify half measures, ignore the countries that are our greatest threat.  

It isn't about oil or pipelines, that is a distraction promoted by the left.  Even if it were true, oil being a most vital interest of the USA would certainly justify it.  The left HATES oil and the freedom it brings.  Our mobility comes from oil (as does much of our medicine, chemical industry, etc.); the mobility that helps keep us free rather than serfs in cities where you work in a building a block from where you live.  Lack of easy individual travel leads to tyranny.

We are at war with a culture; one of hate and ignorance, tyranny and blind ambition.  Unfortunately our own government sees their #1 goal the keeping and increasing of power, lulling the populace with PC (to further goal #1).   Just as the drug war is an excuse for all kinds of attacks upon our rights and a move toward goal #1, so is the failure to locate OBL.  The public will support many actions, give up many freedoms in the quest to locate the world's #1 criminal, just as they have in the "war on drugs".  Why would the Feds give up either tool?  Why would they risk an open warfare with the forces of evil (radical islam) when it is so much more in THEIR interest to maintain the current status?  Unless the terrorists blow up Washington DC, it doesn't negatively impact them.  It DOES give them all kinds of opportunity to chip away at our rights, further goal #1.

While President Bush may have once wanted to catch OBL immediately prior to the election in order to derail the communists of the Democrat party, OBL's value may have been greatly diminished by the passage of time.  The American people have a very short memory.  The leftist controlled media makes sure there is little to keep the memory of 9/11 alive beyond issues of interest to them.  You can be sure the media do NOT want effective action against the enemies of America, as that would be THEM.  The people have not forgotten the date of 9/11 but many have forgotten the horror, the images of people leaping 1000 feet to their certain SPLAT.   The media have buried those images.  They have started a partisan debate (or at least promoted it) blaming America for those who hate her.  Exactly the same as saying it isn't the criminal's fault he robbed you - it is yours for having something he desired!!  The response to 11 Sep 2001 is VERY different than the reponse to 7 Dec 41.  The leader (Yamamoto) of THAT "Day of Infamy" was hunted down and KILLED.  No attempt was made to capture him, but rather to do only one thing, KILL him.  War in 1941 was all-out, no holds barred horror against an enemy, culminating in the use of the most important techonlogical achievement in history.  Ended the war with a clear victor.  Worked well, too.  Japan is a member in good standing of the civilized world.  Germany, though thoroughly socialist, is no longer a threat to world peace or the lives of millions of Jews.  Well, other than their cowardice in dealing with the forces of evil such as Soddom.

Do not put words in my mouth - I fully SUPPORT the war in Afghanistan and Iraq.  They were the right thing to do and still are.  My only complaint is in how they have been run, fought too much like VN, using 1/2 assed measures.  Sending good troops to a shithole (and I consider ALL the ME a shithole) to fight with one hand tied behind their back, negotiating with terrorists, failing to utterly obliterate them like we did in WWII is a disgrace!  Failure to use EVERY TOOL, EVERY PERSON to do what it takes to WIN is failure.  The politicians lost VN, they are working on losing again.  Makes me sick.