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So, Osama is still kickin’? There’s plenty of blame to go around

By JOHN MUNFORD

Despite what you may think about newspaper reporters in general, I am not one of those “news junkies.”

It takes a lot for the TV news to get my attention, but I do half-heartedly try to keep up with the 11 p.m. local broadcasts. Too often I’m distracted on anything but the news.

But up at 2 a.m. the other morning for no other good reason, I caught a chunk of a documentary on the History Channel focusing on the report issued by the 9/11 Commission, the agency which investigated how the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, killed thousands.

I didn’t catch the whole show, but I fumed at the part where the show explained a missed opportunity to take out Osama bin Laden in the waning months of the Clinton administration in late 2000.

Apparently, a spy plane had the long, tall terrorist in sights and all it would take was a launch of cruise missiles to knock him out.

Justification? Try the U.S.S. Cole incident in which operatives rammed an explosive-riddled boat into the carrier, killing some of our military. Never mind the bombing of a U.S. embassy in Nairobi in August 1999 that killed 12 Americans and 201 others and the bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania on the same day that killed 11 people, none of whom were Americans.

What really ticked me off was when the TV report got into why Clinton didn’t pull the trigger: There was “strong resistance” from officials who thought the public would perceive Clinton making the attack to divert attention from the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Charlie Brown said it best: “Aaaaaaaaaaargh!”

Hell, yes, Clinton as commander-in-chief had the authority to take bin Laden down. He should’ve done it. Who gives a bleep about what the public will think about why he did it? It was necessary.

Ultimately Clinton gave in to the pressure and the strike was called off.

The History Channel report also noted that Clinton deferred the Osama situation to Bush, who we all know failed to follow up and take care of bin Laden.

Best we can tell, bin Laden is still on the lam today, assuming he hasn’t previously taped all these appearances that are released to the news media every so often.

In other words, there is plenty of blame to go around regardless of your political persuasion.

Now I’m not so naive as to think taking out bin Laden would have prevented the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Best I could tell by the History Channel’s reporting, the terrorist pilots were already well underway in terms of training here for their dastardly mission. Al Qaeda was so well funded that the mission would almost certainly have been carried out regardless of bin Laden’s existence.

You know the aftermath. Thousands dead. Color-coded “threat” warnings. Normal U.S. tourists questioned by police because they’re taking souvenir photos or video of a landmark or significant building.

You should’ve seen the menacing looking armed guards in front of the U.S. Capitol on my trip to Washington summer before last.

The terrorist attacks came weeks before my son was born. I thought then, and I still think now, What kind of world am I bringing him into?

That still worries me even today, as the war in Iraq struggles on and the insurgents are still killing troops and Iraqi statesmen. I know little to nothing about military issues, but this is one hell of a difficult war and heaven knows I wish it would come to a quicker end than it will.

I feel for every parent who breaks down when military officials come by to inform them of the death of their child. Yes, our soldiers and troops enlisted to serve and knew they’d be in harm’s way, but that’s no consolation.

Will we be able to force democracy on Iraq? If the current status of the war is any indication, and the assassination of the Iraqi governor, we’re in for a wild ride.

If I were a weary soldier serving in the theater of war, I’d be ready to get off the roller coaster. Thank goodness for those who volunteered to serve and do so with distinction. We know the folks in the prisoner abuse scandal are the extreme exception and not the rule.

God bless all our troops, for they are doing work most of us cowards can’t or won’t. I hope their sacrifices aren’t in vain.