Re:1913: When Hitler, Trotsky, Tito, Freud and Stalin all li...
by defrost on Thursday September 12, 2024 @10:46PM
(#41527642)
At the time (from Australia, having already travelled a good deal mapping and working in global geophysical exploration) my opinion was that OBL executed a carefully thought out and well executed plan with the specific intent of eliciting an over the top batshit crazy response from the USofA.
In this he succeeded without a doubt. (NB. I'm absolutely not endorsing his actions).
He delibrately provoked the US and he was extremely clever about it.
> He wasn't even an official representative of Aghanistan ... Pakistan ..
All immaterial from an OG Al Qaeda PoV - they were intent on starting a mass war between the Arab world and the West based on a dislike of the Saudi Royal Family, their corruption of "true" Arab values (for some intepretation of "true arab values"), the US support of the Saudi's, the US actions in Islamic countries and their support and or acceptance of atrocities committed against Muslims.
Very early on there was a teetering point when the US could have capitalised on a global wave of sympathy that included much of the Islamic world.
Then was the time to form a small group with international partners to target and capture the small Al Qaeda and leverage support from Muslims outraged at OBL's actions.
That opportunity was squandered badly with the Bush versioned War on Terror and sideshow invasion of Iraq, the search for non existent WMD's and the Coalition of the Reluctant Few.
The US went down an avoidable 20 year rabbit hole and squandered reputation and relations.
In this he succeeded without a doubt. (NB. I'm absolutely not endorsing his actions).
He delibrately provoked the US and he was extremely clever about it.
> He wasn't even an official representative of Aghanistan ... Pakistan ..
All immaterial from an OG Al Qaeda PoV - they were intent on starting a mass war between the Arab world and the West based on a dislike of the Saudi Royal Family, their corruption of "true" Arab values (for some intepretation of "true arab values"), the US support of the Saudi's, the US actions in Islamic countries and their support and or acceptance of atrocities committed against Muslims.
Very early on there was a teetering point when the US could have capitalised on a global wave of sympathy that included much of the Islamic world.
Then was the time to form a small group with international partners to target and capture the small Al Qaeda and leverage support from Muslims outraged at OBL's actions.
That opportunity was squandered badly with the Bush versioned War on Terror and sideshow invasion of Iraq, the search for non existent WMD's and the Coalition of the Reluctant Few.
The US went down an avoidable 20 year rabbit hole and squandered reputation and relations.