John LeBoutillier
Monday, Nov. 26, 2001

Will Phase II be a much-deserved coup de grace administered to Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq? Or, as reported over the weekend, will Phase II be the option less politically difficult to sell to our so-called allies: a Yemen-Sudan-Somalia clean-out operation? This would entail air raids against terrorist training camps once – and perhaps still – operated by Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.

Whatever Phase II may be, perhaps we are all getting a little ahead of ourselves. The real goal of Phase I, right now in Afghanistan, is to get Osama bin Laden. And, despite the rout of the Taliban, we have yet to find him and kill him.

The media and all the talking head pundits – needing fresh topics to keep the viewers' interest – have assumed that getting Osama is a done deal. Not so fast! Finding people in any country is not easy – even with a $25 million bounty on his head.

Right now, here in our own country, the FBI and every local police force has been trying to find the accused abortion-clinic bomber – a Mr. Rudolph – for more than four years. No leads, no recent sightings – nothing!

Twenty-seven years ago in the celebrated Patty Hearst case, it took 18 months to find her – despite almost daily news coverage of her plight.

Compounding the problem is the fact that we must find Osama bin Laden. When a president of the United States makes it our nation's No. 1 priority, it must be done. Period! No debate.

Plus, virtually every American wants him captured or killed, too. Rarely have we had such unanimity on anything.

The entire credibility of the White House, the Pentagon, the intelligence community and the U.S. government rides on finding and either killing (let's hope) or capturing (let's hope not) Osama bin Laden.

Thus, there can be no Phase II until the real goal of Phase I is successfully completed.

That is why thousands of U.S. ground troops are this very moment being landed in southern Afghanistan. They are going to have to fight the Taliban in Pashtun territory – their tribal and spiritual stronghold – until our forces have unfettered access to all potential hiding places where Osama and his hierarchy may be.

We must not be distracted by diplomatic gobbledygook about a "new Afghan government." Who cares? That country is a barbaric compilation of tribes who hate each other. No U.N.-sponsored conference is going to change that reality.

Until the Afghan people decide, on their own, that they want to enter civilized society, we can't and shouldn't help them. Yes, food and medicine for all who need it. But that is the total amount of our interest there. Women's rights? Yes, it's awful in that country – and, by the way, in all Muslim nations. But that is not our problem and not the focus of this war.

All we should be thinking about is an all-out hunt for Osama bin Laden. When – and there can be no ifs – we dispatch with the wretched murderer, we must immediately pack up and get the hell out of that miserable country.

Then, and only then, can we even begin to talk about a Phase II.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Al-Qaeda

War on Terrorism

A product that might interest you:
Free Ads! Classified Ads the NewsMax Way!