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in my opinion, politically, its too big a gamble.
if they were caught out, it would put the Republician Party out of office for 20 years.. there is no way I believe anyone could take such a risk.
What I would accuse Bush of, is demonising Bin Laden to such a degree that he has made him a far more powerful figure than he should be. Bin Laden is not a master terrorist, he is not a criminal master mind, he is a pathetic and intolerant hate monger and bigot.
Bin Laden is seem by many as a great and terrible figure, taking on and shaking America to its foundations - in reality is was a cowardly terrorist attack, that set back the cause of Islam 10 years, which cost 1000's of innocent lives, which sparked off two unjustified international wars, which has done nothing but to make the world more unstable and dangerous for all its people.
Of course, so this is what Bin Laden wants - his only currency is hate and dogma - if and when Bin Laden dies or is killed - the problems will not go away and the war against terror will not be won. Bin Laden cannot be defeated in death - in fact his personality craves martyrdom - when he is killed, a 1000 new Bin Laden's are born, led away from the cause of right and the decent opinion of mankind by his message of hate and perpetual struggle. He speaks to the poorest and most miserable of men, to the orphans of Iraq, to the rural poor of Afghanistan, to the disgruntled and unhappy and lost everywhere - victory over Bin Laden means to make his message irrelevant, to take away his voice, not his life - for he will speak louder in death.
People really must understand that the threat Bin Laden poses is not really bombs or terror - it is his propoganda that is damaging to world peace. Al Qieda - as an organisation - are pathetically weak compared to their enemies, incapable of anything but cowardly attacks against civilians.
As for the question at hand though, I dont believe Bush would risk such an action, nor would it be politically beneficial in my opinion. If - for example - you were to parade and humiliate a captured Bin Laden before the media two weeks before election, there would certainly be an instant reprisal from his followers.
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"Do not tell lies, and do not do what you hate,
for all things are plain in the sight of Heaven. For nothing
hidden will not become manifest, and nothing covered will remain
without being uncovered."
The Gospel of Thomas
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