re: #238 WindUpBird

9/11 gave Bin Laden more than he could have dreamed of

we played right into his hands

Now we’re fucked in afghanistan, collapsing under the weight of our own hubris

9/11 brought nothing but ruin to bin Laden. Al Qaeda lost its training camps and most of its manpower. It’s funding is disrupted and its attempt to enter Iraq ended in defeat. And things aren’t going well for them in Afghanistan, either:

It’s Time This Beast Got Put Down

April 24, 2011: The Taliban are entering the death-spiral phase of their comeback campaign. This can be seen by sharply reduced activity in the countryside (where the surge in NATO and Afghan troops has broken the fighting spirit of the Taliban), and the increased reliance on high-profile terror attacks. NATO casualties are down from the same period last year, although the media coverage of Taliban terror attacks might make you think otherwise. The fighting through the Winter was particularly damaging to the Taliban, and recruiting for this year’s “Spring Offensive” has been difficult. It’s been known for over two years that this switch in tactics was coming. It’s the same pattern seen in Iraq. Moreover, many Taliban leaders are trying to negotiate some kind of deal with the government. Some of these settlements have already been made, and now the Taliban have one less ally and one more target. The terror campaign could go on, intensely, for a year or two. But eventually, the “fighting” Taliban are going to run out of money, men and places to hide.