Our Afghan strategy let Bin Laden escape.

(accidentally typed Bin Ledeen in the title. Pretty funny slip.)

Ran across this twice today, so gonna throw it up 'cause it is pretty big news. Think back to the strategy we employed in Afghanistan. Very few US forces(possibly because they were being held out so that they could go to Iraq,) helping provide tactics and air support for the guerilla warlords who were willing to work for the US. If we'd had significant US troops at Tora Bora is it possible that we could have captured Bin Laden? - Sure, but then why would we have to go into Iraq. Not that I'm alleging anything here.

KABUL (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden was provided safe passage to Pakistan in 2001 by Afghan commanders paid by al Qaeda and sympathetic to its cause, a senior Afghan official told Reuters on Wednesday.

And while I'm in the general area, the quite obvious civil war between the Sunni and Shia in Iraq seems to be becoming more formalized. With Iran offering support to the Shia, how long will the Sunni nations and populations stand down? Is this civil war going to become a hot war involving other middle eastern nations? Qui Bono? Oh, you know who.