Johnny, I don't believe that our action in Afghanistan was "retaliation" for 9/11. Most of the 9/11 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia , as is Osama Bin Laden. The Wahhabi sect of Islam, which is the official state religion of Saudi Arabia, is virulently anti-Western and anti-American. Remember that Princess Haifa, the wife of Prince Bandar, longstanding Saudi ambassador to the US, was found to have been sending money to a family in San Diego who helped fund and support two of the 9/11 hijackers. Besides, we get lots of oil from Saudi Arabia, and the Bush family has had close business ties for decades to the Bin Laden family (except for that ingrate Osama, of course.) And John Woodward's new book (the sources for which included Bush and Rumsfeld) reports that the same Prince Bandar was thoroughly briefed by Bush and Rumsfeld about the plans for attacking Iraq--before Colin Powell was told.

Afghanistan, on the other hand, posed two problems for the US and its interests. The Taliban had effectively shut down the lucrative opium trade, and had prevented the construction of an oil pipeline strongly favored by US businesses. Conveniently, Al Qaeda also had training camps there, and Osama Bin Laden was hiding out there. (Of course, he also might have been hiding out in Pakistan...but Pakistan has nuclear weapons, and they're our friends, so let's not go there.)

So, let's see, the attack on the US was led and run and financed by Saudis...but we retaliate against Afghanistan. Reminds me of the guy who drops his car keys near his car, but is looking for them under the lamppost, "because the light is better over here!"

Oh, yes, the opium trade is back in full force. I'm not sure about the pipeline, but I wouldn't bet against it.

Here's a question: How do you win a war on terrorism? Do you kill everyone who might bomb a train or a police station? Or do you just make them promise not to?

Here's another question: Would you rather have a President who's in bed with an intern, or a President who's in bed with leaders of global corporations and friends of international terrorists?

Aloha,
Mark