Thread: General McChrystal's plan for stopping al-Qaeda

any thoughts on what he says?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8402138.stm

The top US commander in Afghanistan has said al-Qaeda will not be defeated unless its leader, Osama Bin Laden, is captured or killed.

Testifying to the US Congress, Gen Stanley McChrystal said Bin Laden had become an "iconic figure".

He said President Barack Obama's deployment of 30,000 extra troops to Afghanistan meant success was possible.

But he said the mission was "undeniably difficult" and the next 18 months would be crucial.

"I don't think that we can finally defeat al-Qaeda until he's captured or killed," said Gen McChrystal of Bin Laden.

"I believe he is an iconic figure at this point, whose survival emboldens al-Qaeda as a franchising organisation across the world."

The general said that killing or capturing Bin Laden would not spell the end of al-Qaeda, but that the movement could not be eradicated while Bin Laden remained at large.

The militant leader is believed to be living in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

US Secretary of Defence Robert Gates said last week that officials have had no reliable information on Bin Laden's whereabouts for "years".

'Significant costs'

Gen McChrystal told the Congressional hearing the next 18 months would be crucial in Afghanistan, but that he did not expect to need more troops to get the job done.

He said coalition forces faced "a complex and resilient insurgency" and that Afghans lacked confidence in their government.

"Success will require steadfast commitment and incur significant costs," he told the House Armed Services Committee.

The commander said the 30,000 US reinforcements would "provide us the ability to reverse insurgent momentum and deny the Taliban the access to the population they require to survive".

He said he did not think he would need to ask for any more troops in a year's time, but would not hesitate to recommend more if circumstances changed.

The US ambassador to Afghanistan, Karl Eikenberry, who questioned the troop build-up during White House deliberations last month, also endorsed the new approach as "the best path to stabilise Afghanistan".

Mr Eikenberry agreed with Gen McChrystal that Bin Laden was key to that process.

He said it was "important to the American people - indeed, the people of the world - that one day Osama Bin Laden is either captured or killed, brought to justice".

The new battle plan includes an 18-month timeline before the first US troops would begin to come home.

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Bin Laden ought to have been captured or killed quite some time ago......... :3

No kidding. Years ago.

It has to have always been an "action item" but never the highest military priority. IMHO, that should almost be our top priority - from day one.

Originally Posted by hawgballs

One wonders what took so long to figure this out though.......

Maybe they didn't want to make him a martyr. If we kill him,he turns into Obi Won Kenobi,and is more powerful than ever.

Just a thought.....personally I would like to see him die very slowly.

Capture him.

Of course, there are those that think he is already dead.

Originally Posted by hawgballs

Originally Posted by dex71

Originally Posted by hawgballs

One wonders what took so long to figure this out though.......

Maybe they didn't want to make him a martyr. If we kill him,he turns into Obi Won Kenobi,and is more powerful than ever.

Just a thought.....personally I would like to see him die very slowly.

So instead, we make him appear bullet proof?

I would like to see him crucified.

Old school, I like it.

Personally, i think he should be trampled by pigs while being decapitated by nude women.

The perfect Islamic storm of damnation.

I'd gut him alive.