Mia Sullivan
Perspectives Assistant
As the era of President George W. Bush comes to a close, I wonder what the harshly criticized man is thinking. How has he evaluated his two terms thus far? How will he assess his time in office once it has ended?
With the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 having occurred during the first year of his presidency, Bush has been dealt a rough hand of cards.
Seven years after the chilling terrorist acts that altered the way Americans viewed themselves in the global spectrum, the New York Times reported that “after months of internal debate, President Bush has secretly approved orders that, for the first time, permit U.S. Special Forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without prior approval of Pakistan’s government.”
Last Monday, two United States Predator drone aircrafts attacked a major Taliban leader’s base in the North Vaziristan tribal area of Pakistan. The incident is estimated to have killed between 14 and 20 people, some of whom were women and children.
The military aimed this assault on the home of Jalaluddin Haqqani, a veteran of the Afghani war against the Soviet Union, which was fought two decades ago. Haqqani had close ties to Osama bin Laden and ran a madrassa to train terrorists until 2002.
According to the National Public Radio, the Bush administration plans to increase military initiatives along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. According to an article in last week’s National Post, “The recent surge in U.S. military incursions into Pakistan is indicative of a deep frustration over the failure to capture bin Laden and a growing restlessness in Washington over Pakistan’s failure to stop al Qaeda and the Taliban from using its tribal areas as a safe haven from which to wage war in Afghanistan and plot terror attacks on the West.”
It seems like Bush is putting last-minute policy into place in an attempt to capture bin Laden and his cronies before his term ends in January.
White House Press Secretary Dana Perino said, however, that the November election is not a factor in Bush’s new policy implementation. Honestly, I find that hard to believe, considering seven years ago Bush could not have possibly conceived that bin Laden would not be caught by Sept. 11, 2008. Seven years ago, Bush boldly declared that bin Laden was “Wanted, Dead or Alive.” Seven years ago, Bush also said that bin Laden “is not escaping us. This is a guy who, three months ago, was in control of a country. Now, maybe he’s in control of a cave.”
According to a statement from Bush’s former press secretary Ari Fleischer, First Lady Laura Bush privately expressed concern to her husband in 2001 after he made such bold reassurances to the nation. At the time, Bush did not believe his promises were too bold, but seven years later he seems to regret them.
Bush has four months to go. After that, he will be at the whims of historians. He holds only a 30 percent approval rating. What could be better for his future than to capture the man who made his eight-year run a nightmare?
Although Bush, as Fleischer says it, has always emphasized that terrorism is bigger than bin Laden, many more Americans agree on the necessity of his capture than the necessity of the war in Iraq. In fact, many people criticize Bush for going into Iraq instead of focusing on bin Laden, the man who actually spearheaded the terrorist acts against the U.S.
If Bush’s new strategy effectively captures bin Laden, he will descend from the position of highest public prominence more like a majestic eagle than a lame duck. I’m sure the plan is in what Bush believes to be the interest of the American people, but you can’t blame the man for wanting to accomplish something important before he no longer can.
Also, Bush might fear that if Barack Obama is elected, bin Laden might never again be seriously pursued. Although Obama has said that he will capture bin Laden when he’s in office, he has also vowed to end the war in Iraq.
“When I am Commander-in-Chief,” Obama said in March, “I will set a new goal on day one: I will end this war. Not because politics compels it. Not because our troops cannot bear the burden — as heavy as it is. But because it is the right thing to do for our national security, and it will ultimately make us safer.”
Bush may assume Obama would not be willing to use the forceful measures he deems necessary to capture bin Laden. Maybe Bush hopes that if his new tactics are somewhat successful, his predecessor will continue his program and eventually capture the man who forever shook America.
Submitted 09-18-2008