Why announce a "Spring Offensive" to get Bin Laden?

[Postman]

Would it be that they already have him or know where he is - thus announcing a planned offensive to capture Bin Laden makes them look all the more militarily successful when he is "captured" right before Convention time?

Operating on the assumption they don't know where he is - Doesn't announcing a Spring Offensive open you up to the possibility of a failed mission if he is not caught right at Convention time?

I believe they have a pretty damned good idea of where he is and are waiting for the right moment to spring the trap. Can you say "Fall Surprise"

http://www.newyorker.com/fact/content/?040308fa_fact

[NewJeffCT]

1. freeper co-worker thinks we already have bin Laden

he said it today - said that they are stepping things up to make it look like they're searching for him, only to wait for the right time to announce that 'we got him'... said a tipoff was that he heard the US forces were using the same tactics they used to get Saddam and that Middle Eastern media announced we have him earlier in regards to Saddam as well...

[nefarious]

7. Making bin Laden appear captured

Could backfire badly if terrorist calamity #2 occurs after the announcement. Would make the administration look like the morons that they are.

Bush* Co.: "Now we're all safe and sound with this dangerous terrorist mastermind in custody. Ok, I humbly accept all your praise and gratitude for my courageous heroic work that made this possible."

The terrorists will likely make an extra effort to prove GW* wrong - unfortunately at our expense.

[Taeger]

12. Military should only search on Saturday

Because we all know we can only make major military or domestic accomplishments just in time for the Sunday morning political shows.

[elperromagico]

2. I've got a question about this.

WHY THE FUCK HAVEN'T WE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS?!?

Did the Administration have other priorities? Oh wait, they did! OIL!

[ComerPerro]

6. NO SHIT

Oh, whats that? We are launching an offensive to get bin Laden?

And it only took two and a half years to do that????


:wtf:


Why aren't more people pissed.

It is like the administration is saying, "Sure, we always wanted to get bin Laden, but until now we weren't really trying. We were just half-assing it"

[Muddleoftheroad]

3. To smoke him out

My guess is they have some theories and this is intended to force him to make a move.

[MidwestTransplant]

4. Exactly

I think if he doesn't get smoked out they will still have a Spring offensive.

[Toby109]

8. Smoke him out?

Or give him advance warning? BushCo needs bin Laden. They don't have Saddam to accuse anymore. Hell every totalitarian government needs a villain. Why should ours be any different?

[Demeter]

5. To Every Thing, Turn, Turn, Turn, There is a Season, Spin, Spin, Spin

and a time for every purpose under heaven. Or hell.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. A time to lie, a time to cheat

A time to destroy, a time to "rebuild"
A time to plunder, a time to pillage
A time to start wars because of one boogeyman

[Superfly]

9. That's what happens when politicians wage war

instead of soldiers.

[Bucky]

10. *Spring* offensive? Hell, they're offensive all year round

But seriously, this does help them out by getting the public anticipating the all but inevitable capture. I doubt they've got him already--sitting on it this long doesn't make any political sense--the only sense the Bush Administration has. But they certainly have a good idea of the region he's in. Nabbing the bastard is just a matter of time and effort.

There is the added value that announcing the Spring offensive may help to demoralize bin Laden's associates, make some of them more likely to turn his bony diseased ass in for the re-ward.