Tora Bora and Osama, Bush's failed attempt

[exigent]

What went wrong in 2001 when we began bombing the mountains in Tora Bora trying to get OBL? Well...the Russians tried getting through that area by bombing the hell out of Tora Bora in the 80's...after years of bombing, they were pushed back.

Tora Bora is way to extensive and fortified for bombs, and carpet bombs didnt quite do the trick either. We needed troops on the ground taking and securing the fortress that is Tora Bora.

Of the little information that we did have, we knew that Osama owned Tora Bora and that it was impenetrable to conventional weapons. It needed to be secured by force, by troops on the ground. Yeah we had special forces, but only 60?

[Elrathin]

The fact we were trusting mercenaries didn't help things either.

[exigent]

Those mercenaries hated Al-Qaeda, but other than for asking directions, they were functionally useless.

[ECW]

...and the murderer gets away while we chase a tinpot dictator that was much easier to find.

It's like the hunter who goes elk hunting and after a week comes back with a dead skunk and a big smile on his face and says, "Lookie whut I got!"

[exigent]

ECW, love your new avatar of the ST. Louis skyline.

Do you think that we tried our best to kill him at Tora Bora?

We knew all about it...the location, the passages, the large cavernous rooms, etc. It would take more than 60 special forces to secure it and bombs/shelling from outside has no effect. We learned that from the russians in the 80's

[tony mitra]

Here is a hi-res 3-D map of Tora Bora.

http://www.joelertola.com/grfx/grfx_img/ToraBora.gif

A piece of cake?
:help: