Bin Laden wanted US to invade Iraq, author says -- and Bush granted bin Laden's wish

[romantico]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 5:39pm

Bin Laden wanted US to invade Iraq, author says
By Tony Jones

Posted Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:04am AEST
Updated Fri Aug 24, 2007 8:32am AEST


Osama bin Laden told Abdul Bari Atwan he wanted to "bring the Americans into a fight on Muslim soil". (Reuters)
As coalition troops continue to die on Iraqi soil and the US Government's military spending on the war bleeds into billions of dollars, a new book says that not only could this have been avoided, but it was all predictable, as long as you had read the Al Qaeda manual.

Abdul Bari Atwan is one of the only Western journalists to have interviewed Osama bin Laden, spending three days with him in the mountains of Afghanistan in 1996.

He is the editor-in-chief of the London-based Arabic newspaper, Al-Quds Al-Arabia, and the author of The secret history of Al Qaeda.

ABC TV's Lateline presenter Tony Jones interviewed Mr Bari Atwan on the program last night.

TONY JONES: When you met bin Laden, he told you that his long-term plan was to "bring the Americans into a fight on Muslim soil". That must have sounded like madness at the time, but now we have Iraq.

ABDUL BARI ATWAN: It seems Osama bin Laden had a long-term strategy. He told me personally that he can't go and fight the Americans and their country. But if he manages to provoke them and bring them to the Middle East and to their Muslim worlds, where he can find them or fight them on his own turf, he will actually teach them a lesson. It seems the invasion of Iraq fulfilled Osama bin Laden's wish. That's why the Americans are losing in Iraq, financially and on a human basis, and even their allies, including Australia, are really losing patience, losing money, losing personnel, losing reputation in that part of the world.

TONY JONES: When bin Laden told you this back in 1996, the only thing he had that was close to what he was talking about was [former US president] Bill Clinton's intervention in Somalia. Bin Laden was evidently extremely disappointed the Americans had pulled out?

ABDUL BARI ATWAN: Yes. He told me, again, that he expected the Americans to send troops to Somalia and he sent his people to that country to wait for them in order to fight them. They managed actually to shoot down an American helicopter where 19 soldiers were killed and he regretted that the Clinton Administration decided to pull out their troops from Somalia and run away. He was so saddened by this. He thought they would stay there so he could fight them there. But for his bad luck, according to his definition, they left, and he was planning another provocation in order to drag them to Muslim soil.

And it seems President Bush did not actually give him a lot of hard work to plan for this. Immediately after the bombardment of Afghanistan - which actually destroyed 85 per cent of Al Qaeda infrastructure, personnel, deprived them of a safe haven - after that huge success against Al Qaeda, President Bush made terrible mistakes when he sent his troop to invade Iraq, one of the most difficult countries to be invaded, to be occupied, the worst land for democracy, human rights. And we can see the outcome.


(more)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/08/24/2013753.htm

[son_of_a_gunn_25]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 5:43pm

While I think this is important to know, isn't this sort of old news?

[romantico]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 5:46pm

Yup. Thats our corporate media. Why wasn't this reported right after the war? We knew this all then. Bush is so dumb that he has proven everything Bin laden has said about the United States to be true. Leave it to Bush to make Bin Laden look like a hero to his followers. Oh, and don't get me started on the traitors who defend Bush who are cowards who won;t go fight his war of lies!

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 6:04pm

Is it wrong that I just want to roll my eyes? No? Good.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 6:06pm

That's a long cut and paste, but since it represents radical liberalism at its best, it will be allowed to stand.

It sounds like its from the Rosie O'Delusional school of conspiracy theories.

[AnnaK<3LMIP]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 6:11pm

Or it's a real possibility.

[HDThoreau2]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 7:04pm

Seriously?

[romantico]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 7:20pm

Yeah, I roll my eyes as well. Bush has another year or more to destroy this country and do even more damage. He has created more terrorist than anyone could have imagined.No matter who becomes President in 2008 (Republican or Democrat) they are gonna have SUCH A MESS to clean up after Bush and his cartel!

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 7:24pm

I believe they attacked on 9/11 before he started destroying the country

Carry On

[romantico]

Posted: 8/27/07 at 7:34pm

He made it worse after 911. He could have united the country and he didn't.As much as I despised Bush even I stood by him and considered perhaps I misjudged him. I needed a leader that day and instead we got a coward!

Bush has made things alot worse since 911.They hit us on 911 (a few weeks after Bush's month long vacation)They have become stronger since 911 thanks to Bush. Bin Laden said Bush would go to war with iraq and Bush couldn't resist.Like all cowards and fools he took the bait and looks where we are now.

Having said that, I will carry on,thank you very much!