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"All that we have to do is to send two Mujahedin to the farthest point East to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qa'ida in order to make the general

by desdiv 8y ago

"All that we have to do is to send two Mujahedin to the farthest point East to raise a piece of cloth on which is written al-Qa'ida in order to make the generals race there to cause America to suffer human economic and political losses without their achieving for it anything of note other than some benefits to their private companies. This is in addition to our having experience in using guerrilla warfare and the war of attrition to fight tyrannical superpowers as we alongside the Mujahedin bled Russia for 10 years until it went bankrupt and was forced to withdraw in defeat. All Praise is due to Allah. So we are continuing this policy in bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy."[0] -Osama bin Laden [0] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16990-2004Nov1.html http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A16990-2004Nov...

almost_usual 8y ago
I’m skeptical Russia’s financial woes were solely caused by this strategy.
- craftyguy 8y ago
  Well it most definitely didn't help their situation at all.
- iooi 8y ago
  You're right, there were at most 2000 Arab mujahideen in Afghanistan during that war. The afghan resistance did most of the work, and most of the damage was done thanks to US-provided Stinger missiles -- they managed to shoot down 100 aircraft and 300 helicopters.
- Brockenstein 8y ago
  Yeah, Bin Laden was engaging in a bit of PR with those statements. In such circumstances people always try to take as much credit as they can, no matter how exaggerated it is. And for Bin Laden that war was probably center of his universe. For the USSR it might have been kind of a big deal, but probably not the only issue they were dealing with worldwide and domestically. Bin Laden was probably never that concerned with representing that accurately, you know, because who's going to set him straight?
athenot 8y ago
It makes me sad that over a decade later, we still fall for that trap. My rule of thumb to explain things is "follow the money". Several industries have handsomly profited over this situation, but don't believe anybody else gained from that: not us Americans as a whole, certainly not those who had to deal with war in their own place.
- maxxxxx 8y ago
  I have been in the US since 2000 and I really believe this country needs war to stay together. Without an external enemy people will start fighting each other.
  - Buldak 8y ago
    I have difficulty seeing the Iraq War (or Vietnam, or really any war since WW2) as a source of unity among Americans.
    - maxxxxx 8y ago
      How about the "Cold war" and the "War on terror"? I agree that the country is looking for a feel good war where they get out as heroes and winners like WW2. The golf wars were planned to be that but didn't work out.
  - Tempest1981 8y ago
    Let’s unify around renewable energy for the world.
    - TaylorAlexander 8y ago
      And open source knowledge!
  - mikeash 8y ago
    If you had been here during the 90s, you would have seen us being perfectly fine without a war. Not that the 90s were completely peaceful for us, but we had long stretches without much going on. There was plenty of stupid political infighting, but nothing like the division caused by the invasion of Iraq.
raverbashing 8y ago
It would have been cheaper and easier to go after the money financing those, if it were not for political issues
seanalltogether 8y ago
It would only bankrupt America if Americans demanded social welfare at the same level as other 1st world nations. Instead of nurses we get soldiers, instead of housing for the poor we get army bases. If we demanded both, then maybe we'd go bankrupt.
- dopamean 8y ago
  One of the many problems with that is that the cost of the soldiers and military bases only goes up and at breakneck pace. The latest defense spending bill came with an increase of $85 billion. It'll go up again next year. When I think about that increase it hurts to remember that when Bernie Sanders proposed free college for everyone people said the $60-70 billion price tag was too high. Where would we get the money? Then no one blinked when we increased defense spending by an even greater amount.
- r_smart 8y ago
  Have you ever looked at the federal budget? I'd say we're demanding plenty of both...and we're going bankrupt.
loco5niner 8y ago
Not a convincing argument from Osama.

by desdiv 8y ago

almost_usual 8y ago

I’m skeptical Russia’s financial woes were solely caused by this strategy.

craftyguy 8y ago
Well it most definitely didn't help their situation at all.
iooi 8y ago
You're right, there were at most 2000 Arab mujahideen in Afghanistan during that war. The afghan resistance did most of the work, and most of the damage was done thanks to US-provided Stinger missiles -- they managed to shoot down 100 aircraft and 300 helicopters.
Brockenstein 8y ago
Yeah, Bin Laden was engaging in a bit of PR with those statements. In such circumstances people always try to take as much credit as they can, no matter how exaggerated it is. And for Bin Laden that war was probably center of his universe. For the USSR it might have been kind of a big deal, but probably not the only issue they were dealing with worldwide and domestically. Bin Laden was probably never that concerned with representing that accurately, you know, because who's going to set him straight?

athenot 8y ago

It makes me sad that over a decade later, we still fall for that trap. My rule of thumb to explain things is "follow the money". Several industries have handsomly profited over this situation, but don't believe anybody else gained from that: not us Americans as a whole, certainly not those who had to deal with war in their own place.

maxxxxx 8y ago
I have been in the US since 2000 and I really believe this country needs war to stay together. Without an external enemy people will start fighting each other.
- Buldak 8y ago
  I have difficulty seeing the Iraq War (or Vietnam, or really any war since WW2) as a source of unity among Americans.
  - maxxxxx 8y ago
    How about the "Cold war" and the "War on terror"? I agree that the country is looking for a feel good war where they get out as heroes and winners like WW2. The golf wars were planned to be that but didn't work out.
- Tempest1981 8y ago
  Let’s unify around renewable energy for the world.
  - TaylorAlexander 8y ago
    And open source knowledge!
- mikeash 8y ago
  If you had been here during the 90s, you would have seen us being perfectly fine without a war. Not that the 90s were completely peaceful for us, but we had long stretches without much going on. There was plenty of stupid political infighting, but nothing like the division caused by the invasion of Iraq.

raverbashing 8y ago

It would have been cheaper and easier to go after the money financing those, if it were not for political issues

seanalltogether 8y ago

It would only bankrupt America if Americans demanded social welfare at the same level as other 1st world nations. Instead of nurses we get soldiers, instead of housing for the poor we get army bases. If we demanded both, then maybe we'd go bankrupt.

dopamean 8y ago
One of the many problems with that is that the cost of the soldiers and military bases only goes up and at breakneck pace. The latest defense spending bill came with an increase of $85 billion. It'll go up again next year. When I think about that increase it hurts to remember that when Bernie Sanders proposed free college for everyone people said the $60-70 billion price tag was too high. Where would we get the money? Then no one blinked when we increased defense spending by an even greater amount.
r_smart 8y ago
Have you ever looked at the federal budget? I'd say we're demanding plenty of both...and we're going bankrupt.

loco5niner 8y ago

Not a convincing argument from Osama.