The Battle for Tora Bora

Remarkable article last week in The New Republic detailing the battle at Tora Bora (Afghanistan) and how the US failed to capture Osama bin Laden. It is great read and has makes some interesting observations. Among these are:

1) At one point, US Special Operations personnel were believed to be within 2000 meters of bin Laden. If only we could have...

2) Also,at one point during the battle, there were more Western journalists on site than US soldiers / CIA operatives. I am not a soldier, and our guys are good, but that does seem to be a bit strange.

3) In the midst of the battle US General Tommy Frank was asked by Donald Rumsfeld to brief him on plans to invade Iraq. Any way you look at it, developing those plans took resources and ideas away from the Battle at Tora Bora.

Be warned though...like with any publication, you need to look through this with the right lens. Keep in mind, this article is:

1) Published in the New Republic. A publication with a particular bent.

2) Bills itself as the "definitive account" of the battle. Caveat emptor.

3) Relies on observations from some of the world's thugs and terrorists. Not exactly the bring-home-to-Mom type.

None-the-less, it is a worthwhile read. Enjoy.

LINK: The New Republic: The Battle for Tora Bora

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A jazz lodges a transcript below a defensive hello.