Where is Osama bin Laden?

What does one do if one's goals elude one, as Osama bin Laden has eluded capture by the U.S.? The answer, it seems, is to change them to suit the circumstances. Thus, capturing Osama bin Laden "dead or alive" has turned into the easier goal of bombing the Taliban into submission, without concern for the thousands of Afghans who have died or been injured.

However, by doing this, have not the Americans put the fear of God into any government that admits to having him on its territory, whether by consent or not? No sane Third World country's government is going to admit to the slightest suspicion that Osama bin Laden may be within its borders, especially the government of an Islamic country. The Philippines, an ex-U.S. colony and Catholic, has had to submit to pressure to accept American combat troops to root out the Abu Sayyaf guerrillas; but other countries that are forced to do so may risk both political destabilization and being bombed. Thus, once again the U.S.'s sledgehammer-to-crack-a-nut policies are working in favor of Osama bin Laden. No one dares to say even where he might be.

However, let us I assume the unlikely, that Osama bin Laden will eventually be caught. Clearly the U.S. cannot afford to give him a fair trial in case it turns out he had no connection with the events in America on Sept. 11. How would they justify the bombing of Afghanistan then? The U.S. is unlikely to even risk detaining him in contravention of his rights under the Geneva Convention, as it is currently doing to the alleged al Qaeda members at the Guantanamo airbase on Cuba. Washington will consider it has no choice but to murder him and murder them they will, if they ever find him!

FRANK RICHARDSON

Tangerang, Banten