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When President Bush announced in a televised speech th eweek after September 11, that he wanted Osama bin Laden "dead or alive", a grieving nation seeking justice and revenge roared in approval. Two years later, as Al-Qaeda`s associates mounted almost weekly attack against U.S. interests and bin Ladebn still roamed the earth`s asd a free man , American wondered why. with both the military and the media declaring war against Afghanistan over and a resounding success, Philip Smucker examins in Al -Qaeda`s Great Escape what kind of victory we can rightfully claim. Primarily focusing on the major battles of Tora Bora and Opration Anaconda, Smucker details how bin Laden and the scores of highly trained AlQaeda fighters managed to slip unnoticed out of estern Afghaniostan, despite the presence of the overwhelming U.S. Military power that had alredy decimated Taliban. To balance his report, smucker turns a critical eye on post 9/1 develoopments in his own profession. Blinding patriotism and an unhealthy reliance on the Pentafon`s press releases led the media to portray events thet did not reflect the reality in the ground in Afghanistan. Likely the most grievous errors of the ongoiing campaign in Afghanistan allowing menbers of Al Qaeda to escape, has given them the option to regroup, thereby posing a deangerous resurgment threat to U.S. national security.
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