Bin Laden translator held in secret for 6 months by CIA...
 

They must be getting close.

http://www.abcnews.go.com/Blotter/st...4453407&page=1

-S

So a translator is a continued threat to the United States?

A source of information I can understand but what exactly can a translator threaten?

Is he going to conjugate some verbs or something?

"Everyone stand back. I have a dangling participle and I know how to use it!"

Let's hope it leads to the basums apprehension http://www.psionguild.org/forums/ima...ies/pirate.gif

every terrorist is a threat........if he spews forth fanatical hatred and wants all infidels dead then he indeed needs to be held.
I don't care about what people do in their lives, but if it effects me, my family, my country, or my way of life then I have a problem with you. Just let me live my life and you live yours. We're here on earth a very short time, I want to enjoy it as best I can. I don't need to worry that you want me dead.....and if thats the case then I will do my best to kill you first.......

Would you say the same about Bin Laden? There is no difference here.

-S

The problem is that each side feels the same way. Each remembers some past injustice and each feels forced to take retaliatory action.

Terrorism is based on a foundation of defense. The terrorist leaders are telling their minions "look at what XXX did to us back in YYY! In order to preserve ZZZ, we must take action against XXX"

Whether this foundation is accurate is totally dependent on your perception. If you read the writings of UBL you will see references to past "injustices" committed by the US and other occidental countries. He uses his perception of past injustices to justify the need to take up arms against the "enemy".

Our perception is that his perception is not accurate.

Naturally we feel that our perception is right and we have amassed a whole bunch of facts that support our perception.

The funny thing is that UBL has done the same thing.

In my dealings in CT, I have never read any reports of any terrorist leader saying to his minions "here is country A. Country A has never done anything wrong or attacked us. I want some of you to sacrifice your life and attack them". Not the way to motivate troops.

It is always easier to motivate troops by framing the conflict in defensive terms

We (US and other occidental countries) cite past injustices (911 only being one) as justification for our being forced to take up arms against our enemies.

With each side truly feeling that they are responding defensively, there is little chance of ending the conflict peacefully nor of ending it diplomatically.

We can always take comfort in believing that we are right and they are wrong. What happens when they feel the same about us?

This is the tragic aspect of the so called GWOT. And one of the many many reasons it can't be "fought" like a traditional war. Killing them and bombing cities will not make them back down but will further motivate them. Our strategic planners are still fighting the last war it seems. :(

Only if you consider the White House press secretary to have the same authority of the President?

What's the difference?

One is a leader, the other is a talking-dog

The fact of the matter is the he was a very close associate to Bin Laden who even helped him in the Torra Borra escape. You can poke fun about this all you want Platapus, but we have gathered good intel from people lower on the tottem pole than him...so imagine what we probably got from his info.

If you read my original post I acknowledged that he would be a good information source.

I was just questioning the labeling a translator as a continued threat to the United States.

As I see it, the only threat he can be is if he is allowed to tell the rest of the world about the treatment he received when held as a secret political prisoner.

In any case, I agree that he can be a source of information (although after six months of torture..uh.. I mean enhanced interrogation, I wonder how much he even remembers)

But a continued threat to the United States interests?

Seems a bit much for a talking dog and "gopher"

How about we promote him from gopher to super secret cell leader so we can claim that we captured yet another "high level AQ leader" and hand out more awards?

Win win situtation

(corrected typo)

In the same breath that you state he could be a source of good information, you poke fun of him not being a threat as a translator...hence my post.

Are you claiming that someone is no longer a threat to ones security if he's questioned? :o:o:roll::roll:

He was a terrorist, and still is a terrorist...there's no debate involved!:yep::yep:

Well if you are going to shut down the discussion, I will bid you a good evening Sir.

You are going waaayyyy overboard. You are claiming that because of his "interpreter" status, he was no threat. No matter what their "occupation" is, if they conspire to aid a terrorist, they are just the same.



Let me put in these terms...

U.S. CIA Agent releasing said individual...

"Thank you for the information you have provided us! Despite the information you gave us, we will set you free to continue your plotting against the western world and to spread your hatred of us with plots in the near future. Have a nice day and see you soon."

I'm sure this would've gone against this...

He is just an innocent goat herder:rotfl: I say they should plant a tracking device in him and release him back into the wild.


...or tatoo a cross on his head and another tatoo that says "I love Jesus" ...then release him back into the wild and let natural selection work its magic.

:rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

LMAO :rotfl: