What if Bush accepted the Taliban’s offer for Bin Laden, and avoids Iraq

The Taliban offered Bin Laden, but the offer was rejected.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/14/afghanistan.terrorism5

What if Bush accepted the Taliban’s offer and Bin Laden was put to death in a country like Saudi Arabia, while America stayed out of both Iraq and Afghanistan under Bush?

I imagine this would get bad for Bush politically, but perhaps not? Could we see a movement to impeach Bush? Would we see Neoconservatives leave the the Republican Party?

It could save America some trouble, though the people probably don’t have any way of knowing that.
 
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One single head is not going to appease the public.

People will want to see fire and brimstone, the only question is where. Can a limited intervention, a Strafexpedition, be compatible with the premise?
 

Philip

Donor
The Taliban offered Bin Laden, but the offer was rejected.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2001/oct/14/afghanistan.terrorism5

Did they offer to turn him over or offer to discuss turning him over?

What if Bush accepted the Taliban’s offer and Bin Laden was put to death in a country like Saudi Arabia,

I think the American public would prefer a trial and execution in a the US. Trust for a foreign government to carry this out would be limited.


while America stayed out of both Iraq and Afghanistan under Bush?

I don't know if this necessarily keeps the US out of Iraq. Throughout the 2000 campaign both Bush and Gore advocated regime change in Iraq. Public support for this preceded 9/11.

Could we see a movement to impeach Bush?

Nothing within any validity. What charges would be brought?
 
I never heard Bush say anything like that. The arguments I heard at the time were that a stable, democratic Iraq would bring more stability to the region and wipe out organizations that are similar to Al Qaeda, so there would be a lot fewer terrorists.
 
I never heard Bush say anything like that. The arguments I heard at the time were that a stable, democratic Iraq would bring more stability to the region and wipe out organizations that are similar to Al Qaeda, so there would be a lot fewer terrorists.


You're right- I've thought it over & realized
I got things mixed up. My bad.
 
I think there may be people in power that don't want a public trial. If Bin Laden goes to the stand he may mention some things embarrassing to people who have it within their means to have him killed before the trial.

Or he does die before trial setting off the conspiracy theorists anyway.
 

GarethC

Donor
The Taliban handing over OBL avoids Afghanistan. It's not otherwise worth the bones of Bismarck's single Pomeranian grenadier.

Unless an ASB moves all the oil out of Iraq, or Saddam and his sons have a terrible 9mm shaving accident and their successors drop all their oil services contracts with French and Russian companies for bids by Halliburton et al, Bush is still going to take Iraq though.
 
I never heard Bush say anything like that. The arguments I heard at the time were that a stable, democratic Iraq would bring more stability to the region and wipe out organizations that are similar to Al Qaeda, so there would be a lot fewer terrorists.


Yeah that worked out really well.
 
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