Originally Posted by
racedo
In 2001 I kept asking a simple question................... What was purpose of invading Afghanistan................... 16 years on and thousands of death later there is still no response.
Harumph. Anyone remember airliners flying into the twin towers in New York?
It was inevitable that the Americans would respond with the utmost vigour to such a provocation. If Bin Laden ever thought otherwise he was seriously deluded. That was the day that at least some countries also decided that one of the most repugnant regimes ever to stain the soil of Afghanistan had to be got rid of, if not for the long term benefit of the people who live there, but for their own too. To have not done anything, to let them get away with it, to leave the source of such attacks undamaged would have been an invitation to carry out more of the same.
Interestingly Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Kuwait have decided to take action on Qatar for the same reason. However Qatar is vulnerable to economic sanctions, Afghanistan was not. If Qatar hangs on for a few months, we'll be looking at a naval blockade in the Persian Gulf just in time to cut off our gas supply by Christmas. Sure, the USN or possibly even the RN could swipe the little corvettes used by SA, UAE aside, but somehow I don't think they will.