Hijexx wrote:
] BBC:
]
] "A former Pakistani diplomat has told the BBC that the US
] was planning military action against Osama Bin Laden and the
] Taleban even before last week's attacks.
]
] Niaz Naik, a former Pakistani Foreign Secretary, was told by
] senior American officials in mid-July that military action
] against Afghanistan would go ahead by the middle of
] October."
]
] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/1550366.stm
]

OK, *THAT* is interesting. I'm popping this back out to my MemeStream. I'm not terribly suprised that they were planning to attack Afghanistan. Obviously it should have been done sooner. However, it does put the situation in a slightly different light.

However, there IS a response from the US in the Guardian story:

Mr Simons denied having said anything about detailed operations. "I've known Niaz Naik and considered him a friend for years. He's an honourable diplomat. I didn't say anything like that and didn't hear anyone else say anything like that. We were clear that feeling in Washington was strong, and that military action was one of the options down the road. But details, I don't know where they came from."

It IS understood, as presented in the Guardian story, that the US was trying to get BL out of Afghanistan, and the use of force was on the table, but the idea that they had a specific October timetable is rather amazing.

RE: Furor over Bush's 9/11 ad