Scenario!!! Scenario!!!

[mburbank]

It's not so much not having accomplished much as having no real way of telling how much we've accomplished, what's efective, what isn't and what is distraction, waste and endangerment. I'm not suggesting you CAN measure a stateless threat, I'm just suggesting honesty as opposed to sloganeering.

Here are few things I personally think Al Quaeda has accomplished since 9/11.

The conversion of Iraq, a deeply corrupt and possibly dangerous but secular state into a chaotic quagmire ideal for terrorists. Tieing a large portion of the US military to Iraq for the forseeable future. Making us choose between keeping control of Iraq and letting it fall to Shiite extremists.

The US have for the most part left Saudi Arabia, one of Al Quaeda's number one goals. While I'm all in favor of our leaving, it was high on their priority list.

The destabalization of Pakistan. This is the one that worries me the most. There have been three attempts on Mushariff's life in the last month. Al Quaeda is active in Pakistan and has many supporters. If Mushariff is killed (and I think it's quite possible) the resulting free for all will give Al Quaeda a shot at something they never had in Pakistan or Iraq, if the were ever involved there which I doubt. Nuclear weapons.

Again, I'm not playing what would I have done. I have no idea (although I would not have invaded Iraq any more the Bush senior). The question was How succesful have the terrorist been since 9/11. I think they've done very well at making us do the labor for them.