Getting bin Laden & Jugurtha

   

It doesn't behoove a civilian (me) to criticize military experts who say it was either impossible or prohibitively impractical and too dangerous to capture Osama bin
Laden in the massively  rugged terrain of Tora Bora,

Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. If I did an in-depth investigation it might behoove, but I didn't, so it doesn't..

That said,  the President , by his own words, wanted very much to get OBL dead or alive. I don't need to flame or fawn over George Bush. I take him as I see him: in some ways a sort of JFK-like liberal and globalizer (but less articulate) who wants to do the right thing, has made his share of mistakes---which include getting awfully politically correct--- and during much of his first six years in office has let  opponents---including the weasels and two-faced--- mock gratuitously and put him on the defensive

As for Osama bin Laden's continued impunity, we keep hearing excuses that sound like distractions. Capturing him, we're told,would have no strategic value. It would only be a "psychological" victory. See? He's just a symbol now anyway, on kidney dialysis. Islamo terror will go on, with or without him, and with or without al-Quaeda. So what's it matter? It would only be a "psychological" score.....

Does it matter? Unless you smoke conspiracy crack in a lefty water pipe and think George Bush planted explosives and flew robot planes into the Twin Towers and Pentagon, you tend to take bin Laden at his word here.  This rich jihadi managed to attack the U.S. mainland in a way that Hitler, Stalin and Tojo never did. On the recent CNN special he is shown stating(or quoted as stating) that he now has a religious " mandate" or "permission" to kill ten million Americans in the next strike. After five years he's still wanted, with no proof that he's dead or alive. And many Americans, with a straight face, will say this doesn't matter, it's just "psychological."  The Government culture of non-accountability assists, as Democrats and Republicans  point fingers at each other but actually, in their mime show, cover each other's big fat buttocks, nobody ever thrown in prison or even fired after hundreds of pages of official and "authoritative" 9.11 "inquiries" into how a bunch of Koran lovers could take pilot lessons in Florida and  pull off such a spectacular and historic strike on the US mainland. In Washington the  concepts of disgrace and dishonor have been safely sedated. In their caves and mosques the self-styled "holy warriors" seem to understand this. Why would they not mock and defy?

Rome, of course, had an outlook somewhat different from today's Washington. One example is  the pressure in the second century BC to get Jugurtha. Jugurtha was king of the Numidians in the Roman province of Africa,  what today would be called North Africa or Algeria near Tunisia. (This was a long time, incidentally, after Africa had invaded Europe, when the legendary Hannibal crossed the Alps with his elephants and barbarian army, plunging down into terrified Italy.)

Marius had done what many ambitious, energetic young men from modest backgrounds have done throughout the ages: He joined the military.   He rose in the ranks. When the call came to 'Get Jugurtha!', Marius was ready.The aristocratic Senate wasn't crazy about this upstart. They were as high-born as George Bush and understandably wary about someone who might not play by "the rules of the game." But Marius got the assignment: 'Go get Jugurtha!' He went.

If you think it was a breeze in that rocky, mountainous terrain in North Africa because the Romans didn't have the ACLU or preppy "Pinch" Sulzberger or a thousand shifty lawyers watching their backs, you still have to admit that the Roman Army had no air support, or mechanized logistics, c-rations or even a capability for heliborne Ranger insertions, not to mention no instant telecom  with Rome. But, without going into details and cutting to the rugged chase, put it this way: Marius got his man. Yes, there's some question as to whether the aristocratic Sulla, due to some clever work with Jugurtha's father-in-law, laid the trap of treachery for the Numidian king and should get equal or greater credit than the now celebrated Marius. Whatever, the fact remains that Jugurtha was brought to Rome and paraded in chains in the Triumph, as the people cheered wildly. After the grand festivities he was delivered to a dungeon, rather unceremoniously, where uncouth soldiers, or guards (possibly breaking stringent Roman discipline) ripped the precious earrings off his ears. Jugurtha eventually died in that dungeon.

The Romans, known for their extraordinary engineering, soaring architecure, road building, constitution,  system of laws, and state religion, seemed to have no qualms about a mere "psychological" victory.

 

Comments

[JMK]

Gringoman,
Glad you're back. Your Roman history lesson is strongly appreciated - I always relished Sallust!

[gringoman(Dan Cameron Rodill)]

JMK,

Thanks. And feel free to mention what it is you relish in Sallust---someone I have to catch up with one of these diems or annums.

[Jugurtha]

c'est une betise de comparer un héros national d'Afrique de Nord (un amazigh =un homme libre) avec un terroriste) ,jugurtha n'est pas un Arabe ,
il été un roi qui défendi son pays et puis les roumains ne l'ont pas capturé mais il a été trahi.
attention à la veracité des récits de salluste( il été un roumain non!!!)

[Jugurtha]

c'est une betise de comparer un héros national d'Afrique de Nord (un amazigh =un homme libre) avec un terroriste) ,jugurtha n'est pas un Arabe ,
il été un roi qui défendi son pays et puis les roumains ne l'ont pas capturé mais il a été trahi.
attention à la veracité des récits de salluste( il été un roumain non!!!)

[mara]

hi, i am a first time filmmaker based in upstate ny. i am making a film about muslims in america. i would like to use the picture of osama bin laden in the film. can i have permission to use it? pls let me know if you have any questions. thanks! mara

[massinissa]

you are realy an idiot to compare Jugurtha to ben laden !!!
jugurtha is a king of berbers who was not arab and he wan't captured bu he was betried by an other king.
finally fuck your rome and USA

[massinissa]

but you are realy an idiot because ben laden is working for Bush and the WTC is destroyd by CIAµ.

[necros]

the fact is you are an ignorant so you compare jugurtha to this fucking man...like jugurtha said:finally fuck your rome and USA

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