America and its allies have only three reasonable options for terminating terrorist Osama bin Laden and his henchmen.
Two of the options, however, are self-defeating:
OPTION 1 requires capturing Bin Laden and his coconspirators alive, transporting them to America, then prosecuting, convicting and sentencing them to death or imprisonment with no chance of parole.
Bad idea. Their trials, imprisonments or executions would become international media circuses and flashpoints—signals for their worldwide followers to riot, attempt insurrections and ransom and kill hostages.
OPTION 2 requires the overt killing of Bin Laden and his cronies by bullets or bombs and revealing the details of times, methods and places.
Bad idea. The slain terrorists would become martyrs and their graves would become shrines for present and future supporters.
OPTION 3 is the best solution:
Covertly kill Bin Laden and his band of cowards and incinerate their remains in a remote location, obliterating any evidence of their deaths and graves.
After removing all valuable documents and equipment from the killing sites, continue “searching” for Bin Laden and his lieutenants.
Bin Laden’s silence would be interpreted by his supporters as evidence of his again going to ground somewhere safe until the coast is clear.
That subterfuge will confuse his followers and allow valuable time for America and its allies to mop them up around the world. (21 OCTOBER 2001)
