Let me see. I am a poor country with a large population and I am ran by the Army. I have a larger neighbor on my border who I have fought two wars with and my Army needs money to complete. When the Russian occupied the neighboring country, I received tons of money from the USA. Then nothing.

Now they are after Ben Laden, someone I aided during the Russian occupation. They intend to remain in the area until he is caught and his, and our Taliban friends, are eliminated. As long as they do not have Ben Ladan they will pay me to help them in their quest. and support my Army. Gee, why don't I hide him out so I can continue to receive this money for as long as possible. WHAT DO YOU THINK?

I think you are quite entitled to be cynical. I'm all ears for an explanation myself.

 

I'll make one prediction (which I hope I am wrong about): computers were taken from his hideout supposedly. Hundreds of boffins are beavering away with the hope Al Quaida will effectively be castrated. My prediction is it will all come to nought. Every so often a journalist will ask "how's it going?" only to be fobbed off. We'll never know.

I am USA/UK.

I am a relatively rich powerful country. I have been attacked by terrorists based in Afghanistan supported financially by people in Saudi Arabia. I will therefore retaliate against......Iraq! Hmm, why's that I wonder?

 

Oh of course I remember now. GB and TB had to go and save the poor downtrodden Iraqi people from a tyrant. Alls well that ends well.

How can a country claim it has no idea Bin Laden was living in a large and secure compound, just down the road from a main military base?

 

The last major terrorist incident in the London involved people who had been visiting guess which country? Actually, that was the biggest terrorist incident in our history.

 

Knowing who you cannot trust is important.