U.S. Military Not Optimistic on Bin Laden Capture
KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. military in Afghanistan is wavering in their committment to capturing Usama bin Laden (search) and other top Al Qaeda (search) fugitives, a spokesman said Saturday.
Lt. Col. Matthew Beevers refused to repeat earlier, more optimistic forecasts that bin Laden would be caught this year.
"We're trying to remain committed to catching these guys," Beevers said. "It's pretty much forefronting just about everything that we do here in Afghanistan."
The top American commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David Barno (search), said in January he was confident that bin Laden and Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar (search) would be apprehended this year.
A spokesman even said that the military was "sure" they would be tracked down.
The military had also said that it would catch Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (search), a former Afghan prime minister who has joined the Taliban in vowing to drive out foreign troops and oust President Hamid Karzai.
Beevers indicated that that confidence had ebbed.
"At the end of the day, it's not about just one or two people," he said. "It's about the entire country of Afghanistan and ensuring that there is stability and security throughout Afghanistan."
KABUL, Afghanistan — The U.S. military in Afghanistan is wavering in their committment to capturing Usama bin Laden (search) and other top Al Qaeda (search) fugitives, a spokesman said Saturday.
Lt. Col. Matthew Beevers refused to repeat earlier, more optimistic forecasts that bin Laden would be caught this year.
"We're trying to remain committed to catching these guys," Beevers said. "It's pretty much forefronting just about everything that we do here in Afghanistan."
The top American commander in Afghanistan, Lt. Gen. David Barno (search), said in January he was confident that bin Laden and Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar (search) would be apprehended this year.
A spokesman even said that the military was "sure" they would be tracked down.
The military had also said that it would catch Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (search), a former Afghan prime minister who has joined the Taliban in vowing to drive out foreign troops and oust President Hamid Karzai.
Beevers indicated that that confidence had ebbed.
"At the end of the day, it's not about just one or two people," he said. "It's about the entire country of Afghanistan and ensuring that there is stability and security throughout Afghanistan."
