"On the eleventh anniversary of Osama Bin Laden’s attack on America, it’s worthwhile to examine just what he hoped to accomplish. He spelled out his goals in three documents: a 1996 fatwa titled, “Declaration of War Against The Americans Occupying The Land of the Two Holy Places”; a 2002 “Letter to America”; and a 2004 video.
In these manifestos, he declared his willingness to die, of course. His goals included:
- “Terrorizing” Americans;
- Demoralizing US troops;
- Weakening and destruction of Israel;
- Unification of Muslims throughout the Middle East via “democratic” establishment of Shariah law in “governments of our countries which act as your agents”;
- Destroying the US economy, especially the banking system, with special attention to the creation of massive deficits – a “bleed until bankruptcy plan”;
- Destruction of American industrial capacity in the name of global warming;
- Destruction of the rich, “who hold sway in their political parties, and fund their election campaigns with their gifts”;
- Closing Guantanamo;
- “Pack your luggage and get out of our lands.”
Eleven years later, Bin Laden seems to have kept most of his campaign promises."
