The Hard Task of Searching for Mature Men

Capture of bin Laden is Bush's October suprise for 2004 presidential election
This could be expected that capture of Saddam Hussein would suddenly remind Americans of their years-long searches for another man who had caused the US much more damage than the ex-president of Iraq.

On December 19, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Richard Meyers promised that Osama bin Laden would inevitably share the fate of Saddam Hussein and get into a trap. The general made the statement in the US headquarters in Bahram, Afghanistan. During his one-day visit to Afghanistan, the general said that bin Laden was probably still alive and hiding on the Afghani-Pakistani border. 

Richard Meyers thinks that it is a really hard task to look for such mature people, which sounds like encouragement to subordinates who are not yet particularly lucky.

The general did not mention when exactly Osama bin Laden might be seized; on the whole, judging by the general's words, Washington is not quite sure that the al-Qaida leader is alive. A couple of days before the statement made by General Meyers, Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright made even more sensational statement. While preparing for her live appearance on Fox News television, the "madam secretary" shocked people when declared that America's number one enemy had been already seized. In her words, President George W. Bush is keeping the news secret, as it is going to be an October surprise on the eve of the 2004 presidential election in the US.

The statement immediately broke in a scandal. Madeleine Albright even had to say it was a joke. However the joke was actually unhappy:  those who heard the former secretary of state before her live appearance say she was serious when she spoke about the capture of bin Laden and the October surprise. This is not a surprise that the joke caused dissatisfaction among republicans, as well as among democrats who expect they may be accused of employing instruments of their key rivals. Some time ago, Bill Clinton was blamed for delivering attacks against Iraq and Sudan with the only purpose of distracting the public attention from the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

No matter what scandals occur, Osama bin Laden is still being searched for, Americans at least pretend they are occupied with the searches. The US Administration has no other alternative: the faith of Americans in George W. Bush is gaining force after the capture of Saddam Hussein. They are also getting more positive that bin Laden is to be captured soon too. May President Bush destroy the hopes of the electorate?