Does the United States have to remain in Afghanistan until Osama bin Laden is captured? And will the war be incomplete until that happens? Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) wanted to know.
Gen. Stanley McChrystal neglects the first question and answers the second. “I believe al-Qaeda can be defeated overall,” McChrystal said, and bin Laden is “an iconic leader … he does need to be brought to justice.” But while he appeared to say — he didn’t make it 100 percent clear — that killing or capturing bin Laden is necessary, “I don’t believe simply getting him will end the organization.”
Update: Apologies to Rep. Bilirakis for initially misidentifying him as a Democrat.