This is pretty convenient; a Senate report details the “escape” of Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2001. Seems that Senator John Kerry requested a thorough report of the “Tora Bora” incident in which CIA operatives and Special Ops were unable to apprehend the Al Qaeda leader because they didn’t have enough manpower.

Kerry Attends Discussion On Afghanistan At Council On Foreign Relations

The report says that without a doubt, had there been more troop strength at the time, Bin Laden and his top Lieutenant would have been “taken out”. As well as Mullah Omar who is responsible for the resurgence of the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Doesn’t it seem strange that the Democrats would release a report blaming the Bush Administration for the escape of Osama Bin Laden and subsequently the deteriorating condition of the war now? The New York Times gleefully reports:

The report blames the lapse for “laying the foundation for today’s protracted Afghan insurgency and inflaming the internal strife now endangering Pakistan.”

The Senate report names Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld as well as General Tommy Franks; saying that they were responsible for the lack of troops in Tora Bora in late 2001. Franks has long questioned whether Bin Laden was even in Tora Bora at that time.

So basically what we have in this Tora Bora Senate report is an Obama out all wrapped up nice and neat for Christmas. Facing certain pressure from his left wing base, Obama has been, to say the least, reluctant to commit more troops to Afghanistan; for political reasons and nothing more.

But now with help from his former colleague in the Senate, Obama can very easily say because of the terrible decisions made eight years ago he’s forced to commit more troops. The Afghanistan situation is a little more complex than that, but Obama needed something short and sweet, and Kerry gave it to him.

The Senate report on Tora Bora is his short and sweet excuse; it’s Bush’s fault. The timing of this Senate report on Osama Bin Laden’s escape is suspect. Barack Obama is set to announce the deployment of 30,000 more troops to Afghanistan in a Nationally televised speech. Like I said, very convenient.