Of course Ann was right: Following the money is really the only way to track these people down, since it is the most likely to leave a paper and computer-record trail. Of course, these can be fudged, but I do wonder at just how long bin Laden's reach is (if bin Laden is our man).
Mav, it's my belief that the army will control Pakistan no matter what. It always has in the past. Even when it was a so-called democracy under the Bhuttos, the army had the ultimate say on everything. Bhutto Senior was hanged, if I remember correctly, because the army wanted him dead.
But I would guess that the US will use Pakistan no matter what the perceived longer-term effects on that unfortunate country are. They really have very little choice if they want to stage a full-scale or even limited-action invasion of Afghanistan. Well, that's my impression anyway. Why? Because I can't see either Iran or the Russian Republics allowing them to go that way.
Another aside: I was reading in the Sunday Times today that a British mercenary who's been dealing with bin Laden and the Taleban reckons that the US should be able to take Afghanistan over, lock, stock and 10 million army-surplus landmines, in about six weeks. I think I've heard something like that before ...
