Bin Laden predicted this

I read with sadness the letter by Victor Buksbazen (Sept. 1) about all the waste following 9/11, and most of all the loss of life and dreams of so many, and what all we could have done with the trillions the two wars following that terrible day have cost us.

I will always remember Osama bin Laden saying his goal was to bankrupt the United States of America. After all, he had succeeded with the former Soviet Union when it invaded Afghanistan and he joined, along with us, the resistance now known as the Taliban, and fought them for 10 years.

Unfortunately, after 9/11, we played into his hands, and trumped the Russians one better and started a war in Iraq, too.

Both parties are blaming each other for the debt, deficit and recession that don’t seem to end, and I think we are failing to give credit to bin Laden for knowing us so well.

It would be tempting to say he has won, except that he is gone and we are still standing.

Judy A. Layton

Elk