Air Force Major Was at Tora Bora: Contradicts Kerry

We’ve heard and discussed Tommy Franks’ conclusive repudiation of John Kerry’s outrageous claim that President Bush outsourced the task of capturing Osama Bin Laden in Tora Bora to Afghan war lords. Now that Kerry has repeated this preposterous allegation I want to share with you an e-mail I received from an Air Force major who was there at the time. Needless to say, he’s not too thrilled with Kerry’s reckless charges. Here’s the e-mail in full:

David,

During the debates Senator Kerry and Senator Edwards made the claim that America’s best was not at Torra Borra in Afghanistan during Enduring Freedom. I just wanted to set the record straight; this is not at all accurate…. I was there. So were my squadron mates, friends and the many other strike aircraft that pounded Tora Bora during the battle. When Sen. Kerry says America’s best was not used… he insults me and all the others who personally worked to put an end to Osama and his band of thugs. I know the best was there because… I am the best. I fly America’s heavy bomber, the B-52. We are called upon when the country is serous about winning. We have protected the country for the past fifty years. We were the ones who stood against the Soviet aggression of the cold war. We stood ready during the Cuban missile crisis…and gave Chairman Khrushchev pause to think about challenging the U.S. in an all out nuclear war. We were there in the skies over Hanoi forcing North Vietnam to surrender when our politicians decided it was time to end the Vietnam War and bring our POWs home with dignity. We were there flying south of the DMZ in Korea when Kim IL Sung challenged President Carter over the removal of a tree that cost us two American heroes. We were the force who provided the steel in President Reagan’s resolve to end the cold war. We were in the skies of Iraq and Kuwait during Desert Storm as President Bush stopped the aggression of Saddam Hussein. We were called to deliver the knock out blow to Slobadon’s Army of thugs in Yugoslavia and we were first to respond to the tragedy of 9-11. Most recently we provided the “Shock and Awe” of Iraqi freedom and now we stand ready in the Pacific to hold the Chinese and North Koreans responsible as we realign our troops to meet the new challenges of a new century. Our credential are infallible. If there was a better force on the planet to have ended Osama at Torra Borra I challenge anyone to name it.

Yours truly,

Maj Name Withheld

P.S. No Army of any kind would have been able to attack Tora Bora from the ground. This mountain range is the southern boundary of the Kiber Pass. The Safed Koh mountain range is close to 16 thousand feet in height. It is one of the most rugged mountains in the world. Osama had years to build caves and fortresses to challenge any force foolish enough to try to take it by frontal attack. No helicopter can operate up there and no armored vehicle could climb it’s face. (Attached are pictures taken during the battle of Tora Bora). The only smart way to destroy the caves and fortresses was by air power. There were U.S. ground forces on the ground. Special Forces directed every weapon that hit the mountain from the ground in the vicinity of Osama and his thugs. I know… I talked to them on my radio as they climbed the mountain … as we flew above.