When President Bush announced in a television speech the week after September 11 that he wanted Osama bin Laden “dead or alive,” a grieving nation seeking justice and revenge roared in approval. Two years later, attacks continue against U.S. interests and bin Laden roams the world as a free man.

War correspondent Philip Smucker broke the story of bin Laden’s escape from the caves of Tora Bora in Afghanistan to safety in Pakistan back in 2001. Now, he turns a critical eye on how America’s number one enemy got away, despite the presence of the overwhelming U.S. military power that had already decimated the Taliban.

Smucker concludes that a rush for retribution by the U.S. for the 9/11 attacks , and the lack of a long-term strategy allowed bin Laden to slip away. The result, says Smucker, is a dangerous resurgent threat to U.S. national security.

Guests:

Philip Smucker, war correspondent and author of “Al Qaeda’s Great Escape: The Military and the Media on Terror’s Trail.”