In that sense, bin Laden hoped that the US would be lured into a bloody war in Afghanistan, similar to the Soviet intervention two decades earlier, which had created such a fertile recruiting ground for jihadists. But the Americans used a modest amount of force to remove the Taliban government, avoided disproportionate civilian casualties, and were able to create an indigenous political framework.
在这种意义上，本·拉登期望美国会禁不住引诱，像20年前苏联一样，在阿富汗发动一场血腥的战争。苏联那次入侵为圣战分子创造了甚为肥沃的人员招募土壤。但美国只派小股部队推翻了塔利班政府，避免了大规模的平民伤亡，还建立起了本土的政治框架。