The Hunt for Bin Laden ...

Is a Top Priority...

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."

- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01

...Is No Priority At All...

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority."

- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

...And must be caught by any means necessary...

"I want justice...There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'"

- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI

...I Guess...

"And the idea of focusing on one person is -- really indicates to me people don't understand the scope of the mission."

- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02

...So We'll At Least Destroy His Organization...

"You'd have a chairman of the board still in office, but many of the key operators would no longer be around -- in other words, the executive vice presidents, the operating officers, the people responsible for certain aspects of the organization have been brought to justice."

- G.W. Bush, 3/3/05

...Because He'll Mess Up Our Good Work In The Middle East..

Osama bin Laden, who threatens to disrupt the Middle East peace process. Because these terrorist activities continue to threaten the Middle East peace process and continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States

- G.W. Bush, 1/18/2006

...And Kill US, Too...

"We're at war with an enemy that wants to hit us again. Osama bin Laden made that clear the other day, and I take his words very seriously."

- G.W. Bush, 1/26/2006

...Because He's A Very Serious Threat...

"We haven't heard from him in a long time,I truly am not that concerned about him."

- G.W. Bush, 3/14/02

...Or, Wait, I Guess We're Not Worried...

"Gosh, I just don't think I ever said I'm not worried about Osama bin Laden. It's kind of one of those exaggerations. Of course we're worried about Osama bin Laden. We're on the hunt after Osama bin Laden. We're using every asset at our disposal to get Osama bin Laden."

- G.W. Bush, 10/13/04

...Oh, So, We Will Get Him After All...

"Osama bin Laden is not my focus."

- G.W. Bush, 1/17/02

...

"...Secondly, he is not escaping us. This is a guy, who, three months ago, was in control of a county (sic). Now he's maybe in control of a cave. He's on the run. Listen, a while ago I said to the American people, our objective is more than bin Laden. But one of the things for certain is we're going to get him running and keep him running, and bring him to justice. And that's what's happening. He's on the run, if he's running at all. So we don't know whether he's in cave with the door shut, or a cave with the door open -- we just don't know...."

- Bush, in remarks in a Press Availablity with the Press Travel Pool,

The Prairie Chapel Ranch, Crawford TX, 12/28/01, as reported on

official White House site

What?

Sources

DailyKOS: Bush on Bin Laden