According to a France 24 news report that will be really important to conspiracy theorists everywhere but pretty much ignored by everyone else, French special forces in Afghanistan twice had Osama bin Laden in their sights and could have killed him, but couldn’t get authorization from American commanders to actually pull the trigger. An anonymous French soldier explains:

“You have to understand that the decision-making procedure between the French troops and the US army is quite complicated. Enquiries made to the Americans go via Paris and Washington before returning to Afghanistan, to the city of Baghram, site of the American general staff,” said the witness. After two hours of waiting, the French troops received orders to let the man in their sights go, he added.

Not that it matters what happens to bin Laden one way or the other in actual, real terms. But if sure would be swell if the US were able to accomplish, say, a single solitary one of its stated objectives in this “War on Terror.” It might bet helpful if it switch gears to a War on Incompetence, but given this country’s aptitude when it comes to running wars these days, it might just be best to let things lie.

Related: What’s the point? France withdrawing more than 200 of its special forces from Afghanistan. [France 24]