US rejects Qaeda claim that bin Laden still leading

[sabra]

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/ISL308656.htm

US rejects Qaeda claim that bin Laden still leading

ISLAMABAD, Dec 12 (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to Pakistan said on Monday he did not believe Osama bin Laden was still in operational control of al Qaeda and the militant network was in "serious trouble".

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Ryan Crocker contradicted comments in a video interview posted on an Islamist Web site last week in which al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri, said bin Laden was still leading the group's war on the West.

"I think that Osama bin Laden is no longer the operational head of al Qaeda, because he is hiding deep inside the mountains and he doesn't have contact with the al Qaeda people," Crocker said.

Referring to al-Zawahri, he added: "I don't know if Zawahri is heading al Qaeda or not; what I do know is that al Qaeda is in serious trouble these days."

[DELUSIONAL]

1. ah . . . 'cause they have him or know he's dead??

[eridani]

2. A swarm of hornets is not "in trouble" if you destroy their nest

They just buzz off in other directions and set up a bunch of new nests. Al Qaeda is more a movement and a franchise than a command structure these days.

[0007]

3. cough cough, I think some should have to wear a big "L" on their chest

[ECH1969]

4. Neither Bin Laden or Zarqawi 'lead' their group

they are figureheads and always have been. "leading" a group and making all the contacts is the best way to get killed.

[dutchdemocrat]

5. Patriot Act?

[DemonFighterLives]

6. This ambassador doesn't know sh*t from shinola

More z men and number 2's. I'm sure the crook Musharraf told him to say that. More positive propaganda for the sheep.
:argh:

[DemonFighterLives]

7. This is the crap that gets to me

from the article

clip-
Last week unidentified gunmen kidnapped a journalist who had reported that Rabia was killed by a U.S. missile and who took photographs of what villagers said were fragments of the weapon.

more censorship of the press

[Media_Lies_Daily]

8. "Al Qaeda is in serious trouble these days"??? What!?!?

[CJCRANE]

9. Al-Qaeda is a meme now.

LIHOP on 9-11 provided them with a global and spectacular publicity stunt and the Invasion of Iraq/Guantanamo/Abu Ghraib etc etc provided them with a massive recruitment drive.

If they'd done the job diligently, discreetly and effectively like Clinton/Berger/Clarke etc wanted, none of us would probably even have heard of Al-Qaeda.