Forget the economy. The Oct. Surprise will be capture of Bin Laden

[JDPriestly]

And we Democrats need to be prepared for this. This is my guess, my prediction. I have no inside knowledge. It's just intuition and based on how I would try to win this election for the Republicans if I were running their show.

I suspect that the Bush administration has known pretty much where Bin Laden has been for a number of years. They just let him sit there and watched him via satellite and other means to know what he was up to. The talk about whether to go into Pakistan is irrelevant because we are there. The head of the Pakistani secret service has, if I recall correctly, been replaced. There is a lot of talk, but no actual resistance on the part of the Pakistani government to American attacks on hostile border villages.

I hope they catch Bin Laden. But, we Democrats need to be prepared for this. Here is an article about a recent attack on Pakistan by American forces. Remember, this was Obama's idea in the first place. Please comment on how you think we Democrats should deal with a Bin Laden capture should it occur.

DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan (AP) — Two suspected U.S. missile strikes close to the border with Afghanistan killed three people Friday, Pakistani intelligence officials said.

The strikes took place in two villages in North Waziristan, according to the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

A Pakistani military spokesman said he was not immediately able to comment on the suspected strikes.

American forces recently ramped up cross-border operations against Taliban and al-Qaida militants in the Pakistan's border zone with Afghanistan — a region considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden.

. . . .

http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5hkiMxbHNH0BqgpWA2ZG6VD6wVTmAD93J4H8G0

[Ian David]

1. He's hiding in one of McCain's seven houses he never visits.

And driving around in one of McCain's 13 cars.

[kirby]

2. Good... It will serve two purposes...

1) It captures Bin Laden, about fucking time
2) It exposes Bush for the opportunist he is. I think people will see right through it as a preelection maneuver.

[Buck Rabbit]

3. Typo ... (edit) you got it thanks.

[JDPriestly]

20. Thanks. That's a horrible mistake. My apologies to everyone.

[Thrill]

4. If they catch Bin Laden. Thats good for us.

Takes away the fear factor. And National Security is off the table. Its all the economy

[LSK]

5. sorry, but "its the economy stupid"

[Happyhippychick]

6. He's dead already.

[hisownpetard]

9. I don't believe that's the case.

[Happyhippychick]

14. I do. I think he died of an illness and there is no way that the Taliban will ever admit it.

[hisownpetard]

7. i know someone whose son, a career military man who is fluent in Arabic, was sent to Afghanistan on

a mission he was specially trained for. When he left, he told his father that he will not be able to communicate for several months -
so don't expect to hear from him until November.

November?? Why?

[OKNancy]

8. unfortunate typo there

not going to happen either IMO

[tularetom]

10. It'll be a surprise but too late to do the repubs any good

[Bubbha Jo]

11. It's hard to capture a dead man. n/t

[BlueIdaho]

12. I don't think that works...

If it is Bin Laden then there will be even MORE push to get out of Iraq - which fits nicely with Obama's actionable intelligence point and contradicts McCain's "I'm right on the surge" message. It also clears the field so all of America is thinking exclusively about the economy and McCain still has no coherent plan to deal with the impending recession/depression.

edit- typo

[JDPriestly]

22. Good points. I hope you are right.

[ingac70]

13. Bin Laden is dead.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41576,00.html

Since 2001

[maxsolomon]

15. they won't take OBL alive

but if they do, my response will be - 7 years? what took so long?

[Jersey Devil]

16. They will definitely kill al qaeda's "Number 2" - again

Don't they do that every October?

[BootinUp]

17. lol nt.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

18. people will blame McCain for taking 7 years to find him

[Drunken Irishman]

19. We heard this four years ago.

And really, if he was this easy to catch, they would've brought him out four years ago when the race was a dead heat.

[phleshdef]

21. Who cares, Bush isn't running for re-election. McCain can carry on his policies...

...but he can't really take credit for any military successes that may or may not occur.

I fail to see why people think a terrorist attack or some sort of war on terror related news helps McCain at this point. Actually, I think a terrorist attack would benefit Obama (still, god forbid it were to happen).

[JDPriestly]

30. I don't think there will be a terrorist attack

[frickaline]

23. never. this would totally undermine their war mandate.

[Erin Elizabeth]

24. I think he's dead and the Taliban doesn't want anyone to know it

since we still focus on him as the big bad boogeyman and they get more attention that way. They wouldn't take away their big publicity generator. So they won't admit he's dead, but he's dead.

I'd bet money this will NOT be the October surprise. If there even is one.

[TheDonkey]

25. I wouldn't doubt it. At the least the CIA or whoever will release another "OBL tape"

from his greatest hits album that they always seem to trot out a few days before an election.

[BrotherBuzz]

26. Will his body have freezer burns?

[hvn_nbr_2]

33. I was just gonna say they've probably had him in an ice coffin for awhile. nt

[rateyes]

27. There's nothing left of OBL...

Muslims bury their dead without embalming, I believe.

It's good for the Dems, though, that they keep spouting the lie that he's alive.

[lamp_shade]

28. HE'S DEAD

[A-Schwarzenegger]

29. Heard the same blarney here on DU over & over in 2004.

Still lookin'. Here, Osama! Yoo-hoo!

[Awsi Dooger]

34. Exactly what I was going to post

It was comical in 2004, assertions that Bin Laden would be unveiled in a cage like King Kong.

[1corona4u]

31. NOT. Remember, they already said that Osama was not behind 911.

It won't happen. They're not even looking for him.

[juno jones]

32. Which one?

The fat one, the one with the fake beard or the one whose mouth doesn't even move with the words he's saying?