Is Bin Laden about to be captured soon?

[Catherine Vincent]

Or killed if he's not already dead? I sure have been hearing a lot of talk about him lately. CSPAN this a.m. had a guy that wrote a book about Bin Laden, he was taking questions about it. And this a.m. I saw a blurb on CNN of an upcoming special on Bin Laden http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/presents/index.bin.laden.html And we have constant reminders of the tragedy of September 11. I could be wrong but maybe the media is falling in line to do whatever they have to do to push Bush's low poll numbers up.

[kurth]

1. Any day now. Meanwhile, look for new video release in October

Osama's Greatest Hits, Special 2006 Edition.

[dipsydoodle]

7. Has it got

out takes a directors commetary too :rofl:

[Atman]

2. They're shameless enough to try. Bushies are stupid enough to believe.

[Catherine Vincent]

10. Oh wow, that's a great and true toon!

Thanks.

[johnnie]

3. All he has to do is confess to killing JonBenet

They would track him down and pounce on him like a criminal in no time flat.

[gauguin57]

11. LOL! Now THAT's funny!

We'd have him if he confessed to killing JonBenet OR if he had a bottle of hair gel sticking out of his carry-on bag.

[H2O Man]

4. Not likely.

The interest in him may have more to do with the upcoming 5 year anniversary of 9/11.

[truth2power]

12. I doubt he'd ever be brought in alive...

He knows where the bodies are buried.

Anyway, I'm convinced the Bush Administration knows exactly where he is. He's still working for us.

[H2O Man]

14. I agree that

he will not be captured alive. I do not think it is likely the US knows where he is, beyond a general idea of Pakistan. And there is no evidence that he ever worked for the US.

[truth2power]

23. Wasn't he one of our assets

when the Russians invaded Afghanistan?

[H2O Man]

26. No.

Though a number of people have written that he was, that is a myth. Two books that accurately report that there was no CIA/MI -- UbL connection are Peter Bergen's "The Osama bin Laden I Know" (pages 60-61), and for those who prefer an author from the progressive left, Gore Vidal's "Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace," (pages 5-6).

It's interesting to note that even in the case of someone who did have well-documented ties to the agency that would become the CIA in WW2, meaning Ho Chi Minh (see "Vietnam: A History In Documents," etc), no one would seriously argue that his later war to rid his land of US forces was some intelligence agency plot to pull the wool over the American public's eyes. In the case of Usama bin Laden, there is no documentation of any US link to his specific group. In fact, a close study indicates that while the group he was involved with had contact with other groups that were indeed connected to US aid, bin Laden never had any relationship with the US. He has never been a US "asset."

[bananarepublican]

32. Beg to differ. All documentation concerning Lee Harvey Oswald's...

... links to ONI, CIA and the FBI aren't readily available either. This does not mean that they never existed. Furthermore, never forget that those in the ascendancy control the past, and hence strongly influence the immediate future.

To get a true "blooding" in American black ops one need go no further than "Operation Pheonix". If you enjoy getting sick to your stomach... do a bit of reading on the shenannigans of "Tiger Force".

[H2O Man]

33. Respectfully disagree.

First, thank you for recommending the book. I make lists of the different books that DUers recommend, and stock up on them when I get to one of the area cities with decent bookstores.

Regarding Lee Oswald: it isn't as significant that the information wasn't "readily available," as the Warren Commission wouldn't have considered it important .... what is important, however, is that it did exist, and within a relatively short time, those investigating Dallas were able to definitely document Lee's association with a variety of intelligence agencies.

Lee had, as you know, a "legend." In Epstein's occassionally interesting book by that title, he notes that a legend is a false biography, or a cover for a mission. His trip to the USSR was no doubt an attempt at intelligence gathering, part of the ONI operation that placed a number of people there.

Also, there is plenty of reason, based on documents that while not "readily available" but which came out relatively soon, that he was involved in a domestic intelligence operation in 1962-63. US citizens, if they are MI or work for the Agency, have a variety of "covers." Those with an official cover might be found at the US embassy; those without cover, like NOC Valerie Plame, will work for a "private" business. And, of course, their identities are classified, and information is not readily available, unless they expose Dick Cheney as a liar.

Usama bin Laden was involved in the war in Afghanistan, helping Muslims evict the Russians. The US assisted and financed a significant number of the Muslims fighting the Soviet Union. While every dollar that was invested may not be easily accounted for, it is not difficult to identify who the US funneled money and arms through, and who they did not. There was nothing about Usama bin Laden's efforts in Afghanistan that can be considered to be spying or "black operations." What he did is well documented. And, when one considers when that war took place, the idea of information being "readily available" seems a stretch. There is no documentation because there was no connection between him and the CIA/MI.

[bananarepublican]

34. Thanks for a detailed and informative reply H20 Man. Within the...

... book "Synthetic Terror, Made in the USA" a meeting between Larry Mitchell (I'm 90% confident that I have the name correct) the local Dubai (again, pretty sure - but not completely certain - of the locale) CIA operative met with OBL in an American hospital. This meeting took place a few months before 9-11.

The reason I mentioned "Operation Pheonix" and "Tiger Force" was to show that the "government" does a lot of totally un-American things.

My belief is that the vast military and intelligence organisations - costing hundreds of billions, year in and year out - dances to the tune played by others i.e. not the American people...

Once again, I very much appreciated your reply.

[cool user name]

39. Or "Operation Artichoke."

I put nothing past this government.

[AntiFascist]

28. Maybe, but then Ahmadinejad may ultimately be more successfull...

at uniting Islam to the holy war that the neocons so desparately want, so perhaps bin Ladin has become obsolete.

[Catherine Vincent]

13. I guess it could be that too.

But as always, with the mention of Bin Laden and the tragedy of September 11th, it will help George W. Bush and his administration. How sad.

[H2O Man]

16. I respectfully disagree.

I think that the American public recognizes that after five years, the Bush administration has not produced on the old "dead or alive" business.

[Catherine Vincent]

19. True, the Democratic thinking American public recognizes that.

But the Bush worshiping American public don't. And if for some reason Bin Laden was captured/killed, they would say "all is well that ends well, we finally got him blah blah."

[H2O Man]

27. In a very real sense

--though not in the mythological baloney that Usama is connected to US intelligence -- the western world may be far better off with bin Laden sitting in relative isolation in the mountains of Pakistan, than having him become a martyr for his cause.

[snappyturtle]

5. It's the talking point of the repukes for the Fall election.

The media is helping push for "Security" (a.k.a. protection from terrorists) as the lead issue for the Fall. As long as Bin Laden, ace terrorist, is kept in the limelight, security issues are an easy follow up. IMHO

[karynnj]

9. The only way that might start is if more people

realize that what the British arrests mean is that, as George Will said, Kerry was right. The NYT magazine article where Kerry saw terrorism being thwarted by intelligence and law enforcement made sense and led to a much more positive world.

[Armstead]

6. Mid-to-late October

If it were done and p[ublicized now, there'd still be too much time for the "glow' to wear off before election day.

[Virginia Dare]

8. The real Osama? I doubt it...

I'm still not convinced they've got the "real" Saddam.:hide:

[Kailassa]

20. They staged getting Saddam out of that hole,

so god knows how much else they have staged.

I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Saddam is alive
and free somewhere, or if he's been murdered so
he can't tell uncomfortable truths about American
involvement in his activities.

[smoogatz]

15. I have no doubt that the Pakistani government knows exactly

where he is, and that he's being protected by pro-al Qaeda elements of the ISI. It's possible they'd turn him over to the US, if the price was right. More likely, though, they'd refuse to extradite him and "try" him in Pakistan, where he'd end up doing a few years of house arrest.

[ima_sinnic]

17. bin Laden died a few months after 9/11

his obituary ran in Saudi Arabia (I'm tired and don't feel like looking for links). Any "appearances" after that were by a fake "fat" Osama in grainy videos, or old clips that had been saved.

There has never been a shred of real EVIDENCE linking bin Laden to 9/11, but a whole lot of cover-up and obfuscation by the pigs "in charge" to avoid any real look at who perpetrated that act. Remember the 28 deleted pages? Nice of * to protect his Saudi buddies.

[Virginia Dare]

22. True, and it helps on several levels if he's "still at large"....

the U.S. still has a boogyman to perpetrate the constant threat of terrorism hanging over our heads, thus the Bush Admin. can fear monger and quash civil liberties at will. Additionally, as long as OBL keeps pumping out those videos Al Qaeda has a martyr and a cheerleader who is making fools out of the big bad West for it's followers.

[Akim]

18. He's probably already in custody

He's probably already been captured, but that fact won't be revealed for "national security reasons" till the eve of the next presidential election.

[leesa]

21. No. It's just pre-911 anniversary hype...keep the magic going.

He's long dead.

[Subdivisions]

25. I agree that it's

pre-911 anniversary hype but I don't think he is dead.

I would not be surprised if he becomes our October surprise, followed by the media sensationalism of whoever fills the vacuum and focusing on some other, more sinister threat to carry them through the mid-terms.

[leftofthedial]

24. he's all they have left

[Dinger]

30. That's What Scares Me

They (repugs) are desperate, with a capital D.

[yurbud]

29. Grover Norquist said plan for '06 vote: get in Zarqawi & bin Laden

and that was well before Zarqawi death or even his pre-death re-hyping.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/al-bardach/ken-mehlman-the-presiden_b_14123.html

[Odin2005]

31. The Pakistanis know EXACTLY where he is.

They just don't dare touch him because of the risk of civil war.

[DoYouEverWonder]

36. BushCo doesn't want him either

because it would piss off the bin Laden family big time. The bin Ladens are the second most powerful family in Saudi Arabia with close ties to the Bush family. Nothing bad is going to happen to their Usama as long as they can help it. This is probably the main reason why the US helped Usama excape from Tora Bora after those special ops guys got a little too close and were ready to take him out.

[moondust]

35. And end the Bushama Pact?

Republicans owe it all to Osama and Co., professional boogeymen. I doubt they would end their pact with him any sooner than is absolutely necessary, maybe in a few decades. He's all they've got!

[lgn19087]

37. Don't know

I think that they need a "victory" soon...so they may have to haul him in. But fret not, they will be back with an all new villian next week so stay tuned!

[tyedyeto]

38. He's always 'about to be' captured or killed.

* and Co. need him to bring the Terra, Terra, Terra alerts whenever polls are down or elections are coming up.

Gotta make those Americans have fear in their hearts, doncha know?