US sees bin Laden capture in '04

Boston Globe ^ | 1/30/04 | Stephen Graham

[RJCogburn]

The US military is "sure" it will catch Osama bin Laden this year, perhaps within months, a spokesman declared yesterday, but Pakistan said it would not allow American troops to cross the border in search of the Al Qaeda leader.

[The G Man]

What a whacky thing to say. Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty needs to have a good talkin' to.

[LS]

Mansoor Ijaz has claimed for a couple of years to know where Osama is. The argument is that he is in a remote section of Pakistan that the Paki army is too weak to take (without prompting a revolution) and that Musharraf is afraid to let us take (ditto).

All these "pings," however, suggest to me that the deal has been struck, and we are biding our time---apparently convinced he isn't directing anything big---and that at the "right" moment the Pakis will grant us permission to sweep the area.

I could be wrong, and this could be wishful thinking, but you usually don't hear such bold predictions out of military guys unles they know something.

[uncbob]

I could be wrong, and this could be wishful thinking, but you usually don't hear such bold predictions out of military guys unles they know something.

Whoi knows it could be a comment for Bin Laden's consumption, disinformation or even a faux paus

[WhiteGuy]

Should be announced in the 3rd or 4th week of October..............

[troublesome creek]

Crystal ball says, "where there's smoke, there's fire." Things don't get "floated" like this unless they're already done. Pull OBL out of a hole during the coronation of Kerry?

[BlackRazor]

What a whacky thing to say. Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty needs to have a good talkin' to.

Agreed. If it happens, it will be big enough news on its own. If it doesn't happen, you've just set yourself up for failing to meet expectations. And it also plays into the hands of the conspiracy theorists on the left who will say Bush timed the capture of Osama for political purposes.

[Meldrim]

Precisely. I figure the best time would be into the third day of the Democrat National Convention. They are eight hours ahead over there so an announcement on the third day would mean a news blackout for the commucrats in Boston.

[Blzbba]

" If it happens, it will be big enough news on its own."


And statements like this will lend credibility to 'conspiracy' beliefs that he's already been captured. This guy should keep his mouth shut.

[macrahanish #1]

How do you capture the dead?

[Blzbba]

"How do you capture the dead?"


A possibility that our Lt. hasn't considered. I don't know - maybe one of those crystal-ball/palm-reader types can answer that! :)

[Tricorn]

"Mansoor Ijaz has claimed for a couple of years to know where Osama is."

Last I heard Mansoor said he was in Iran. Of course, Mansoor says a lot of things. I think he needs to reassess his "impeccable" sources...

[Don Joe]

Ah, a man after me own cynical heart.

I don't doubt you're right.

[LS]

Good point. Some have suggested that we want to get him "on the move."

[WhiteGuy]

Cynicism is all I have left.

Be well.

[steve-b]

Pull OBL out of a hole during the coronation of Kerry?

Much as my read on the situation is that extracting OBL from the hole he's in would involve the use of a Wet/Dry Vac[tm], I'd love to see that, if only to watch the fireworks on DU.

[freeangel]

Of course, he's going to show up around October--Hopefully in time to counter the market manipulation by soros.(anybody got an extra tin-foil hat?)

[ASA Vet]