Bin Laden Dead?

CNN ^ | 3:01 p.m. EDT, September 23, 2006 | CNN

[Silicon Cowboy]

PARIS, France (CNN) -- Osama bin Laden has a water-borne illness, a Saudi intelligence source told CNN on Saturday, a report that conflicts with an article in a French newspaper saying that the al Qaeda leader is dead.

The Saudi intelligence source told CNN's Nic Robertson that there have been credible reports for the past several weeks that bin Laden is ill, but there has been no word of his death.

The questions came in response to the publication of a report in the French regional newspaper L'Est Republicain on Saturday. (Watch CNN's Nic Robertson reveal the latest intelligence on bin Laden's health -- 1:54)

The article cited a confidential French foreign intelligence document dated September 21 in which a source said the Saudis had received confirmation that bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan on August 23.

French President Jacques Chirac said on Saturday he would investigate the leak of the confidential documents, adding that the information in the documents has not been confirmed.

"I was rather surprised to see that a confidential note from the DGSE [General Directorate for External Security] was published and I have asked the minister of defense to start an investigation immediately and to reach whatever conclusions are necessary," Chirac said after meetings on trade with Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Compiegne, France.

"Secondly, speaking of the source of the information itself, this information is in no way confirmed."

CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen said he was told bin Laden's immediate family had had no reports that the al Qaeda leader was dead.

[Silicon Cowboy]

Hmmmmmm......

[SamAdams76]

Thailand?

[LSUfan]

Bergen is a huge phony. Passes himself off as an expert on Jihadist terrorism because he spent an hour with Bin Laden in a tent in 1998. He knows as much about Bin Laden's current whereabouts as Governor Blanco.

[syriacus]

Pakistan denies Bin Laden died while "in country."
Of course, Pakistan wouldn't want their tourist industry hurt by the death of a man who had his own, private, physician.

[EagleUSA]

The ending of Bin Laden is much more of a political issue, than it is a practical one. With third-world scum like Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela, Bin Laden, while hated and should be dead, is of little consequence these days.

[Dr Stormfist]

Could that have been that huge funeral that the US didn't fire upon?

[meanie monster]

i think he has been dead since tora bora, but that's just me.

[RightWhale]

So that is the water-borne reference seen on other threads.

[nmh]

Well not so long ago it was circulated he was dead. Earlier than that was the rumor of kidney failure and need of a portable dialysis machine to roll around in the caves. Who knows! If confirmed we should ALL celebrate as they did when our citizens were murdered on 9/11.

"The last message from bin Laden was an audiotaped post on an Islamic Web site on June 30. The CIA confirmed the voice giving the message was that of the al Qaeda leader."

"In the message, bin Laden names Abu Hamza al-Mujaher as Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's successor as leader of al Qaeda in Iraq."

"The last videotaped statement from bin Laden was aired on October 29, 2004 on Al Jazeera."

Could be something is up ... . True or not in his last tirade on video tape he looked BAD - health wise.

[ExGeeEye]

That was in July (no link, saw it on another thread)

[Red6]

"He knows as much about Bin Laden's current whereabouts as Governor Blanco." You wrote

lol

[Izzy Dunne]

to reach whatever conclusions are necessary," Chirac said

LOL!

First, you have to figure out what conclusions are "necessary", then go reach them.

[syriacus]

Osama bin Laden has a water-borne illness

Interesting juxtaposition

On the one hand we have an embargo on carrying liquids aboard plans
****
On the other hand we have the story of bin Laden being ill due to a water borne illness.

Maybe it's cholera.

[ARealMothersSonForever]

He knows as much about Bin Laden's current whereabouts as Governor Blanco.

Then Governor Blanco needs a little trip to Gitmo.

[Mr_Moonlight]

water-borne illness

Does this mean that he sleeps with the fishes?

[Silicon Cowboy]

to reach whatever conclusions are necessary," Chirac said

LOL!

First, you have to figure out what conclusions are "necessary", then go reach them.

You see, it's a jump to conclusions mat! you spin the wheel and then you JUMP to the conclusion!

[RightWhale]

Could be a metaphor such as that. Or that he is now being ferried across the Styx to his future and permanent quarters.

[Dr. Bogus Pachysandra]

My comments from another, similar thread:
Or, it could mean we know he's dead, and that's why the special squad that was chasing him has been disbanded.
I'm also wondering if we can tell which grave was open in that graveyard meeting of AQ bigshots. I haven't seen the pic, but with GPS and all, perhaps we can identify the grave, open it, and see who's in there!

[drubyfive]

Blanco's whereabouts:

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2006
9:30 a.m. (media availability at 11:30 a.m.)
Gov. Blanco will participate in the America's WETLAND/The Chamber of SWLA event, "Hurricane Rita: Riding the Trail to Recovery" Cattle Drive & Program.

Cameron Recreation Center Site
Creole, LA
Media contacts for this event: Sue Kaplan (337) 781-3365 and Rannah Gray (225) 205-3735.

3:30 p.m.
Gov. Blanco will visit a homeowner whose home was damaged by Hurricane Rita and is being rebuilt by volunteers with Rebuilding Together-Calcasieu.

2126 Martha Street
Lake Charles

[Jeff Chandler]

Maybe he's not all dead. Maybe he's just mostly dead.