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.

[vetvetdoug]

CNN, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and the French say he may be dead. All of Bin Laden's allies are now almost in agreement.

[Arkinsaw]

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

Someone would post about Saddam and there would be a thousand message thread with all "He's dead Jim" posts. Wishful thinking.

[fireman43]

Bin Laden dead?

The people at Crescent News Network will be sooooo heartbroken about their hero.

[shankbear]

we poisoned the bastard. ROVE................you have an election to fix!!!!!!! Now get back over here.

[ThanhPhero]

STILL dead.

[ThanhPhero]

OBL confirmed dead would set off a tremendous firestorm in the US among the Left. OBL IS DEAD THE WAR IS OVER WE WON BRING THE TROOPS HOME NOW! It is better that he is not publicly dead, however dead he may be in private.

[ThanhPhero]

I am not convinced that the CIA actually confirmed any of those tapes. CIA said that each was "probably" authentic then seems to have responded to further queries with the equivalent of "hmmmmm..." Politically we don't need him to be dead.The libs(including MSM) would "rejoice" that with him dead the war is over.

[nmh]

You're right ... however there is another one there busily trying to out do OBL. Here's his handiwork:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1707038/posts?page=73#73

[Natty Bumppo@frontier.net]

The CIA has been careful to confirm that the voice is probably that of Osama Bin Laden. However, they have NEVER confirmed that the tapes were contemporaneous. When dealing with intel sources, it is often what they DON'T tell you that is most important.

Whatever the truth, Osama has been basically out of action since December 2001 in Tora Bora.

[ABG(anybody but Gore)]

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

Actually, Kathleen Blank-0 knows exactly where UBL is. He's buried in some house in the 9th Ward. THAT'S why Bush and Rove blew up the levee's in New Orleans!!! /sar ;^)

[Caipirabob]

Let's see. A Parisian cell of Al Qaeda declares war on France...10 days later France "leaks" an official report Osama Bin Laden is dead.

Hmmm...They can't cover their own smell, they can't cover the stink of Al Qaeda propaganda either.

[A CA Guy]

Osama Bin Laden is scheduled to appear on the show "So You Think You Can Dance", so I doubt this story till I see at least his lifeless body.

[Faith]

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

A good sense of humor is a priceless. Thanks.

[Sacajaweau]

Lotsa strange dots turning up. Maybe Usama died eating Veal French.

[Boiler Plate]

Inigo: Hoo hoo hoo! Look who knows so much, heh? Well, it just so happens that your friend here is only mostly dead. There's a big difference between mostly dead and all dead. Please, open his mouth. Puts the bellows to Westley's mouth, and blows air in. Now, mostly dead is slightly alive. Now, all dead... well, with all dead, there's usually only one thing that you can do.

[freekitty]

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

I do too.

[gogeo]

Maybe 'e's just resting...

[Jeff Chandler]

Pining for the dunes.

[Jeff Chandler]

Now, all dead... well, with all dead, there's usually only one thing that you can do.

Go through his clothes and look for loose change.

[Jeff Chandler]

"He's dead, Jim. You get his wallet, and I get his Triquarter."

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

Is that Andre the Giant???

[Mygirlsmom]

Yes! Have you never seen "The Princess Bride"? Rob Reiner may be a complete idiot politically, but he has made some classic movies - it's a must see, and oft quoted here on FR.

[ThanhPhero]

There were reports in the Hindu and chinese press that OBL's bodyguards did him in and were killed themselves in a gunbattle in the caves. There has not been a truly verified sighting or communication from him since that time.

[ConservativeMan55]

bttt

[ThanhPhero]

The key word is "probably." The press has repeated that as "certainly" each time. You don't see probably until way down in the piece or not at all but that is the word the CIA used. It is a good word. It doesn't really mean anything at all in this context.

[SaxxonWoods]

Yes, that is Andre the Giant, the last true wrestling champion. He ruled until he agreed to be "defeated," no one could take him, but eventually the PTB convinced him to take a knee, as it were.

He's definitely dead.

[SaxxonWoods]

"He's definitely dead."

Andre, that is...

[xkaydet65]

I think with regards to the moonbats and even the regular Dems, you are absolutely correct in your estimation of the reaction to OBL's death.

[SERKIT]

This reminds me of the Saturday Night Live routine about "Generalisimo Francisco Franco....."

UBL has already been marginalized, so add in a dirt nap, so what?