Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

DNA and Bin Laden’s Positive ID (Wall Street Journal)
Wall Street Journal ^ | May 6, 2011 | Carl Bialik

Posted on 05/07/2011 1:13:40 PM PDT by UniqueViews

My print column examines the math of DNA-based identity testing, in light of the technique's use by the U.S. to confirm the identity of the body believed to be Osama bin Laden's. Though a government official said that an initial test showed with 99.9% certainty that bin Laden had been killed, and later tests were "absolutely conclusive," not all details have been released, including whose genetic material was used for comparison. ABC News reported that investigators had subpoenaed a DNA sample from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, where a sister of bin Laden's had died of cancer. But a spokesman for the hospital said it hasn't turned up any evidence she was a patient there, nor that her genetic information was subpoenaed.

Earlier this week, before such developments as al Qaeda's apparent confirmation of bin Laden's death, some genetic experts expressed skepticism about the 99.9% figure while saying they didn't have all necessary details to evaluate it. "Given the speed of all of this, the history of the authorities getting it wrong so often in the past, and the lack of details, I'd be very sceptical about this claim," David Balding, professor of statistical genetics at University College, London, wrote in an email. "But I can't say much further without details."

(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 72versions; alqaeda; binladen; binladenid; dnaidentification; dnatesting; obama; obltermination; wot
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last
Another column by the same author in the WSJ with more details examining DNA testing:

Matching Science of DNA With Art of Identification

1 posted on 05/07/2011 1:13:45 PM PDT by UniqueViews
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
"Though a government official said that an initial test showed with 99.9% certainty that bin Laden had been killed, and later tests were "absolutely conclusive,"

Yeah. And "initial" government reports had him armed hiding behind a woman, too.

Our government is about as trustworthy and "transparent" as the Chicoms.

2 posted on 05/07/2011 1:17:33 PM PDT by TheClintons-STILLAnti-American
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
"Though a government official said that an initial test showed with 99.9% certainty that bin Laden had been killed, and later tests were "absolutely conclusive,"

Yeah. And "initial" government reports had him armed hiding behind a woman, too.

Our government is about as trustworthy and "transparent" as the Chicoms.

3 posted on 05/07/2011 1:18:23 PM PDT by TheClintons-STILLAnti-American
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
not all details have been released, including whose genetic material was used for comparison.

A monkey in west Africa, or a pig in Indonesia?

4 posted on 05/07/2011 1:31:46 PM PDT by OrioleFan (Republicans believe every day is the 4th of July, democrats believe every day is April 15.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: TheClintons-STILLAnti-American

you know darn well we took his brain and parts to study.


5 posted on 05/07/2011 1:32:50 PM PDT by Sacajaweau
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews

How many lives does he have? He was killed in a cave years ago. Then he pops up in a few videos. Then he was on his deathbed and on dialysis but again there were videos. Just last week he was healthy as a horse until the The Almighty Won himself put one between his eyes. How long until he’s posting more youtube videos?

The lesson, my children, if the truth can’t be told is to pick a simple story. Stick with that story. Never deviate from that story.


6 posted on 05/07/2011 1:39:53 PM PDT by bgill (Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bgill

Alex JOnes has an article up on Infowars that says these same videos of Obama in his house were released 4 years ago.


7 posted on 05/07/2011 1:43:45 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
The statement of a 99.9% chance seems improper. Usually, such comparisons are expressed in a certain way. The DNA test language will utilize numbers expressed in a manner such as one in a billion.
8 posted on 05/07/2011 1:45:07 PM PDT by He Rides A White Horse ((unite))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
99.9% certainty

Let's say for argument's sake that there are 7 billion people on the planet (there will be in six months, I hear.) Then, the 0.1% of uncertainty could point to any one of 7 million people. No good, comrade!

9 posted on 05/07/2011 1:49:27 PM PDT by Revolting cat! (Let us prey!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: bgill

Have not heard that they located dyalisis equipment at the compound.


10 posted on 05/07/2011 2:11:54 PM PDT by Louis Foxwell (For love of Sarah, our country and the American Way of Life.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

I saw an ABC video early on, after the raid. Near one bed was a clean white bucket, about 2 to 2 1/2 gallon size, with a long, clear plastic tube fixtured into the top.

It seemed a bit out of place.

I thought when I saw it that it quite well could have been a piece of peritoneal dialysis equipment.

I looked into it once for a friend that was in renal failure, and it pretty much requires an extra bedroom just for sterile supply storage.

It also, coulda just been a urinal of some type too, I suppose.


11 posted on 05/07/2011 2:28:01 PM PDT by digger48
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

10 years on dialysis is pushing the envelope.


12 posted on 05/07/2011 2:33:13 PM PDT by Ragnar54
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews

The administration acquired the sample, transported the sample and compared it to a reference sample in the possession of the administration. So yes, there was a match. The administration agrees with itself.


13 posted on 05/07/2011 2:36:29 PM PDT by Ragnar54
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: He Rides A White Horse

Statements like “one in a billion” are only used when there is a match...for example, comparing to a known sample of bin Laden’s DNA. That apparently was not possible in this case. The 99.5% probability is used in cases of family relations, which they apparently have used in this case. The terminology is correct, though the media doesn’t really seem to understand what it truly means.


14 posted on 05/07/2011 4:01:01 PM PDT by Rokurota
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell
Have not heard that they located dyalisis equipment at the compound.

Which means he went out regularly for treatment and we just ignored his whereabouts until we (aka The Won) needed it known or it was all a lie from the beginning.

15 posted on 05/07/2011 4:01:31 PM PDT by bgill (Kenyan Parliament - how could a man born in Kenya who is not even a native American become the POTUS)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Rokurota

Gotcha.


16 posted on 05/07/2011 4:03:19 PM PDT by He Rides A White Horse ((unite))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews; All
The 99% was always a bogus PR-generated number which, along with the dozens of narrative revisions, undermined the White House's claims and in turn undercut faith in America's competence at the highest levels.

Al Queda agrees OBL is dead but that's not the point. Transparency is a big lie with this administration as it always is with Lefties who make it a campaign theme.

This week we saw new hires rise and the press pushed that message which is happy spin for Obama.

However we also saw unemployment rate go up with their explanation being more people are looking for work now. In other words, they ADMIT, their official unemployment number was not the actual number of unemployed and, just as critics had said, past gains made were because of people giving up the job hunt rather than being hired.

Official unemployment is up because people have reentered into the metric by looking for jobs because they've heard people are hiring again. They cook the books because they know we live in a sound-bite world with an uncritical press full of political allies.

It's just like the administration claiming there's no inflation because commodity prices of food and oil, where real people feel impact, are not in the phony official metric. Finance professionals know it but the numbers are used to mold and manipulate public perception.

As others have noted over the years W was attacked for unemployment numbers that had been called "full employment" under Clinton. Now that Obama's in, bad news will be cooked, spun, manipulated and reported in any way possible to make it sound like... progress.

17 posted on 05/07/2011 4:24:09 PM PDT by newzjunkey (Stay focused: Debt, Deficits & Immigration.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews
Does anyone else find the term "incontestable secret evidence" a weird construction?

-----as in "oxymoron?" Of course it's "incontestable,"......it's secret. ----sheeeesh.

18 posted on 05/07/2011 7:04:42 PM PDT by cookcounty (Resume item--- Barack Obama: Paid Spectator, US Senate, 2004-2008.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: UniqueViews

I am waiting for the other shoe to drop!


19 posted on 05/07/2011 7:06:40 PM PDT by restornu
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Louis Foxwell

If you look at the photo, you will see that there is a road that goes out of the compound...directly to a medical clinic down the street.


20 posted on 05/07/2011 7:27:49 PM PDT by livius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-24 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson