[txhurl]

Why anyone carrying the rumor would drop it?

My first question is how did the rumor get started?.

I see three ways:

We did get him, and our guys had loose lips or

We did get him, and our guys have been silent but OBL's guys got concerned when they couldn't contact him and started the chatter and rumor or

We didn't, are trying to flush out the rest of AQ by watching them squirm and shake while THEY try to discern the truth.

I think OBL (or maybe his son, since OBL is dead since Dec. 13, 2001, Tora Bora, and their voices are similar) went tele-silent - this rumor seems to have more roots/origination with the Arabs than the US. I think THEY'RE missing HIM.

[Pro-Bush]

This may be old news to you, but it is well known that UBL's sons are in Iran.

[rickylc]

Great post!!!

Very interesting analysis!!

I like the way you think!

[California74]

Possibly how the rumor of bin Laden's capture got started... see link. Note that Thursday evening was 1/22. Lebanon time zone is GMT +2 hours.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/3424197.stm
Bin Laden hoax backfires in Lebanon

A spoof newsflash by a TV station in Lebanon saying that Osama Bin Laden had been captured in the northern city of Tripoli was taken more seriously than the programme-makers had expected.

[JustPiper]

I say if we got him we had him or simply put: He's dead just my opinion