[E. Pluribus Unum]

You have every right to believe he is alive.

I believe he is dead, because I like thinking of him as dead.

And, as you say, if he is too big a coward to show his face, then it makes no difference whether he is dead or alive anyway.

[cyncooper]

And, as you say, if he is too big a coward to show his face, then it makes no difference whether he is dead or alive anyway.

Except, of course, for the fanatical kooks that still are allied with him and who are poised to carry on their Jihad at his direction.

Ignoring it doesn't just make the him go away. Dealing with news like this realistically---and that means admitting he's alive and directing his followers--is the adult and sensible thing to do. Beating your chests does not a thing.

[AngryJawa]

OBL is worm food and has been since late 2001. However, what if (tin foil on) Bushco* wants everyone to believe that OBL is still alive in order to fully prosecute the WOT to a successful conclusion without the Media / DNC / Euros howling for a cease-fire?

*Bushco is the sole property of Mark Morford / SF Chronicle. Any use of this term without the expressed, written consent of the afforementioned will result in a hissyfit.

[Wolfstar]

Even if he is not literally worm food, one can be metaphorically dead. If one is forced to hide in remote regions while being protected by 12th Century human relics, and/or if one is forced to hide in small holes in the ground, that is a form of death comparable to being shut away in a Medieval prison.

On the other than, since 9/11 a release of bin Laden tape has preceded a terrorist attack by only a few weeks. The attempts on Musharraf, the big spike in jihadists "chatter," and now the tape certainly suggest that a large attack somewhere may be imminent.