Bin Laden 'surrounded'

The Sunday Telegraph ^ | February 22, 2004

[Patriot1998]

A BRITISH Sunday newspaper is claiming Osama bin Laden has been found and is surrounded by US special forces in an area of land bordering north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Sunday Express, known for its sometimes colourful scoops, claims the al-Qaeda leader has been "sighted" for the first time since 2001 and is being monitored by satellite.

The paper claims he is in a mountainous area to the north of the Pakistani city of Quetta. The region is said to be peopled with bin Laden supporters and the terrorist leader is estimated to also have 50 of his fanatical bodyguards with him.

The claim is attributed to "a well-placed intelligence source" in Washington, who is quoted as saying: "He (bin Laden) is boxed in."

The paper says the hostile terrain makes an all-out conventional military assault impossible. The plan to capture him would depend on a "grab-him-and-go" style operation.

"US helicopters already sited on the Afghanistan border will swoop in to extricate him," the newspaper says. It claims bin Laden and his men "sleep in caves or out in the open. The area is swept by fierce snow storms howling down from the 10,000ft-high mountain peaks. Donkeys are the only transport."

The special forces are "absolutely confident" there is no escape for bin Laden, and are awaiting the order to go in and get him.

"The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President Bush," the paper says. "Capturing bin Laden will certainly be a huge help for him as he gets ready for the election."

The article says bin Laden's movements are monitored by a National Security Agency satellite.

On Thursday last week, General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said America had been engaged in "intense" efforts to capture bin Laden, who was believed to be hiding in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

[Irish Eyes]

"The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President Bush," the paper says. "Capturing bin Laden will certainly be a huge help for him as he gets ready for the election."

Around mid October sounds good to me. :-)

[grahm_crackers]

Pay closer attention Zebra, OBL IS sending videos out. We just aren't seening them. I wonder why?

"Bin Laden's whereabouts were discovered, according to the report, when US Central Intelligence Agency analysts – geographers and soil experts – studying the background in the al-Qaida boss's latest video suggested it matched rocks in the Toba Kakar ranges.

CIA agents, working with Pakistani guides, went from Afghanistan to the region to take photographs and bring out rock and soil samples.

These were flown to Washington where the CIA analysts electronically matched them to the video background."

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1082732/posts

And

""His exact location is not known," Karzai told reporters at his Kabul palace. "Inside or outside the (Afghan) border, it is not clear." Karzai said recent videos showing bin Laden demonstrated that he was still alive. "Everyone can see those videos," he said."


http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1069132/posts

[Quix]

AFTER we extracted sufficient info from him, though, preferably, imho.

[getmeouttaPalmBeachCounty_FL]

God Bless our Troops & all of the coalition Troops surrounding this heinous man. We pray that You keep them safe, Lord & in Your everlasting embrace.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Let's hope Bin Laden has enough supplies to last him until...say...mid-October! Haha!

[Khan Noonian Singh]

FYI.

Do you believe this?

[Political Junkie Too]

Those posts are meant to mock the press, not hand-wring.

If OBL is captured, the press will say that the world is not safer because it will just embolden Al-Qaeda further...

The game is to see how much further back the media can move the goalposts.

-PJ

[Khan Noonian Singh]

Any opinions?

[nuconvert]

No, not entirely.

He's been reported on the border of Afghanistan/Pakistan before. That's not new.

[nuconvert]

Osama PONG

[grahm_crackers]

"I stiil get the feeling he was wasted then since we've seen no new pictures or videos from him since.",

"WE" haven't seen video of OBL, but apparently he is still making them and sending them out. See these links.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1082732/posts http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1069132/posts

[Maelstrom]

I think bin Laden is dead. But I do hope they have the current leader of Al Qaeda in that web.

[fqued]

very fascinating observation/speculation.

The question I would have concerns the dissipation over 175-400 miles of the laser beam and the "pinpoint" necessary for targetting.

although a laser is a synchronized beam, it does dissipate over distance, and the "pinpoint" becomes broader.

From a satellite to earth would probably be between 175 and 350 miles depending on the orbit--is that distance too far for target pinpointing?

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

Hey Osama! Big dog commin to get ya!

[Maelstrom]

Damn straight

You're looking at a volunteer now and I'm not even military.

[freekitty]

I hope so. And I don't care if the meida, demiwits or whoever screams, lies or whatever to the rafters. This beast will be caught and punished. That's what is important.

[Maelstrom]

I still prefer covering him in sow spoor from a sow in heat and setting a wild boar or two as his roommates.

He should be chained into a "receptive" position.

[My2Cents]

...his mouth stuffed with Hebrew National hot dogs.

[Mad_Tom_Rackham]

We need a b-o-d-y. :O)

[My2Cents]

John Kerry urges turning the search over to the New York District Attorney's office.