Bin Laden 'boxed in' by US soldiers

The Weekend Australian ^ | 22 February 2004 | The Sunday Mail (Qld)

[MegaSilver]

OSAMA bin Laden is reportedly surrounded by United States special forces in a mountain range that straddles north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Internationally respected investigative journalist and author Gordon Thomas says the al-Qaida terror group leader has been sighted for the first time since 2001 and is being monitored by satellite.

In a report to be published in a British newspaper, Thomas says bin Laden is in a mountainous area to the north of the Pakistani city of Quetta.

The region is said to be a stronghold for bin Laden supporters and the terror kingpin is estimated to have 50 of his fanatical bodyguards by his side.

Thomas attributes his report to "a well-placed intelligence source" in Washington who is quoted as saying: "He (bin Laden) is boxed in."

The area makes an all-out conventional military assault impossible, according to the report.

The plan to capture him would depend on a "grab-him-and-go" operation.

"US helicopters already sited on the Afghanistan border will swoop in to extricate him," the report says.

It continues by saying 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 3000m-high mountain peaks. Donkeys are the only transport."

The US special forces are "absolutely confident" there is no escape for bin Laden and are waiting for the order to snatch the shadowy terrorist leader.

The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President George Bush, the report says.

"Capturing bin Laden will certainly be a huge help for him as he gets ready for the election.

"It will be an even bigger bonus than getting Saddam."

The article goes on to say bin Laden's movements are continually monitored by a US National Security Agency satellite positioned over the land in which the wealthy Saudi is trapped.

Joint chiefs of staff chairman General Richard Myers said last week the US had been engaged in "intense" efforts to capture bin Laden.

But General Myers insisted that the focus of the search had not narrowed for months.

"There are areas where we think it is most likely he is, and they remain the same," he said. "They haven't changed in months."

Asked where bin Laden was hiding, General Myers said: "We think in that border region somewhere. We don't know precisely."

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.

A two-man special forces surveillance unit infiltrated the area.

"Within a week, they had picked up the first clues that bin Laden was around," according to a source quoted in the report.

"Other teams then slipped into the area.

"No helicopters were used, to avoid any alert."

Once the area was sealed, the special forces troops watched and waited for the order to go in and end the largest manhunt in history.

Bin Laden, head of the fanatical Muslim al-Qaida group, is alleged to have masterminded the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on New York and Washington.

[Gritty]

If we catch Bin Laden, the Democrats will declare the War On Terror "over" and demand we get on to more important things, like education, the environment, job programs, "equal rights" for all, George Bush's AWOL, etc...

[Cboldt]

Same story, but different news outlets. Thanks for the cross-link.

Some parts of the story bother me, especially that the capture is described as being "on hold" pending a "go ahead" from President Bush. I don't believe that.

[Jabba the Nutt]

It would be great to catch him alive, you see suicide attacks are for the cannon fodder you know. Let the world see him having his beard searched for lice. Let's shave him and his head and put him in a pink jumpsuit shackled. After the trial, I say drop him from a height of a 110-storey building and listen to him scream all the way down.

[gitmogrunt]

Democrats and the Liberal Media are once again deeply saddened by this news, and all the other news on President Bush's unsuccessful war on terror.

[McGavin999]

Oh shoot, the secret is out. Now everyone will know that President Bush planned on dragging OBL into the convention with a rope around his neck. DARN! Now the suprise is spoiled.

[Texas Mom]

I hope they delay his capture for a late October Surprise.

A good time would be during or right after the Democrat Convention..

[FlatLandBeer]

yea the night of kerry's acceptance speech

[Lynne]

"Some parts of the story bother me, especially that the capture is described as being "on hold" pending a "go ahead" from President Bush. I don't believe that."

Could it be that he is in Pakistan, and GWB is waiting for the "go ahead" from Musharaff?

[VRWC_minion]

The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President George Bush, the report says.

Late october, early november should be good.

[Armedanddangerous]

No, the day after the convention concludes. The candidate usually gets a bump for a week or two after that. Let them show us leading him out in shackles that day.

The dims would be lining up for purple Kool-Aid for miles and miles.

[sheik yerbouty]

If his head is intact, put it on a pike, and let every jihaist and their enablers behold!

[HighWheeler]

"After the trial, I say drop him from a height of a 110-storey building.."

What movie was it with the judge saying something like this: "We'll give the accused a fair trial in the morning and hang him before lunch."

[uncbob]

I see Kerry's numbers falling to the basement if bin Laden is captured!

For about a week
After that the American public won't even remember who Bin Laden was

[Contra]

Once OBL is captured or killed (hopefully the latter) then the Dims will say "yeah, but what about Mullah Omar?"

[uncbob]

I might add this might all be disinfo being put out to confuse him

[Cboldt]

Could it be that he is in Pakistan, and GWB is waiting for the "go ahead" from Musharaff?

The article says that a move to capture OBL depends on Bush's sense of timimg. I believe that any necessary agreement between Pakistan and the US is already in place, and does not require a confirming conversation between Musharaff and Bush.

[EDINVA]

given the fickle US voting public, I'd suggest the Friday before the election .. if we grabbed bin Laden in October, the voters would forget or ho hum by early November. I'm beginning to believe this country doesn't deserve Bush.

[Imperialist]

"But Bush is just waiting until the right time to do that, for maximum political effect, dontcha know...
< /sarcasm>"


LOL... I'd support him in that. Just as long as he is captured, I do not care how it happens. I mistakenly and over confidently told my Wife on 9/11/01 that we would capture him in 30 days or so. Man was I wrong. I was wrong about how good "Big Brother" really was.

[TMSuchman]

No, we want this sob [read as son of a biscut] alive. So we can show the world & muslims what a coward that he is! He would send young men & women to die for their cause & he would not. That would be shown to the world that the great obl has surrendered! That his fight is not worth dieing for. He lived so you can too.

[mikrofon]

He's on an "extended" vacation...