(Posted 2/29/04) Osama arrested in secret: report (Source: Could it be Moby?)

theaustralian.news.com.au ^ | 02/29/04 | From correspondents in Washington

[KQQL]

THE Pentagon has denied any knowledge of Osama bin Laden's "arrest" after an Iranian report that he has been held for some time.

The external Pashto-language service of Iranian state radio quoted an "informed source".

It suggested bin Laden had been detained "some time ago", but the news was being kept secret and was likely to be announced later in the year to boost US President George W. Bush's re-election chances.

A Pentagon Central Command spokesman in Tampa, Florida, said: "I have no reports on us capturing OBL, Osama bin Laden. We don't have anything on that."

The Iranian report said US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld's visit to Afghanistan during the week was made to follow up on bin Laden's alleged arrest.

"The capture of the al-Qaeda leader was made some time ago, but Bush is intending to announce it at the time of the American presidential election," the report claimed.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Khurshid Mehmud Kasuri told reporters at a press conference that he could not confirm reports carried by "international media".

"We cannot confirm it at all."

Pakistan's military spokesman Major General Shaukat Sultan said: "This report is not correct."

Foreign ministry spokesman Masood Khan also said that "there was no report of bin Laden's arrest from the tribal areas of Pakistan".

Bin Laden is wanted in the United States for a series of terrorist acts, including the September 11, 2001, attacks on Washington and New York and is arguably the world's most wanted terrorist.

Pakistan, a key US ally in war against terrorism, has arrested more than 500 al-Qaeda suspects who fled Afghanistan in the wake of US-led attacks which ousted the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001.

[KQQL]

MOBY ALERT !..lol

[GeronL]

US, Pakistan deny Ossama was captured

!!!! If they deny it, it must be true. /sarcasm

[KQQL]

lol...

[beaversmom]

Let the conspiracy theories begin. Jim McDermott's already got his statement ready to go. Howard Dean's got one too but nobody cares about him anymore. If Osama gets caught, just wait. The nuts on the left will be saying--"Why didn't we do this two years ago. Why now?" President Bush can't win.

[KQQL]

The external Pashto-language service of Iranian state radio quoted an "informed source".(MOBY)

It suggested bin Laden had been detained "some time ago", but the news was being kept secret and was likely to be announced later in the year to boost US President George W. Bush's re-election chances.

[SheLion]

[South40]

Osama's in Sandusky, Ohio.

[BigSkyFreeper]

"The capture of the al-Qaeda leader was made some time ago, but Bush is intending to announce it at the time of the American presidential election," the report claimed.

It's either Moby or Micheal Moore.

[AUH2OY2K]

OK, I admit it, Osama is in my closet along with Elvis and Jim Morrison

[JLS]

From correspondents in Washington

____________________________________________

So now we know M.Albrigh's new job.

[Texasforever]

Osama is chillin with Hoffa.

[onyx]

I ain't falling for this again. Not tonight anyway.

[alaskanfan]

US embassy makes "no comment" on report of bin Laden's capture

www.chinaview.cn 2004-02-28 22:00:52

KABUL, Feb. 28 (Xinhuanet) --The US embassy in Afghanistan made "no comment" Saturday on the report of the capture of Osma bin Ladin, while a spokesman of the US coalition in Afghanistan told Xinhua he has no information about the news.

"I cannot comment at this moment," Ray Glover, counselor of press and cultural affairs of the US embassy in Kabul said, adding "I have no information."

Bryan Hilferty, spokesman of the US coalition also told Xinhua,"I cannot give information." But both of them didn't deny the news.

Iran's state radio earlier the day reported in Pushtun service that al-Qaeda chief bin Laden had been captured long time ago by quoting a Pakistan newspaper The Nation's bureau chief in Peshawarand an unidentified source close to the intelligence and Afghan tribal leaders.

Many Afghan people also believe that bin Laden has been captured by US forces.

The news came just two days after US Defense Secretary Donald H.Rumsfeld paid a one-day visit to Kandahar and Kabul at a time when US forces were tightening the net to hunt down bin Laden in northern Pakistan.

"NO COMMENT" ????????

Did they just lose something in the translation?

[KQQL]

yes...Osama was zapped not captured...

[Texasforever]

I ain't falling for this again. Not tonight anyway.

LOL Here is my take. IF they capture him alive, it will be at least a month before they make it public. It will take at least that long to "talk" to him. They sure as heck do not want the Red Cross asking for access and they don't want the rest of the network to be sure he is out of the loop.

[KQQL]

US embassy makes "no comment" on report of bin Laden's capture

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2004-02/28/content_1336774.htm

[onyx]

Wow. You are a thinker. A darned good thinker. You are likely right.

I had high hopes last night, becasue I wanted the Hollywood awards' show to be ruined again this year.

[Free Trapper]

At least these reports might be making some of the terrorists sweat the possibility that they have been or will be ratted out by their superiors.

Any anxiousness we feel must be multiplied a thousand times in the minds of our enemies. :)

[Texasforever]

Wow. You are a thinker. A darned good thinker. You are likely right.

It's the Nyquil.