France: Recent Bin Laden Location Found

Reuters ^ | 3-22-04

[Oldeconomybuyer]

PARIS (Reuters) - International forces recently found a location where fugitive al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is thought to have taken refuge, according to French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie.

She said in an interview to be published Tuesday that French troops operating near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan had helped trace bin Laden but did not say where, how wide an area she was referring to or whether he was still there.

A ministry spokesman said Alliot-Marie was referring to the discovery of a location where bin Laden was believed to have been "at a certain time" and it was not clear where he was now.

"Our men are well established and know the terrain well. Thanks to certain information, they were recently able to make an effective contribution to locating him," Alliot-Marie told Express magazine in an interview released before publication.

Asked whether the man located was definitely bin Laden, she replied: "Everything leads us to think so."

She said she could provide no details for reasons of security and confidentiality but added that even his capture would not change matters much because terror networks had become increasingly autonomous.

"What she wanted to say was that, with the information they provided, French forces contributed to locating him at a certain time. It is a terrible hunt for a rat on the loose," the ministry spokesman said.

The United States says al Qaeda was behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

Pakistani forces have launched a major push to try to sweep foreign militants from the Afghan border region and catch bin Laden. U.S. forces are hunting on the other side of the border.

[tractorman]

They would have liked to give OBL’s location but instead, surrendered to him.

[bolobaby]

She said in an interview to be published Tuesday that French troops operating near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan had helped trace bin Laden but did not say where, how wide an area she was referring to or whether he was still there.

Sounds a lot like "I have received endorsements from foreign leaders, but I won't say who. Nyah, nyah, nyah."

[DonaldDuke]

France: Recent Bin Laden Location Found

Let me guess: Khomeini's old digs in Paris?

[SF Republican]

It is a terrible hunt for a rat on the loose," the ministry spokesman said - odd phrase for a cheese eater

[sarasota]

Is there an echo in here?

[dirtboy]

I was gonna guess Chirac's guest bedroom myself.

[areafiftyone]

Do get the strange feeling that the French are trying desperately to be the ones that capture Bin Laden. First they say they missed him several times and now this.

[New Perspective]

Of course they have evidence of where he has been, he has been exactly where the French have set him up.

[txhurl]

I still want to know what that guy on CNN meant by OBL and Zawahiri being 'separated'.

[ElkGroveDan]

As if anyone told anything of value to the French.

[el_texicano]

Leave it to da French to put up a sign that says, "bin Laden slept here"...stupid frogs.

[Yaelle]

There's a lovely, private stretch of the Cote D'Azur between Nice and Cannes. A lot of old dictators have "retired" there. Perhaps that is where the French may have found him. Maybe Osama's DNA was found on a glass of Pastis on a little table outside a cafe.

[slimer]

The United States says al Qaeda was behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States

Typical reuters BS.

[truthandlife]

There is no way in the world that France would be involved in the capture of OBL. The Arab world would be livid at France. France is too scared and too willing to aid the enemy to get OBL.

[TexasCajun]

French troops?? ...they're joking, right?

[Cap Huff]

They are filing for divorce.

[Kakaze]

" Do get the strange feeling that the French are trying desperately to be the ones that capture Bin Laden. First they say they missed him several times and now this."

France doesn't want to catch him, their scared to death they might actually catch him.

France is more like the 98 pound weakling trying to open the pickle jar.......as soon as some one big enough to do the job actually opens the jar ( catches OBL). The French will jump up and down shouting "see we loosened up the lid for you"

[AngieGOP]

OBL is in Ketchum with Kerry.

[stumpy]

The only reason the french could not find him, is because he did not want to accept their surrender.