Posted on 09/11/2004 3:11:58 AM PDT by Jim Robinson
Edited on 09/11/2004 3:19:37 AM PDT by Jim Robinson. [history]
Karachi, Sept. 11 (NNN): Three years on from his outfit’s most deadly attacks as the world still hunts for the Saudi rebel, Pakistan Information Minister Sheikh Rashid has indicated that Al-Qaeda terror network kingpin Osama bin Laden may be dead.
Addressing Meet the Press at Karachi Press Club on the eve of third anniversary of September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the United States, the minister, however, pointed out that around 200-300 foreign militants were hiding in Wana who are ‘master planners’ as they had got enough training in Afghanistan.
“We are not averse to dialogue but we would give bullet to bullet reply in Wana and Balochistan also,” Sheikh Rashid declared. “If we had not started operation in Wana, the US would have done this and think what would have happened then,” the minister asked.
He said that militants may go to other areas or cities but the forces would move there also as the government was determined to eliminate terrorism.
The minister hinted that the government was about to take ‘very important decisions’ regarding water, ties with India and terrorism.
“For bold decisions, bold man was imperative,” the minister said in an apparent reference to Gen. Pervez Musharraf, claiming that the 17th Amendment allows Gen. Pervez Musharraf to occupy the both offices of President and Chief of Army Staff simultaneously.
Widening Threat: Meanwhile, most analysts believe there is a danger in laying too much emphasis on al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden alone when the reality of growing terrorism is more complex - and perhaps more dangerous.
Undoubtedly that the core of al-Qaeda has been disrupted. It has lost its secure sanctuary and training camps in Afghanistan and is finding it harder to organise and communicate under pressure.
The core of hardened veterans has been hit hard in the past three years.
In his New York convention speech on September 2, 2004, President George Walker Bush declared that American strategy was succeeding and that "more than three-quarters of al-Qaeda's key members and associates have been detained or killed".
(Excerpt) Read more at indolink.com...
Either way, both would be more than the ragheads have ever attempted to do show he's alive.
I wouldn't even be surprised if we know exactly when and where we smoked him.
But then there are pinkos who would want us to stop the war. There's too many who still need killed for that yet.
Would that explain the release to the media on Dec 13th, 2001 of OBL's confession video?
I totally agree - been saying this for amost three years.
My vote is that Bin Laden is dead. Otherwise, I would speculate we would see him on video. Bin Laden was always the figurehead and financial backer. The brain and mastermind is really Ayman Al-Zawahri who is certainly still alive and unfortunately well.
"Operational control has devolved to Bin Laden's son, Saad Bin Laden and his deputy, Saif al Adel, both based in Iran,"
Iran, the mother of all terror globally. I am going to be glad when our troops patrol the old Mullah halls there as we do now in Iraqi.
"How about a little conclusive proof that he's actually alive - a picture holding a current newspaper or something?"
Dan Rather can probably provide that for you....
Even that's getting easy to fake these days. Here's a hilarious example.
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