BIN LADEN IS LOCATED SAYS 9/11 PANALIST - PAKISTANI ALLIES KEEPING HIM SAFE

Arizona Daily Star ^ | 10/22/04

[areafiftyone]

CLAREMONT, Calif. - The Pentagon knows exactly where Osama bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan, it just can't get to him, John Lehman, a member of the 9/11 Commission, said Thursday.

 

Lehman's remarks echoed those made Tuesday by Secretary of State Colin Powell, who said the al-Qaida leader was alive and operating in the western part of Pakistan.

 

Bin Laden is living in South Waziristan in the Baluchistan Mountains of the Baluchistan region, Lehman told the San Bernardino Sun after delivering a keynote speech on terrorism at Pitzer College in Claremont.

 

In the interview, Lehman noted, "There is an American presence in the area, but we can't just send in troops. If we did, we could have another Vietnam, and the United States cannot afford that right now."

 

When pressed on why the United States couldn't send troops into the region to capture the world's No. 1 terrorist, Lehman said the Baluchistan region of the country is filled with militant fundamentalists who do not recognize the legitimacy of Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf, a close ally of the United States.

 

"That is a region filled with Taliban and al-Qaida members," he said, acknowledging that Pakistan's security services also are filled with many who agree with bin Laden's beliefs and would aid him if U.S. Special Forces entered the region.

 

"Look," he said, "Musharraf already has had three assassination attempts on his life. He is trying to comply, but he is surrounded by people who do not agree with him. This is not like Afghanistan, where there was no compliance, and we had to go in.

 

"We'll get (bin Laden) eventually, just not now."

 

Asked how bin Laden was surviving, Lehman said he was getting money from outside countries, such as the United Arab Emirates, and high-ranking ministers inside Saudi Arabia.

 

"He is not a wealthy man," Lehman said. "We ran that information into the ground, and discovered he only receives about $1 million a year from his family's fortune. The rest of what he gets comes from radical sympathizers."

 

Department of Defense spokeswoman Capt. Ronnie Merritt confirmed the U.S. military believes bin Laden is in Pakistan. However, she would not comment on Lehman's remarks, except to say that he normally didn't speak about these issues, and she was surprised he had.

 

Lehman, secretary of the Navy under President Ronald Reagan, was one of the 10 members of the bipartisan commission that examined the terrorists attacks on the United States.

 

He also is the author of three books about military tactics.

 

[WOSG]

Bin Laden - Dead or Alive.

Well, he's one or the other.

[conservativeinferno]

A week before the election I can see the drudge siren "Bin Laden Captured." The Dems. would immediately say that Bush had him all along. America would just be happy that we got him, and Kerry would win all of MA and the District.

[hobbes1]

Just as an aside, know what other tow figures are Baluchi ?

[nuconvert]

Maybe he should read this.......

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1253529/posts

[hobbes1]

Ooops....Two.

[jpl]

Me three.

[jpw01]

There's the "another Vietnam" crap again. Can't we just go liberate Vietnam like we did Granada and kill that particular phrase?

[First_Salute]

As previously guestimated, based upon news stories of Pakistan helo flights that rescued various Pakistan officers and others from Afghanistan.

[danneskjold]

In the interview, Lehman noted, "There is an American presence in the area, but we can't just send in troops. If we did, we could have another Vietnam, and the United States cannot afford that right now."

Well Hells Bells...just send F'n in there with a Zippo lighter...

[My2Cents]

If the region is full of Islamonuts, carpet bomb the place with MOABs.

[EggsAckley]

he only receives about $1 million a year

He is not a rich man. LOL!

[highlandbreeze]

Oh please...

[Jim Noble]

"There is an American presence in the area, but we can't just send in troops. If we did, we could have another Vietnam, and the United States cannot afford that right now."

Instead of another Vietnam, how about another Hiroshima?

[DSBull]

Invasion hell, one well placed missile is all that necessary.

This seems to be a load of HS anyway.

The American presence in the area would be CIA or SF and to out them would be criminal, so I think we have someone who is no longer relevant trying to make himself so.

[wcmcgr01]

like Schrodingers Cat.

[areafiftyone]

I know I know. But it's amazing what people will say. This guy I bet is going to write another book.

[Labyrinthos]

We ran that information into the ground, and discovered he only receives about $1 million a year from his family's fortune.

Not bad for an area of the world where the average wage is something like $2.00 a month. I mean its not like he's blowing his money on fancy restaurants and expensive French wine.

[The Sons of Liberty]

"He is not a wealthy man," Lehman said. "We ran that information into the ground, and discovered he only receives about $1 million a year from his family's fortune.

Maybe not wealthy by J F'ng Kerry's standards, but I could get by very nicely on a $mil a year.

I'd be willing to bet that there are some Special Ops guys who would be more than willing to make it "unsafe" for him.

[Buck W.]

"Snatch and grab.
Or use Clinton's plan of sending in ninjas. "

Actually, I think "snatch and grab" IS Clinton's plan.

[Dog]

Remember that assault by 1,000 Pakistani troops we all read about yesterday......wonder if this is connected.