It did enter my head that the tape might be cover for a move. Release the tape and focus attention on where everyone thinks he is, not where he's heading...
2) see above
...Debka? ...better than the Buchananites' anti-defense, anti-American sites.
Don't you know that Debka is an anagram for BAKED news? :)
No it wasn't. If bin Laden could launch an actual attack just before the election, he would. Instead, thanks to G.W. Bush, the best he can muster is this cheesey video tape.
Screw Osama. He doesn't scare me. They made a stupid video tape because they know that their attempts to attack the U.S. are FAILING.
| 8 | “The agents hunting the al Qaeda leader are working on the premise that he has decided to wait out the winter months in one of two regions: Hunza province in the Northern Frontier tip of Indian Kashmir or Little Pamir...” |
First off, let me apologize for pinging you to a DEBKA thread, a source so disreputable that in November of 2001, they reported three divisions of Chinese PLA had crossed the border into Afghanistan to oppose American soldiers.
But even DEBKA can follow up where other more credible sources have gone before, and that may be the case this time. The sighting of Osama in the Ladakh region of northern Kashmir, near the Chinese border was discussed at length on the FR thread, "Indians Put Security Forces on Red Alert After Osama Bin Laden Sighting in Laddakh", that originated as a news story from the South Asia Tribune.
In both these articles, there was the claim that American intelligence agents flew to New Delhi to meet with their Indian counterparts for briefings. If this is true, someone in Washington is taking these reports seriously, and so should we, till we learn better.
THE MAPS...
The DEBKA article mentioned two additional areas (Hunza and Little Pamir) that they claim are of interest in the search for the al-Qa'ida leadership. They can be found on the map below. Little Pamir is located in the awesome and notorious Wakhan Corridor of Afghanistan. The Little Pamir is found in the upper center of the map. Hunza, a district of the Northern Areas of Pakistan (or Kashmir, depending on who's holding the rifle at the moment), is found in the center of the map, north of the strategically important city of Gilgit. Both of these sites are close enough to the Chinese border to make dogs nervous.
This DEBKA article correctly notes the really interesting strategic and intelligence history of the Little Pamir. Check out some of these Google results for "missile" and "little pamir". Note the altitudes of in the map below, they are in meters and only represent the height of passes, not the mountains. This is not a terrain to be taken lightly.
| multimap.com | | | The above map came from MultiMap.com. Click the logo on the left to visit the best site on the internet for accurate and detailed maps of the entire world. |
To orient yourself regionally, find Gilgit in the far north part of the map of Pakistan, below and note, too, Afghanistan's Wakhan Corridor immediately above that.
--Boot Hill
They keep saying here and there that bin Laden is in a
cave. Could he possibly be in the cave in Saudi Arabia
where Muhammad composed the Koran? What's the name of
the mountain, near Mecca isn't it?
Sunday 31 October 2004
Bin Laden 'safe with Afghan tribe'
KUWAIT CITY: Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is living in a safe place northeast of the Afghan capital under the protection of a tribe, Kuwait's Al Rai Al Aam newspaper quoted Islamic sources as saying yesterday.
Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar is also living inside Afghanistan and has recently sent an envoy to three Gulf states, including Kuwait, to collect donations from Jihad (holy war) sympathisers, the sources said.
An unnamed person met Omar two weeks ago and also saw Bin Laden some two-and-a-half months ago and told the sources the Al Qaeda leader was in good spirits.
"Sheikh Abu Abdullah (Bin Laden) is in good health and high morale.
"He lives along with four people in a safe place with an Afghan tribe that provides him with all means of comfort and safety," the sources quoted the man as saying.
"Sheikh Osama lives in an area northeast of Kabul and closely follows the military actions of his followers," he added.
Bin Laden's number two Ayman Al Zawahiri also lives in Afghanistan but in an area far away from where the Al Qaeda leader is hiding, the sources said.
The two leaders exchange information and co-ordinate through well-trusted men.
Both the Taliban and Al Qaeda are currently "regrouping" in preparation to launch "qualitative" attacks against US forces in Afghanistan, the sources added.
However, US forces in Afghanistan said they believe Bin Laden is still roaming along the frontier between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
After three years hunting the elusive Al Qaeda chief in Afghanistan, US forces are still "not exactly sure" where he is, but have "firm confidence" they will catch him one day, said Major Scott Nelson, a spokesman for the US-led coalition.
Some 16,000 US troops dominate an 18,000-strong military coalition, tasked with capturing and killing Al Qaeda, Taliban and other extremists in Afghanistan since failing to arrest Bin Laden in late 2001.
The videotape aired on Al Jazeera TV on Friday night was the first featuring Bin Laden since September 10, 2003, when the same network aired a tape showing Bin Laden walking through rock-strewn hilly terrain with Al Zawahiri.
US intelligence analysts believe the latest tape is authentic and may have been recorded as early as last month.
US commanders had expressed confidence early this year of finally capturing Bin Laden, but since then they have been playing down his importance.
Hundreds of Al Qaeda and Taliban fugitives have found sanctuary and set up training camps in remote Pakistani tribal areas hugging the border, where hardline tribes support their Islamic extremism and hatred of the US.
http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=95456&Sn=WORL&IssueID=27225
I think this is very likely. I think the threat is serious, and we need a resolute President who can deal with it. (Hint: It's NOT Kerry)
2001 > http://www.freemasonrywatch.org/bombproof.html
Bin Laden at ex-Soviet, high tech, bomb proof bunker complex near ...
Seems DEBKA reported on Bin Laden and this area before. Could be BS or could be that the Al Quaeda are creatures of habit and like to go back to places - WTC, LAX etc.
Debka = National Enquirer
Debka.'Nuff said.
Reading DEBKA is kind of like going to Art Bell's website. Sometimes interesting, but rarely enlightening. There are times when it reads like the gossip that may be going around MOSSAD Headquarters when it comes to areas in which they have no agents or technical means.
I know the source is suspect, but the article is still interesting...
Interesting