A Ride on the Wild Side [Arnaud de Borchgrave seeks to interview Osama]

The Washington Times ^ | 25 September 2005 | Arnaud de Borchgrave

[COBOL2Java]

NEAR MIRANSHAH, North Waziristan,
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), Pakistan.

More than a year of intermittent talks with Osama bin Laden's clandestine network in Pakistan led to a 750-mile journey through territory forbidden to foreigners and two of the country's four provinces.

The UPI team, in native kameez shalwar dress, included a Pakistani media consultant and personal friend, who asked his name be withheld pending a meeting with bin Laden; a driver; our security chief; and a constantly changing member of the secret network, as we moved from one relay point to the next.

It soon became clear the operatives only knew where to meet us and where to hand us over to the next relay. The ultimate destination was a meeting and an interview with bin Laden. The last two days had been described as a two-day uphill walk.

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snip

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As we approached the place where we were to leave our Toyota Land Cruiser and begin trekking with backpacks up the foothills of a forbidding mountain range, word reached our escort that nearby militants had just slit the throats of three men accused of spying for America.

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snip

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CIA Director Porter Goss recently said he has an excellent idea where bin Laden is hiding. So do many others. The world's most wanted terrorist has a countrywide network in Pakistan.

It is our judgment at the end of this long trip, ISI knows exactly where he is. Escorts near our final driving destination said bin Laden has a portable dialysis machine and generator and gerrycans of fuel and water.

[COBOL2Java]

Arnaud de Borchgrave is editor at large of The Washington Times and of United Press International.

[Kewlhand`tek]

hard to interview a dead guy

[hsalaw]

Well, I hope they find him and tell us where he is. But I doubt that'll happen. When they end up beheaded, it'll be all our fault.

[Kewlhand`tek]

hard to interview a dead guy

[GOPJ]

When they end up beheaded, it'll be all our fault.

Nope, it'll be Bush's fault.

[hsalaw]

"Nope, it'll be Bush's fault."

Right. I'll have to read my dems' talking points bulletin more closely.

[WestCoastGal]

"It is our judgment at the end of this long trip, ISI knows exactly where he is. Escorts near our final driving destination said bin Laden has a portable dialysis machine and generator and gerrycans of fuel and water."

Very intersting re: Bin Laden.

[Andy from Beaverton]

I hope he hides a gun in his camera like the did when al Qaeda took out Masood.

[dynachrome]

Maybe a tiny tracking device would be helpful......, so a package could be delivered to osama

[COBOL2Java]

de Borchgrave always has the most interesting articles in the Washington Times' commentary section. He tries to get himself into the most remote regions of the world, and so far, he's managed to get out alive. We'll see how long his luck holds out...

[expatguy]

He is not dead.

An American Expat in Southeast Asia

[garyhope]

Arnaud de Borchgrave wrote an interesting novel called "The Spike" (1980) which is about the news being buried or "managed" by the powers that be (as in a Soviet disinformation compaign).

In other words, if the MSM doesn't "report" it, it doesn't exist. Kinda like the good news from Iraq that we never hear.

It's lying by omission.

Still relevant today.

[WestCoastGal]

I like him, he's on FOX now and then. Very interesting guy.

I wonder, if we know where this jerk is why we can't eliminate him?

[COBOL2Java]

Osama's protected today more by politics than by weapons.

[Das Outsider]

It is our judgment at the end of this long trip, ISI knows exactly where he is

And that he is alive. Either ISI or bin Ladin's thugs are keeping the supplies coming--unless they really dug in! In order to contact commanders outside of Pakistan, bin Ladin would have to spread a message out by word of mouth, video or audiotape, or by satellite phone as he has done in the past. One thing about satellite phones: they need batteries from time to time, so someone's bringing those in.

Not to mention food, medical supplies, etc.

[WestCoastGal]

Politics betwen us and Pakistan?

[COBOL2Java]

Politics betwen us and Pakistan?

That's only one facet of the gem. There's also politics between Musharraf and his deputies, between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and so on. I believe that the US has the military might to go in and grab Osama, but if we were to do that, the political, religious, and ideological poison which would spurt out of that lance would far outstrip any benefits of the removal.

Osama knows this, and he knows that Bush knows. OTOH, I think Bush calculates that it's better to keep Osama in his moutain cage for now, until the political scene in Iraq and Afghanistan settles down. Osama's days are numbered, but it we lose our will to fight and elect a Democrat in '08, all bets are off.

[Mr. Lucky]

He's still dead.

[WestCoastGal]

"Osama's days are numbered, but it we lose our will to fight and elect a Democrat in '08, all bets are off."

That's what I'm afraid of. If we don't cut the head off the snake now we may be in trouble. If course the ISI is also corrupt and Musharaff is teetering on a very thin line. I'm surprised they haven't taken him out, he must have extrememly good security. Or else he has a deal with them????

[monocle]

What I find interesting is bin Laden's last audio tape was on December 27,2004 and since then Zawahiri has issued numerous audio tapes. After 9/11 bin Laden issued numerous tapes and Zawahiri few if any. Could this role reversal indicate a power struggle within al Qaeda or that bin Laden is incapacitated?