Posted on 04/03/2008 5:07:20 AM PDT by nuconvert
'Osama bin Laden is Planning Something for the US Election'
US author Steve Coll spent years looking into Osama bin Laden's family. Now, his new book provides a unique insight into the clan. SPIEGEL spoke with him about where the terrorist might be hiding, how his father got his start, and the unique romantic liasons pursued by one of his brothers.
SPIEGEL: Mr. Coll, Osama bin Laden recently broke a long silence. He threatened Europe and called for the "liberation" of the Gaza Strip. How seriously should we take these missives? Do they tell us anything about him or about where he might be?
Steve Coll: Bin Laden has long formulated his messages such that they touch on current events. It is not difficult to imagine him hidden away somewhere on the Afghanistan border watching al-Jazeera or CNN and taking notes for his next communiqué. I think his comments on Europe were mostly an effort to make headlines -- written after he heard about the Muhammad caricatures being reprinted. But it could also be an indication that he got wind of a plot developing in Europe. In the last two years, we have found connections between such plots and al-Qaida headquarters. His mention of Gaza is typical of his attempt to play a role in current events. He simply wants to show that he is still alive and keeping abreast of developments in the Muslim world.
SPIEGEL: Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama accuses the Bush administration of having dangerously neglected the hunt for the world's most-wanted terrorist. Is he right?
Coll: It would have been possible to eliminate Osama bin Laden, specifically between 1998 and 2001, in the time before Sept. 11. We had agents on site at the time,
(Excerpt) Read more at spiegel.de ...
Yes, it is called getting a loyal follower named Obama elected President.
Obama is it.
Let’s hope he’s planning to endorse Obama...
Obamas got friends in Oil Places where the oil flows in the Oasis?
What? Rising from the dead?
Here, why don't you leave it to the pros?
Cheers!
“Here, why don’t you leave it to the pros?”
Thanks, that got me laughing this morning!
You can be certain that he’s not going to attack an Obama rally.
Obama would be smart to get word to his buddy Osama that attacking before the election would only hurt his cause by putting McCain in the White House.
All the more reason to elect someone who’s not a bedwetter like Obama. If you think he’s not sympathetic to these people, just wait until he’s the Democrat of choice and the Republicans start to unveil the real Barack.
very apt.
The crowd started booing and Ashcroft looked like he ran over someones dog. Ashcroft just stood their stunned and trembled, mumbling “I am sorry”. I would have laughed at the booing and said “What, did I make a funny about your messiah”, or “What are you so ignorant you failed to understand how Obama wants to weaken us militarily and just magically declare peace in our time if elected, just like Osama wants”.
This epitomizes the Republican party, weak and too scared of offending anybody. It was a pathetic performance by Ashcroft.
Let's see... who was President in 1998, 1999, and 2000?
Oh yeah... the sinkmeister, cigar afficianado, alleged rapist, and HilLIARy's husband, Slick Willy!
That passage did indeed stick out like a shining light of truth.
I'm sure Osama is rejoicing over his invitation to ride in the second car in this guy's January 20, 2009 victory parade up Pennsylvania (soon to be renamed Abu Ayyub al-Masri Boulevard in tribute to the AQ in Iraq Martyr murdered by Bush/Cheney) Avenue.
This guy is a charlatan:
“In any event, we neglected to bring in the Tenth Mountain Division, which specialized in that type of combat and was partly stationed in Uzbekistan at the time. It was a bad decision.”
The 10th Mountain Division does not specialize in mountain warfare. That is not the reason for its name. There isn’t even a high hill at Fort Drum. The name commemorates the WW2 10th Mtn Div. It does not signify any special capability today.
The 10th Mountain Division is an outstanding unit. It has been deployed as frequently as any unit in the US military...Somalia, Afghanistan, Iraq...multiple times to the latter two.
I am merely pointing out that it is not a specialized mountain warfare division. Anyone with basic knowledge of US military operations knows this.
The guy is full of crap.
How much does bin laden have to do? Surely the people who support him will already be out in force stealing votes and trying to prevent Republicans from getting to the polls in Detroit, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, etc etc. They did it in 2000 and 2004.
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