[Travis McGee]

Just something to consider, in the event that Osama is successfully smuggled out of Afghanistan.

[dead]

Did tickets go on sale yet?

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[Travis McGee]

bttt

[dead]

Seriously, he won't appear in front of hundreds of thousands, because no matter what audience he stands in front of, there will be a certain percentage that are just dying to take him out.

There are thousands of armed Northern Alliance soldiers alone, who would blend in perfectly with the crowd. In addition, there is a $10 million reward on his head, for those who don't have an ideological or theological dog in this race.

[patent]

I'm just as happy fighting that war today as tomorrow. When are we going to be more motivated or better prepared? When Hillary becomes president? As I see it we have 3-7 years before Bush is gone, and as much as I think he is avoiding the real fight here, whoever replaces him is going to be worse. If Osama wants to fire this up and bring a couple thousand martyrs with him, go for it. It won't be pretty, and we will suffer, but I think it likely we will be in better shape afterwards.

patent

[Mixer]

If he makes it to Pakistan that presents a whole new problem in this war. Will we (the USA) then turn on Pakistan for harboring a terrorist?

[AGAviator]

With every day of bombing, Bin Ladin is getting more and more support in Pakistan from people who previously were opposed to the Taliban. There have been collateral casualties and these people are going to believe their own kinfolk rather than the US media.

There was an article yesterday I think in the UK Guardian that says the frontier provinces are really siding with Bin Ladin more and more, even though many of them never did before. The only thing that will head this off is some ex-mujahideen commanders who will support the US. Even they won't be able to pull it off if we keep doing things without regard to local sentiments.

[TADSLOS]

Pakistan doesn't have a force field surrounding it. It can be attacked by the U.S. also, if required.

[Sender]

You may be right that he would want to head for Pakistan. He could accomplish several things there, as you said to whip up a revolutionary mob to oust Musharraf and to grab control of the nukes. With that much power he could force all infidel troops to retreat off Pakistani soil post haste, giving him yet another huge symbolic victory for his adoring minions. I still think what he really wants most is to take over Saudi Arabia and control Mecca and Medina directly as the "dark tower" of Islam, with of course Osama as the dark pope of a new hyper-Islamist kingdom.

[DoctorMichael]

This is why it is important to keep the bombing going even during the muslim Rama-lama-ding-dong holiday..........keep him pinned down!!!!!

[Vinomori]

Travis, good example of a valid and thoughtful vanity post. You have provoked a lot of thought. Let's hope the CIA reads it as well. The CIA was emasculated by Clinton but is slowly growing back some power. Regular doses of FR could speed up the process.

[101viking]

Well thought out and extremely plausible. The only thing I would add is the India factor. The Indians are only waiting for an excuse, and a scenario such as this would be a golden opportunity. I doubt seriously that if OBL staged a succesful coup in Pakistan that Indians would hesitate. They would also have the support of the Americans, Russians and the Chinese.

[wardaddy]

Wherever he or any other Islamists appear they should be killed...crushed into an oblivion so distinct that it will take perhaps centuries for Islamic hegemony to rear it's ugly head again. Only thru that can we then call Islam...a peaceful religion. Problem is....very few have the stomach for the carnage. We'll just drag it out for another few decades and other Osamas and whatnot ad nauseum. Does anybody remember Mohammed Abbas or Abu Nidal? Granted Osama is a big fish but these Islam terrs regenerate like rabbits. Geez....I wonder why...Islam being such a peaceful kumbaya religion and all.

I tell all of you.....this is Machiavelli time if ever there has been for our culture and country.

Regards

[Sabertooth]

Travis, was it you who posted the other day Mohammed's prophecy of the Imam Mahdi?

Something like this... "when you see such and such a man in the hills of Afghanistan, you will know that he is the Imam Mahdi."

Does anyone have the full text of this Islamic prophecy?

[AGAviator]

Rumsfeld - We May Not Be Able to Catch Bin Ladin

"The US defence secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, believes that the American-led anti-terrorist coalition may not succeed in killing or capturing Osama bin Laden, it was reported today.

"It's a big world, there are lots of countries. He's got a lot of money, he's got a lot of people who support him and I just don't know whether we'll be successful," he told the USA Today newspaper.

Mr Rumsfeld added that even if Bin Laden "were gone tomorrow" the reach of the al-Qaida terrorist network meant that the same problem would still exist.

"It is not a national problem. It is not Afghanistan. It is not the Afghan people. It is a network scattered across the globe. And to really deal with it you have to clearly deal with the problem in Afghanistan, but you also have to deal with 50 cells around the world."

But he said that neutralising al-Qaida was not "the goal and the endpoint of this thing", echoing earlier suggestions that Washington's war on terror will not end in Afghanistan. Mr Rumsfeld has repeatedly said that rooting out terrorism is a long term project comparable to the cold war.

[mercy]

Sounds plausible. He probably is hiding there now and has been since 9/10. I think eventually he will go to Saudi Arabia and Mecca.

[colorado tanker]

Pakistan is not as unstable as the media hysteria suggests. All the footage of riots is coming from remote border towns that have always been pretty wild. The rioters, however, are Pustuns and Baluchis, who are tiny minority groups in Pakistan. I've seen no evidence of unrest in Punjab, which is the heartland and provides the ruling class. Mussharaf is the hand picked representative of the army and seems well in control.

If Osama bin leavin' my guess is he'll run to Somalia where there is no effective central government to challenge him.

[Jim Noble]

I think he'll go to Qetta or Lahore, but I think you are absolutely right.

Our policy must be that the zone between Iran, India, and Russia is up for grabs, and that although we don't want to administer it, we require that anti-American words and acts be ruthlessly suppressed. The demarcation line between India and Persia may well be east of the Khyber Pass, the demarcation between the Russian sphere of influence and the other two should be south of Kabul.

Bye, bye, Pakis.

[HAL9000]

I don't think bin Laden has proclaimed himself to be the Mahdi, but rather a new caliph. He sees himself more as a temporal leader than a spiritual one.

[Sabertooth]

I think OBL is heading for Karachi or Islamabad.

He will stay in Pakistan because it has nukes and medium range rockets, is unstable and ready to blow up like Iran in 79, and of course is closest to Afghanistan for covert travel ease. He wants to be seen as the Mahdi, (Moslem messiah, the next Prophet of Allah) and to do that he needs the adoring masses, and proof that he has humiliated and beaten the Great Satan (and the lackey sell-out government of Musharraf). His "miraculous" escape from under the Amriki bombers and his secret journey to Pakistan will "prove" that the Hand of Allah is protecting and guiding him...

Every day that OBL is loose, appearing like a Super Pope on balconies in front of 100s of thousands of adoring jihadists, his power and influence worldwide will soar like a moon rocket. He will have the 24/7 attention of the entire world media for his every pronouncement, and then he can "ascend" into heaven proving he is truly the Mahdi. Even if we drop a smart bomb on his balcony, he "ascends to heaven" and wins.

Travis, I think you're onto something…

Consider the effect on the pan-Islamic jihad if bin Laden is able to unleash a nuclear or bio attack on America while he is standing before a triumphant multitude in your balcony scenario.

I've been noticing strange peripheral developments regardind Pakistan for the past few weeks. Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are bin Laden's big prizes. Nukes and Oil.

Consider:

Suspected terrorist arrested with bio-suit in Frankfurt
This man is identified in the article as being a Turk.
However, I just heard it reported by Michael Medved
that he is actually of Pakistani origin.

Kenyan Embassy bombers
had false Pakistani Papers

Pakistani linked to anthrax mailbox

Pakistani teen predicts
World Trade Center collapse in Brooklyn.

Pakistani nuclear scientist arrested

Pakistani Arrested in Sept. 11 Probe Found Dead in Cell

Pakistani guerrillas return with eight killed by U.S.

Taliban build base inside Pakistan

US Company in Pakistan hit by Anthrax

US copters in Pakistan fired on

Pakistanis Arrested In Mali

Full "Pakistan" search list…

I don't believe that the current Pakistani government is behind this. But clearly there is a well developed organization within Pakistan (where we know there is a strong al-Qaeda presence) that is very involved with the ongoing terrorist attacks on America.

All of this takes place after Pakistan's detonation of atomic bombs in 1997. You can bet that both bin Laden and Hussein want to get their hands on Pakistan's nuclear arsenal (as many as 40 weapons), the "Islamic Bombs." Methinks that these Pakistan links were will known to President Bush and Co. when we made it our first priority to bring Pakistan into the coalition after the attack of 9/11. The military government there is very shaky.

Again:

Consider the effect on the pan-Islamic jihad if bin Laden is able to unleash a nuclear or bio attack on America while he is standing before a triumphant multitude in your balcony scenario.