[aristeides]

All the people on this thread who are throwing cold water on this story say it is unbelievable that the identity of the CIA station chief in Dubai would be widely known. I don't know enough about intelligence operations to be able to judge whether that part of the story is believable or not -- remember, the sources for the story are French, and it seems to me quite believable that the SDECE station chief in Dubai would know who the CIA station chief is.

But, even if that part of the story is not true, that does nothing to call into doubt the other part of the story, that bin Laden was treated at the American Hospital in Dubai in July. We happen to know that bin Laden's mother was treated at the American Hospital in Paris in September.

[NixNatAVanG InDaBurgh]

If I recall correctly, William Buckley was ALSO a CIA Station Chief in the Near East. His identity was certainly known to the scum who tortured and killed him, wasn't it?

[mrsmith]

"does nothing to call into doubt the other part of the story, that bin Laden was treated at the American Hospital in Dubai in July. "

"DUBAI, Oct 31 (AFP) - The American Hospital in Dubai categorically denied reports Wednesday that the world's most wanted man, Osama bin Laden, underwent treatment there in July for a kidney complaint.
"He was never a patient here for any days," Chief Executive Office Bernard Koval told AFP.
"Osama bin Laden has never been here. He's never been a patient and he's never been treated here. This is too small a hospital for someone to be snuck through the backdoor," he said.