Osama caught - rumors abound...

2/28/04 | Gigantor

[Gigantor]

Rumors abound, Osama caught.

Standing by for more...fingers crossed...

[BCrago66]

It's hit the AP:

Iranian state radio reports bin Laden captured
Pakistani army spokesman denies it

http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/nation/terror/20040228-0257-binladen.html

[KQQL]

@

[kcvl]

Iranian Radio Reports Bin Laden Captured



By Associated Press

February 28, 2004, 6:02 AM EST


TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said Saturday that Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan "a long time ago." A Pakistan army spokesman denied he was captured.

The report said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest.


The state radio said a reporter for its Pushtun service in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar "confirmed the news" that bin Laden had been captured in a tribal region in Pakistan. He said the news was from "a very reliable source in Peshawar, Pakistan," but the source was not identified.

Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press that the report is completely untrue. "That information is wrong," he said.

A Pakistani military operation has been under way in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a Pakistani official said previously that members of al-Qaida are being sought there, although bin laden was not a specific target.

Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago.

"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," he said.

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

Shamim Shahed, the bureau chief for "The Nation," an English-language newspaper in Peshawar, was cited by the director of IRNA's Pashtun radio service as the source of the bin Laden report.

But Shahed denied in an AP interview ever telling the Iranian news service that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this, but I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans) reach, and they can declare him arrested anytime," Shahed said. He gave no evidence to back up that claim.

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

I hate to wear a tin foil hat on this one but it seems to me that the occasional rumors of OBL's capture may be a deliberate attempt to throw a wet blanket on our celebrations when we do find him and lessen the shock in the Arab world on the news.

[Finalapproach29er]

Can't believe Israel would peddle this crap, unless they have "somebody" in Iran telling them that The Mullahs are acting as if it happened.

[KQQL]

dream on

[Prince Charles]

Shamim Shahed, the bureau chief for "The Nation," an English-language newspaper in Peshawar, was cited by the director of IRNA's Pashtun radio service as the source of the bin Laden report.

But Shahed denied in an AP interview ever telling the Iranian news service that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this, but I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans) reach, and they can declare him arrested anytime," Shahed said. He gave no evidence to back up that claim.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-bin-laden,0,502867.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[Prime Choice]

You got that right, KQQL. When the whole Saddam capture happened, Fox was STILL hashing over its coverage of Michael Jackson. They lost me as a viewer for good that day.

[F14 Pilot]

Iranian Radio Reports Bin Laden Captured

Via AP
News Day
28 Feb 2004

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said Saturday that Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan "a long time ago." A Pakistan army spokesman denied he was captured.

The report said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest.

The state radio said a reporter for its Pushtun service in the northwestern Pakistani city of Peshawar "confirmed the news" that bin Laden had been captured in a tribal region in Pakistan. He said the news was from "a very reliable source in Peshawar, Pakistan," but the source was not identified.

Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press that the report is completely untrue. "That information is wrong," he said.

A Pakistani military operation has been under way in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan and a Pakistani official said previously that members of al-Qaida are being sought there, although bin laden was not a specific target.

Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago.

"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," he said.

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

Shamim Shahed, the bureau chief for "The Nation," an English-language newspaper in Peshawar, was cited by the director of IRNA's Pashtun radio service as the source of the bin Laden report.

But Shahed denied in an AP interview ever telling the Iranian news service that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this, but I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans) reach, and they can declare him arrested anytime," Shahed said. He gave no evidence to back up that claim.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/world/wire/sns-ap-bin-laden,0,502867.story?coll=sns-ap-world-headlines

[Types_with_Fist]

a long time ago

Well, that's it, then. It's the same story. S'plain giganator. Is this the story? Say it ain't so.

[Las Vegas Dave]

As of now, nothing on Drudge, AP, CBS, NBC, ABC, etc... Hope this is true!!!!!!!

If it is true, FR has another SCOOP!!!

[Reader of news]

IRNA is a news agency of Iran.

[BCrago66]

I have March 31st Osama Captured contracts on TradeSports.com, so looks like a made a little money...

[Allegra]

Seems like the other agencies are going off of IRNA's feed.

This just gets murkier by the minute.

[JennysCool]

The report said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest.

Nifty.

[HarryCaul]

The only media sources we have so far are merely propaganda.

But...

I'm wondering if Haaretz picked up the irna story because they were primed by a current-as-of-this-hour rumor, much like Gigantor. In other words, the IRNA story is just a false lead picked up in the hunt of agencies trying to track down the source of a rumor based in fact.

[Timeout]

I repeat:

Has anyone in DC checked to see if the lights are blazing at the White House?

[KQQL]

cautious morons run FNC ..when it comes to International news

[Prime Choice]

Seems like the other agencies are going off of IRNA's feed.

Yep. We may have to wait for Centcomm to confirm this.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I can't see the White House from here.