Third of Senior al-Qaida Dead - report

TIMES ONLINE ^ | World : last updated, February 24, 2002 04:31

[Bad~Rodeo]

US military chiefs believe up to a third of Osama bin Laden's most senior lieutenants have been killed in the war in Afghanistan.

They also believe Osama bin Laden survived the assault on the cave complex of Tora Bora and is moving around the mountains that straddle the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to the New York Times.

But intelligence experts say they are no closer to capturing bin Laden, who has a £17.5 million price on his head, as they do not have specific information that could be used to launch an attack on his hide-out, the newspaper reports.

[Bad~Rodeo]

OBL hiding in the mountain region of Kashmir

[The Vast Right Wing]

That means the job is two-thirds unfinished in my mind.

[Bad~Rodeo]

Searching for Who he is/was and Details.

[TonyBanks]

"US military chiefs believe up to a third of Osama bin Laden's most senior lieutenants have been killed in the war in Afghanistan. "

How many times have we heard that "Osama's number X man was killed"?

Are they promoting them faster than we can kill them?

[Pistias]

You know, at this rate there won't be anyone in the upper echelons to put on trial. I think they outght to be tried before a court of law on American soil...but if there's no one left alive, who will there be to accuse, and present evidence of guilt about?

[Bad~Rodeo]

No

[Pistias]

No, what?

[WIMom]

Why? If they're dead, no trial, no costly lawyers, no extra tax burden, and no media circus.

[McGavin999]

OBL won't be "located" until the Afghanis have a decent chance for a stable government. We won't be peacekeepers, but our presense will keep things under control. Meanwhile, every once in awhile there will be some "bad" intelligence where some "friend" of the new administration will be bombed in error and the Afghan people will be safer as a result.

[Mo1]

And Another One Bites The Dust ..

[Bad~Rodeo]

S~...smart lady, danka

[Pistias]

Why?

I thought the whole point of blowing the bejezus out of Afghanistan was to bring al-Qaeda to justice. Summary execution is not justice, unless this is war, which it isn't.

[theDentist]

In Al-Qaida, the Death Penalty is pronounced by saying:

"Congratulations my friend. You have been promoted."

[bjcintennessee]

I kind of like the idea of OBL still being alive. This way he can witness the death and destruction his actions have brought to his own people.

We'll probably get him eventually (if we haven't already), but for now he is a powerless freak, forced to hide while we methodically destroy his creation. I wonder if he thought our retribution for 9-11 would be as weak and inconsequential as our response to previous attacks on our embassies and military overseas.

[TonyBanks]

In Al-Qaida, the Death Penalty is pronounced by saying: "Congratulations my friend. You have been promoted."

LOL!

[WIMom]

"but if there's no one left alive, who will there be to accuse, and present evidence of guilt about?"

How quickly people forget. Never, ever forget. We have evidence of guilt.

[bjcintennessee]

Summary execution is not justice, unless this is war, which it isn't.

Actually, this is war, just not 'war' as has been defined by history thus far. The AlQueda declared war on us on 9-11. The fact that the AlQueda is operating out of 60 or so different countries throughout the world, forces us to redefine our previously held rules regarding 'war'. It is our right and obligation to protect ourselves from foreign invaders, therefore it becomes irrelevant that these invaders are scattered throughout the world.

If the rulers of the nations where the AlQueda exist wish to assist us in ridding their country of these terrorists, then they will not become another Afghanistan, whose government refused to turn over the AlQueda.

This is war, and summary execution is justified. In fact, I prefer it to the media circus that John Walker's trial is becomming. Battlefields and Miranda rights just do not group well together.

[WIMom]

People were murdered by a terrorist organization which is not considered a legimate government. Tell it to Daniel Pearl. Frankly, I'm tired of people who pity the terrorists. They can burn in hell with no trial. What did those 3000 people do to them?

[ChadGore]

Never, ever, ever, ever forget. Nevah !

[Young Rhino]

Some pessimists look at the body bags as 2/3s empty. I choose to look at them as 1/3 full. :-)