[hchutch]

I dunno. If we got him, why not say we got him? The pilot (or UAV driver) who got him would be this war's Tom Lanphier in a heartbeat (not to mention he'd stand to collect $25 million from the DOJ and another $1 billion from the private sector dead-or-alive reward on bin Laden).

It seems to me that we winged him pretty good at Tora Bora, but he got away - probably to Iran (which would help to explain the mullahs recent decision to start hiring outside security for their regime).

[Poohbah]

I dunno. If we got him, why not say we got him?

Because he's the perfect all-purpose excuse for bombing any real estate we don't like: "we heard Osama was in there." And, of course, the bad guys will announce "OSAMA HAS LEFT THE BUILDING!"