Bin Laden tape a fake, Swiss lab says

The Toronto Star (Canada) ^ | Nov. 28, 2002. 06:23 PM | AP

[FreedomCalls]

Scientists compared recording to 20 other tapes of terror chief

PARIS (AP) - The latest audiotape statement attributed to accused terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden is not authentic, a Swiss research institute said. The Lausanne-based Dalle Molle Institute for Perceptual Artificial Intelligence said it is 95-per-cent certain the tape does not feature the voice of the long-absent terrorist leader.

The review of the tape was commissioned by France-2 television and its findings were presented by the institute's Professor Herve Boulard in a special TV report shown late Thursday.

He said the institute compared the voice on the tape, first aired two weeks ago on Al-Jazeera, an Arabic television network, with some 20 earlier recordings of bin laden.

U.S. experts maintain the tape will likely never be fully authenticated because its poor quality defies complete analysis by even the most sophisticated voice-print technology.

But U.S. experts who have heard it generally support the conclusion by U.S. law-enforcement officials that it probably is bin Laden speaking.

In the tape, the speaker refers to recent terrorist strikes U.S. officials believe are connected to bin Laden's Al Qaeda network. If fully verified, it would provide the first evidence in a year that bin Laden survived U.S. bombing in Afghanistan.

[FreedomCalls]

He died in a cave at Tora Bora like we all presumed.

[joesnuffy]

He's dead again..

[ConservativeMan55]

I won't believe he is alive until I see him holding up a copy of today's New York Times with today's date on it.

[NeoCaveman]

He died in a cave at Tora Bora like we all presumed.

That has been my opinion since January and it still is.

[Revolting cat!]

The Swiss, jeez! Can anyone find holes in this?

[tet68]

How cheesy can you get?!

[PokeyJoe]

I won't believe he is alive until I see him in front of a firing squad armed with pig fat soaked bullets pointed at his head.

[Scott from the Left Coast]

He's the Elvis of megalomaniacs.

[ErnBatavia]

Interesting....Swiss lab says "nein" and our high tech stuff, after much agonizing says "Ja".....we'll likely never know.

It's TV Sitcom mentality that decides (based on nothing) he was killed at Tora Bora. It's also the same mentality that will give us a new genre of "Elvis" bunk for the next 80 years.

Bottom line = I don't think we'll ever know.

[ConservativeMan55]

Even better!!

[CFC__VRWC]

Love the timing. Let's see, three or so weeks ago he was alive. Three or so weeks ago we had ourselves a little election. The people who stood to benefit the most from his being alive (anyone smell a Rat?) got drubbed in said election, and now he's dead again. Move along, folks, nothing to see here...

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

I didn't believe this tape was Bin Laden when it first came out, and I don't believe it now. It is more propaganda crap- on BOTH sides. The IslamoFascists need the mystique of their leader, and we need a bogeyman.

Complete and utter bilge.

[Hazzardgate]

I agree. Perhaps the CIA want the forgers to think we've been conned by the fake tape?

[PoorMuttly]

It's Bert.

[NeoCaveman]

I see no upside for either side to admit he is dead.... but he is.

[struwwelpeter]

The Swiss are positive, because Binny's secret accounts show no transactions since last December.

[RANGERAIRBORNE]

Ever heard of PhotoShop? I could put together a picture of Bin Laden holding up that NYT in ten minutes (if you want sound and motion, that will cost extra!)

[Revolting cat!]

I was in Switzerland less than two months ago, and my pasta supply guy is there now, so I am fully qualified to vouch for the veracity of this report!

[Prolifeconservative]

Just another weekend at Bernie's

[okie01]

"I won't believe he is alive until I see him holding up a copy of today's New York Times with today's date on it."

The New York Times would happily write a check to the charity of Osama's choice for that endorsement...