AP: Sons of Osama bin Laden Arrested in S.E. Afghanistan???

FOXNEWS

[Monty22]

I have a feeling that guy isn't smiling anymore.. Probably never will again.

[JennysCool]

You're so right! Also the Hillary Strategy, Grampa!

[Marysecretary]

I think Pelosi, but I had the same thought you did, Grampa Dave! (Two great minds...smile!)

[TLBSHOW]

Bin Laden's son moving up in al-Qaida ranks
Associated Press
July 30, 2002


WASHINGTON -- One of Osama bin Laden's eldest sons has emerged as a leader in al-Qaida, gaining enough prestige that U.S. counterterrorism officials consider him among their top two dozen targets remaining in the terrorist network.

U.S. authorities suspect Saad bin Laden, a Saudi who is about 22, of helping organize some of al-Qaida's operations during the last few months, providing the financial and logistical support necessary to set attacks in motion, an official told the Associated Press.

He is suspected of ties to al-Qaida's first successful operation after the Sept. 11 attacks -- the suicide bombing of a synagogue in Tunisia that left 19 dead, most of them German tourists.

Like his father, Saad bin Laden is believed to be in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region. It is unclear if he is with Osama bin Laden, whose whereabouts and condition remain unknown.

Saad lived with his father in Sudan from 1991 to 1996, after bin Laden was stripped of his Saudi passport and forced to leave his home.

After bin Laden was expelled from Sudan in 1996 and ended up in Afghanistan, Saad was at his side when he gave an interview to the Independent, a British newspaper, and promised to continue working in Afghanistan to establish a true Islamic state.

Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said Monday that even if Osama bin Laden is killed, lieutenants like his son will carry on and the terrorist network will remain a threat.

"There are three, four, five, six, seven people who could -- who know where the bank accounts are, who know the key players, the key planners and are perfectly capable of running that operation," he said. "Whether the son ends up being one of them, one never knows until . . . that takes place."

Another official attributed Saad's rising star to simple blood ties: When most of the world is hunting for him, Osama bin Laden can trust his children.

Saad's stature began increasing in the months after the United States went to war on al-Qaida in Afghanistan on Oct. 7, the counterterrorism official told AP.

It has accelerated even as the terrorist network decentralized its power structure. This move, under way since earlier this year, gives commanders in the field more authority to conduct operations without guidance from bin Laden's inner circle.

U.S. officials have no evidence that Saad bin Laden played a role in the Sept. 11 attacks. However, he is believed to be close to Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, whom U.S. officials suspect of masterminding the World Trade Center and Pentagon attacks.

Mohammed, who is said to outrank Saad bin Laden in al-Qaida, has been linked to the Tunisia bombing, U.S. officials have said.

However, U.S. authorities have no evidence that Saad bin Laden is positioned to take over al-Qaida. Older, more experienced deputies like Ayman al-Zawahri, bin Laden's Egyptian doctor, are more capable of doing so, officials said. But terrorism experts say Osama bin Laden might be looking for a blood relative to carry on the fight.

Osama bin Laden, in his mid 40s, has at least 23 children by several wives.

"Some of them share his ideology," the counterterrorism official said. "(Saad) is definitely a believer."

At least two other sons have taken up their father's cause. Mohammed bin Laden, who is around 19, is one of his father's bodyguards, a U.S. official said.

Mohammed married the daughter of al-Qaida's Egyptian military chief, Mohammed Atef, in January 2001 in Kandahar. Osama bin Laden, Atef and al-Zawahri attended. Atef was killed by U.S. airstrikes in November.

Another son, Ahmed, is believed to be older than Saad and supports his father's activities.

[KC Burke]

If this is true and the other events that I think will unwrap between now and the flushing of Saddamn, the Rats will have an overdose of your great acronymn: STFU!

It is indeed great news. I have only one concern to temper my enthusiasm. The general public, still somewhat lacking in understanding the threat of Saddam remaining in power, may look upon the capture of Bin Laden, himself, if it happens, as a culmination to 9/11.

I can picture the liberal media, framing the public thoughts as: Well we got HIM, now what is this war with THE OTHER GUY ABOUT?

I am sorry to say, that after watching the pass that Clinton was given, the general public has fallen in my esteem to waive off the poor calls by the media. If Osama is captured, I hope it is later.

[fatima]

This is great news,let's hope everyone is OK from our side.

[Grampa Dave]

That is a Great Site, and this alone is worth the visit!

[Marysecretary]

That's right, ML, the only time they lie is when their mouths move.

[steveegg]

What trial? These two are not American citizens and they will never set foot on American soil. After some extreme questioning these boys are off to a cage in Gitmo for the rest of their lives.

Or until the next DemonRAT president pardons them.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

Bin Laden sons reported caught Hunt for al-Qaida chief grows 'white hot,' amid information from captured sheikh

[DoughtyOne]

I would suspect you are right. I am more concerned with the average idiot on the streets of foreign nations and those of own. Get a life. Get a job. Support your family. Support your local township and government. Quite blaming the U.S. for every ache and pain in life.

[Valin]

Bin Laden's son moving up in al-Qaida ranks
Not anymore. :-)
I understand Diego Garica is simply wonderful this time of year.

[FightThePower!]

"Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, Kuwaiti-Pakistani, suspected mastermind of Sept. 11 attacks: At large. "

We caught him last weekend. You need to update your source.

[Marysecretary]

I hope they brought extra underwear with them today or they could embarrass themselves....tee hee.

[twigs]

isn't it such a shame for people to sell their souls to their paarty

I agree entirely. I don't understand it. I think there's more here than what meets the eye, b/c I can't figure out why these people would just lay down on the sacrificial table.

[hchutch]

Amen to that.

The Dems are TOAST.

[MEG33]

Sorry, I've been busy writing Odious 100 times on the blackboard!! I'll be glad when this capture is confirmed by the Justice Dept.

[TaRaRaBoomDeAyGoreLostToday!]

By Susan Jones

CNSNews.com Morning Editor

March 07, 2003

10:45 am

Osama's Sons Arrested, Report Says

(CNSNews.com) - Friday's rumor du jour, spurred by wire reports quoting a "Pakistani official," says two of Osama bin Laden's sons (Saad and Hamza) have been arrested in southeast Afghanistan.

The U.S. government apparently is disputing the report, which comes one day after a round of rumors saying that Osama himself might be under arrest -- or at least close to being captured.

The recent arrest of top al Qaeda terrorist Khalid Sheikh Mohammed apparently has yielded key information that has narrowed the search for America's most wanted man.

The Associated Press reported that U.S. forces took part in the arrest of bin Laden's sons and that other al Qaeda operatives -- so far unidentified -- were killed in the raid.

[af_vet_rr]

There is know way of predicting when someone which we send arms to will turn terrorist against us. Did you yourself foresee this happening? Did you have some sort of special insight into OBL? Should we not have helped the Afghani rebels fight off the then Soviet Army seeking to expand its own borders? Anyone can have 20/20 hindsight...

There were many in the 80s who were saying we need to be careful, and they were partially right. Yes, we needed to help contain the Soviet Union (and I have to think Afghanistan contributed a bit to the fall - Soviet civillians attitudes started turning during that time).

Here's the kicker, and we've known this for years ,and we are collectively ignoring it now in our quest to conquer the Middle East - these people hate each other. They hate their neighbors, they hate Joe Blow down the street, they hate the people in the province next to theirs. They have been fighting each other for thousands of years. They have collective memories going back to long before Christ walked the earth. They remember and are still upset about battles that were over a thousand years ago.

Most of the nations in the Middle East should not even be nations. It's like we have a bunch of potential Yugoslavia's waiting to go off. There are people in tribes that have fought each other for hundreds, even thousands of years, and the Brits and the French stuck them in countries together and their anger at each other is still there and still surfaces every now and then (just look at the tribes/groups that are opposed to Hussein - they don't necessarily oppose him becuase he's evil - they oppose him because he came from such and such tribe or group, or he gassed this tribe or group. Afghanistan - as soon as the Soviets were gone, they turned on one another, hell as soon as the US started going on, you had a semi-large civil war break out into full-scale.

I worry that Iraq is a civil war just waiting to cut loose, and we don't normally do well in other countries' civil wars. They weren't kidding when they said they would need massive amounts of US troops after we took over Iraq to keep the peace. The place is a powder keg, and there are plenty of people, Kurds, etc. waiting to get some revenge against Saddams's tribe/group.

It boils down to we just need to get out of the Middle East. These people hate each other and do a damn good job of killing each other off, and when you have a bunch of religious nuts willing to take their own lives in their quest to take yours, it's just better to stay away. I don't want my grand-kids to have to wear flak jackets to school and have soldiers in the malls and in the streets. We need to get our oil elsewhere and stop a lot of the people from over there immigrating or visiting on vacation.

[twigs]

may look upon the capture of Bin Laden, himself, if it happens, as a culmination to 9/11

I thought of that too. I have a feeling that the timing of all this is not entirely coincidental.