In a bid to possibly spoil Karl Rove's October surprise, a French newspaper has reported Osama Bin Laden is dead. This wouldn't be the first time Osama has been reported to have been demised, but the first time western sources have reported it. So much for finding him alive.
According to usually reliable sources in Saudi police forces, Osama died in Pakistan on August 23 of typhoid fever. Pakistani authorities do not have any information about Osama's death, but are relieved now that the US forces looking for him (I think there are about eleven) won't be bombing their country "back to the stone age" (in the word's of Dick Armitage) in their effort to locate him.
The CIA could not confirm the report, and the Washington-based IntelCenter was not aware of any reports on the internet. So unless Osama appears, Twain-like, on videotape to announce that rumors of his death are wrong, if he were to die he'd be the last one to know about it, I'm going to assume he has passed.
This also brings a question into my mind, is this the reason for Bush's sudden interest in Pakistan's Musharraf? Were they holding Osama on ice in Pakistan until right before the elections so he could be "captured" by US forces working in tandem with Pakistani forces? Wasn't it shortly after August 23 that Bush suddenly refocused his campaign on Osama?
The Fench are launching an investigation into how this intelligence was leaked, suggesting that it was being sat on until a) it was confirmed or b)after it was used by the Bush regime as an October surprise (hey! forget all about the war in Iraq and all the torture and spying voters! We got Osama!)to retain their grip on the legislature. (I'm voting on the latter, it's been nearly a month. How long does it take to confirm a dead guy is dead. Must be a fuck of an autopsy)Perhaps they were trying to smuggle him into Iraq, or Iran, in an attempt to justify one war or trhe other in those two countries.
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15 comments:
Did the French have an interest in leaking this story at this time?
His spirit will live on, and be dragged up every time they can't find a way to blame something on Clinton...
Mccs1977
Dadgummit, Lew, you may be onto something here with that observation about Bush suddenly mentioning OBL again. I mean, first he says OBL is irrelevant, then he doesn't mention him any more often than he mentions, oh, a realistic sustainable energy policy. And then -- about a month ago, in fact -- it's Osama Osama Osama. Hmmmmm...
vigilante,
well, France is working on a diplomatic solution to the Iran "crisis"
fred,
exactly
betty,
Yeah, I find it very suspicious that this comes out following Bush's meeting with Musharraf and Rove's claims to a "big" October surprise.
Lew, Bellaciao says that OBL died in 2002 and that Musharraf knows where the body is buried and was threatening to tell the world. Deal cutting with Bush made him shut up. How long does it take to prove a dead body is dead? That depends on how much plastic surgery you have to do on the guy before you kill him.
karena,
What Really Happened says he died in December of 2001. The guy was on dialysis, so how he could survive without it is a mystery.
he is like fucking Elvis
Lew -
karena,
What Really Happened says he died in December of 2001. The guy was on dialysis, so how he could survive without it is a mystery.
Bad link. Got a new one? I really wanna read this. . .
But Elvis left the building...he hasn't. I hope he is harder than a carp...because now we don't have to kill his ass and get the ire up on us from the holy war rollers...just sayin'...
If we do UBL...they will come after us in every way possible...and I'd like to live to be old...if you know what I mean. Old but not in a freakin' burkha...or however the damn thing is spelled...all I know is...I don't want to wear one!
graeme,
no, Osama was a CIA asset, Elvis was a DEA wannabe
john,
there is a link in the article that'll take you right to the WRH page on Osama
sumo,
Osama didn't want to put all women in burqhas(sp?), he merely wanted the US out of Saudi Arabia and Israel to give back the lands it has occupied since it took them from the Palestinian people, violating a UN resolution
Interesting point about the "refocusing on Bin Laden" right after the rumored date of his death.
Right now everyone willing to go nearly on the record, US Saudi, Pak ISI, says that this is totally unverified.
I do think it would offer a very convenient political solution for Musharraf and Bush, although I think the sudden, renewed interest in Musharraf comes more from his withdrawal from the western tribal lands bordering Afghanistan.
However if true, this could well be the October Surprise.
Mike
His spirit will live on, and be dragged up every time they can't find a way to blame something on Clinton...
I have to agree with Fred and believe that Rove will somehow spin this to the GOP's advantage...
MSM Mouthpiece: "Mr. Rove, doesn't it look bad for the administration that Osama bin Laden was never taken into US custody?"
The Turd Blossom: "No at all. We forced him into hiding where his death from typhus, away from the medical care that could have saved his life, was almost a certainty."
Lew, I believe that OBL is the creation of a well paid Hollywood Character Actor and make up artist, paid by the Bush Family, and will act the roll as long as it is convenient for Bush to have him around. On some soap operas, characters are killed off, only to be resurrected later for ratings. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
mike,
That August 23 date stuck in my head for some reason. I think that was just prior to Bush's reinvigoarted campaign to nail Bin Laden, but it could have been a deflection from criticism prior to his celebration of the fifth year anniversary of 9/11
kvatch,
don't give Karl any ideas! i think that it has become the right wing nut mantra on this already.
diva,
I believe OBL will be resurrected too. Played by a different actor, of course.
Even if this were the October surprise, it should hardly have made a difference after the intelligence report that came out on Sunday. Osama dead or alive will not end the growing terrorism that is a result of Bush's failure to focus on him and catch him from the beginning - and I'm talking prior to 9/11.
Like Clinton said on Fox News, why didn't the Bush administration do anything about OBL for those 8 months when they first took office?
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