Newsweek: A Troubled Hunt (Osama may never be caught)

[RamboLiberal]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7937013/site/newsweek/site/newsweek/

<snip>

Pakistani Foreign Minister Khursheed Kasuri told reporters last week that he believed bin Laden has been on the run since the capture earlier this month of Abu Faraj al-Libbi, the latest culprit to be identified as Al Qaeda's "No. 3." But Schroen says that both the Pakistanis and the Bush administration have expressed too much confidence that al-Libbi's arrest could lead the hundreds of Special Forces, CIA, FBI and other counterterror officials in Pakistan and Afghanistan to the Qaeda chieftain.

There is no evidence that bin Laden's entourage reacted in panic to the al-Libbi news. According to two Taliban operatives interviewed by NEWSWEEK, whose accounts could not be independently verified, bin Laden has been safely ensconced in a secret, well-protected base along the northern Afghanistan-Pakistan border for more than a year. One source cites bin Laden's security guards, and another cites people in contact with them, as saying that most of the leader's meetings with even trusted aides take place outside the base. "The point is to keep everyone, even his most trusted people, confused as to his real whereabouts," says one of these Taliban officials, whose nom de guerre is Ali Khail. And al-Libbi's proximity to bin Laden was hyped, he says. (Khail, a mujahedin commander during the Soviet war who is now a Taliban propaganda and intel operative, claims to have contacts in bin Laden's camp.) A former senior Taliban intelligence officer who today remains part of the ousted fundamentalist regime's intelligence network concurs: "Libbi doesn't know that much to endanger the sheik ," he says.

Bin Laden's greatest protection now may be his growing legend, Schroen says. Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf fears a horrific Islamist backlash if he publicly arrests the man seen in parts of South and Central Asia and the Middle East as an Islamic Robin Hood. By contrast, the Pakistani leader is willing to hand over lesser figures like al-Libbi, who was allegedly involved in two attempts on Musharraf's life but arouses no strong feelings among the Pakistani public. As evidence, Schroen says that it took the Pakistanis five months to act against al-Libbi after the Americans delivered intel on the whereabouts of a Qaeda suspect who could not, at the time, be specifically identified; Schroen believes the Pakistanis acted only after determining that the suspect was not bin Laden but a smaller fish. "We gave them the information on Libbi back in December," says Schroen, who has written a new book on his work with the CIA in Afghanistan. "They didn't want to do it." Pakistani officials deny this. "I reject that Pakistan stayed back on the intelligence for five months," says Pakistani military spokesman Maj. Gen. Shaukat Sultan. "The moment Pakistan got confirmed intelligence, Pakistan immediately acted."

Schroen says he believes it was only after "a lot of behind-the-scenes pot-sweetening"—including a promise of F-16s—that al-Libbi was captured in a frontier town. Then it was a "win-win for the Pakistanis," Schroen says. "They get a bad guy off the playing field and nobody in Pakistan knows who the hell he is." CIA spokeswoman Jennifer Millerwise said the agency had no comment on any of Schroen's views.

<snip>

Schroen and other intelligence officials believe that to do bin Laden in, Washington must first replenish the CIA and other forces drained by Iraq.

[DrDebug]

1. What if this is true?

Translation of Funeral Article in Egyptian Paper:
al-Wafd, Wednesday, December 26, 2001 Vol 15 No 4633

News of Bin Laden's Death and Funeral 10 days ago

Islamabad -
A prominent official in the Afghan Taleban movement announced yesterday the death of Osama bin Laden, the chief of al-Qa'da organization, stating that bin Laden suffered serious complications in the lungs and died a natural and quiet death. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated to The Observer of Pakistan that he had himself attended the funeral of bin Laden and saw his face prior to burial in Tora Bora 10 days ago.

He mentioned that 30 of al-Qa'da fighters attended the burial as well as members of his family and some friends from the Taleban. In the farewell ceremony to his final rest guns were fired in the air. The official stated that it is difficult to pinpoint the burial location of bin Laden because according to the Wahhabi tradition no mark is left by the grave.

He stressed that it is unlikely that the American forces would ever uncover any traces of bin Laden.

http://www.welfarestate.com/binladen/funeral/

[Old and In the Way]

2. What about the video release just before the election?

I think he mentioned our election and Kerry, no? If so, I guess we can assume he's alive. I should find that transcript and reread it, I think.

I personally think he's back in Saudi Arabia..

on edit-

found a transcript at Al-Jazeera-

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/79C6AF22-98FB-4A1C-B21F-2BC36E87F61F.htm

He does mention Kerry specifically and the war in Iraq, so I guess he was alive, at least as of 11/04.

[DrDebug]

7. There is lots of doubt about that video

Both videos BTW

Is the 2004 Bin Laden Video Tape A Fraud?

Close (closer than the last phony) but no cigar. Note the shape of the cheeks and the width of the nose.

His arms and hands are in view and appear uninjured, whereas it was reported that the real Osama's left arm was severely injured at Tora Bora.





The real bin laden:


Bin Laden's last video appearance was late in 2001. How come he hasn't aged? Why isn't his beard now totally grey - that's what generally happens over time.

http://www.whatreallyhappened.com/osamatape2.html

[Old and In the Way]

16. Wow, now that's really interesting.

I agree, that morph does clearly show it's a different person. One could make a case you go from fat to thin....but not vice-versa....different bone structure.

That's amazing. Yeah, he's better than the fat, black Osama...but still, no cigar. This is the first real arguement I've seen avout this....I wish we had had that morphing vid before the election. You'd have to ask...who put this together and for what end?

[uppityperson]

4. That would mean all the #3s move up to #2?

It doesn't matter to the Bushites if Osama is alive or dead. What matters is that there is a boogeyman to continue to inspire fear so they (bushites) can do whatever they want under the guise of "keeping us safe".

[DrDebug]

9. It makes a difference, since they want Osama alive

A dead Osama means no enemy and that's a bigger problem.

[uppityperson]

That's what I meant, didn't express well.

They don't really care if he is alive or dead, so long as he isn't found dead. They don't need to ever find him and finding him dead would be bad because the boogeyman would be non-existent and then what would be used for fear mongering.

[DoYouEverWonder]

13. Bu$hCo has no intention

of ever bringing bin Laden to justice. Their good friends, the bin Ladin family, would never stand for it.

(How do I know? A little birdie told me. Actually it was a former CIA agent, no kidding.)

[DrDebug]

14. Indeed

And it is not just the bin Ladin family. There are two options:

1. Osama bin Laden is never found. That's the preferred option.
2. Osama bin Laden is killed somewhere. And whether or not a body is found is a second point or it'll be a closed coffin etc.

[Fire Walk With Me]

20. Can't have a Cold War (tm) and its associated military spending

without a Bad Guy (tm).

The profits go marching on...

[Henny Penny]

25. Osama alive?

Can you imagine the beans that would be spilt if he were captured alive?

That is not an option.

edited for a little more clarity

[americanstranger]

6. It really makes no difference either way.

No one has any intention of ever capturing bin Laden.

Because of his rep as the mastermind of 9/11 (and his status as Top of the Pops as far as world terrorism goes), if he were to be captured or killed, much of the US populace would see it as the end of the GWOT.

And that would put an end to our 'war footing' in the public's mind, and that would jeopardize the gubmint's carte blanche as far as getting everything they want under the guise of fighting terrorism.

So, dead, alive, on a spaceship to Mars - none of it matters. Osama bin Laden is worth more 'on the run' than he is in US custody.

He's Emmanuel Goldstein in a turban.

-as

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

8. Even so, Bushco needs him alive to personify the face of "terror" to

continue selling his imperialism to the American sheeple.

[MADem]

15. Egypt?? Get real; they are on the PAYROLL

We give almost as much to them as we do to Israel. Anwar Saddat did not suddenly have an epiphany, he was PAID to make peace. They get a shitload of grant cash/goods and FMS (foreign military sales) from us, plus loans up the yinyan that never get paid back.

Egypt is NOT a democracy, folks, it is a satellite of the American empire, ruled over by Sadat's good friend, party companion, fellow military officer, successor, and our stooge, Muhamed Hosni Mubarak.

Egypt's essential weakness, that has come back to bite us all, is that they are squeamish about killing people for political activity. Instead, they export them, sending them to places like Syria, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Libya, and once upon a time, Iraq and Afghanistan. That is how they handle dissidents, kick 'em out so they go bother someone else. Now the chickens have come home to roost, and Egypt is having trouble keeping the lid on. And we are too damn busy to help them...

I'll believe a Chinese paper before an Egyptian one, frankly...and that ain't saying much. Of course, we don't do much better with our so-called free lapdog press, either.

[struggle4progress]

26. Perfect! Bushistas will be able to wage war on terra forever and ever. eom

[SpiralHawk]

3. Goldstein lives ! He is a threat to everything we hold as sacred.

Big BushCo loves you, and will protect you. Forever.

[leesa]

5. Of course he won't be caught. In the extremely unlikely event that he is

still alive, he was gravely ill and was published as dead in 12/01, catching OBL would mean someone to testify against them. Not gonna happen.

[AlamoDemoc]

11. If BL gets caught, I wonder what's left of Bush's agenda?

Oh NO, that doesn't seem right!

[agincourt]

10. Pakistan has no interest in capturing OBL,

If any other party came close to capturing him, they would make sure he got away. The parade of #3s would have no currency then, they would get no aid or rewards for any #3 they coughed up. Likewise this administration got "made" by OBL, they aren't going to want him captured either. The big question is why are americans so butt-ugly dumb to fall for this charade? Bush should be beaten like a stuck-pig for doing nothing about the cult-leader who murdered several thousand americans even if they don't believe in LIHOP or MIHOP. How people have any faith in him for security reasons, must be from years of media conditioning, in which they always believe what the abusive father tells them.

[Enraged_Ape]

12. In the same way that Ken Lay will never answer for his crimes...

neither will OBL.

And for all the same reasons.

[BenDavid]

17. According to Buzz Flash,

It's been 1343 days since Bush said he'd catch Osama bin Laden 'Dead or Alive!'

and according to http://icasualties.org/oif/
Total 1631 America soldiers killed in Iraq....

[pinniped]

18. Boogeyman #2 al-Zarqawi will never be caught either.

I don't think there's such a person hobbling around the entire Middle East jumping out of bullet-riddled taxi cabs, losing notebook computers, showing up bleeding in hospitals with his entourage, chopping off heads, and planting roadside bombs.

[jaysunb]

19. al-Zarqawi is about as fictional as they come.

This guy and his exploits are somewhere between , Indiana Jones and The Terminator.His "supposed" deeds and daring are the stuff of Hollywood exclusively.

I don't believe it for a moment.

[Enraged_Ape]

23. I was thinking more Wile E. Coyote

Zarqawi gets killed, maimed, and wounded on something like a weekly basis, and yet he keeps coming back for more. It's like a real-life Warner Brothers cartoon.

[LynnTheDem]

21. Why would bush want OBL caught???

Then the American sheeple would feel safe in their little cocoon world again, and demand their freedoms back (good luck!) and demand bush the dictator stop the dictatorship crap (good luck!) and bush wouldn't have anything to hold over the American sheeple.

OBL is bush's fear-card.

[applegrove]

22. How awful for those 9/11 families. n/t

[Robworld]

24. Osama is the ultimate boogie man. He will never be caught.

It does not matter if he is alive or dead. Just the idea of him being out there is more important and more effective.

http://www.dumdumgoestothecircus.com