Reuters : U.S., Pakistan Deny They're Closing in on Osama

[rodbarnett]

KABUL/ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden's whereabouts remain a mystery to U.S. and Pakistani forces as they crank up efforts to flush out al Qaeda and Taliban rebels hiding near Afghanistan's eastern frontier, officials said on Monday.

U.S. military officials in Kabul have boldly predicted his capture in 2004, and Britain's Sunday Express weekly reported that the world's most wanted man was "boxed in" by U.S. and British special forces in the rugged Pakistani mountains along the Afghan border.

<snip>

"As far as the reports of Osama bin Laden's location, I don't take much credence in them because if we knew where he was in Afghanistan, we would go get him and if the Pakistanis knew where he was in Pakistan they would go get him," U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty said.

<snip>

Pakistani officials dismissed the report that located bin Laden in mountains north of the Pakistani city of Quetta.


http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=4414808

[Semi_subversive]

1. Now tell me honestly

How difficult could it be to locate a person in Pakistan or Afghanistan who is 6'6", has an ugly mug like he does, and needs dialysis treatments?????? Hmmm!

[Mistress Quickly]

2. very difficult when 99.9%

of the native population hates anyone and everyone trying to capture him, whether it be Paki. gov't, Afgani gov't or our guys.

[Screaming Lord Byron]

5. ...and the guy you're looking for is probably dead.

[xchrom]

3. i trust nothing these guys say

i don't think accurate information regarding bin laden has been released by our gov or the pakistanis -- bin laden could be dead, captured, sunning on the cote azure for all i know.
and that's how i think the bush dictatorship wants it.

[varun]

4. Pakistan is using Bin Laden as the trump card...

...to extract as much money and arms from USA as possible. Everytime US pressures Pakistan, it produces one or two Al Qaeda guys...Bin Laden is the ultimate...

And Bush is getting desperate to get Bin Laden before the elections...lets see what concessions he promises to Musharraf for producing Bin Laden.

Oh...one big concession was already given...look the other way while Pakistan pardons the biggest nuke proliferator in history - AQ Khan. If some other country had done it, it would have been slapped with sanctions, or worse, threatened with war.

[rodbarnett]

6. Another interesting thread here

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=1149507#1149559

[proud patriot]

7. hmmmmmm

:shrug:

[Betty]

8. October surprise

I think Kerry (or whoever the nominee turns out to be) better start talking about this now so that when they "find" him, everyone will see that for what it is. No doubt he's in custody as we speak.

[Oilwellian]

9. Why would a military guy say this:

"As far as the reports of Osama bin Laden's location, I don't take much credence in them because if we knew where he was in Afghanistan, we would go get him and if the Pakistanis knew where he was in Pakistan they would go get him," U.S. military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Bryan Hilferty said.

If the US had him boxed in, wouldn't the above quote contradict that?