NationStates Jolt Archive

March 16, 2004 - 12:51AM

Osama bin Laden has escaped capture in Afghanistan several times and may be linked in some way to the Madrid train attacks that killed 200 people, France's chief of defence staff said.

General Henri Bentegeat said about 200 French troops were operating with US forces in south-eastern Afghanistan against the Taliban and bin Laden's al-Qaeda. The Saudi-born militant is thought to be there or just across the border in Pakistan.

"Our men were not very far. On several occasions, I even think he slipped out of a net that was quite well closed," he told Europe 1 radio yesterday. He did not specify a time frame.

General Bentegeat, who spoke as if he were sure bin Laden was in Afghanistan, said the country's difficult terrain explained why it was so hard to catch the world's most wanted man.

"In Afghanistan, the terrain is extremely favourable to escapes, there are underground networks everywhere," he said.

The general said it was essential that bin Laden be caught.

"He symbolises September 11 and is certainly not completely innocent in what happened in Madrid," he said.

But he added that arresting bin Laden "would not change things directly. [Al-Qaeda] is a hydra with many heads. If we catch one head, there will be others."

He said the minute preparations needed for the Madrid bombings were "the clearest indication" that al-Qaeda was probably behind them.

He said the threat of Islamic radicalism was spreading beyond the Middle East. "It's a phenomenon we're seeing step by step in Africa," he said, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Then there are countries that are adrift, that we are trying to help to not sink, such as Ivory Coast or the Central African Republic," he added.

Asked about security in France, he said French fighter jets could scramble in less than two minutes to confront any intrusion into the country's air space.

"Not a day goes by with at least one patrol that takes off to go check an aeroplane that has strayed off its path or doesn't respond by radio," he said.

Reuters

What a shame that such much wasted effort has gone into the war in Iraq when this bastard is still on the loose.

And how delicious it would be were the much-maligned French to capture him.

Please note who the actual allies of the US are. Why insult and alienate those who are really your friends, if they occassionally disagree with you.

Charm and diplomacy are not as easy as belligerence and spite, but they are more effective.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

I think he is dead as well. It would not benefit the US efforts to announce he was. Americans can be fical in such ways: "He's dead? Yea we won! Time to bring the troops home"

Al-Q would not benefit from his death. The people don't scream Al-Q, they scream Bin-Laden.

However, it looks like the Shrub is going to loose the elections he will probably try an October surprise and announce him dead.

I once read that after the Battle of Kandahar(sp) the US asked the Bin Laden family for blood samples for DNA testing. Never heard if there was any results....

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

I think he is dead as well. It would not benefit the US efforts to announce he was. Americans can be fical in such ways: "He's dead? Yea we won! Time to bring the troops home"

Al-Q would not benefit from his death. The people don't scream Al-Q, they scream Bin-Laden.

However, it looks like the Shrub is going to loose the elections he will probably try an October surprise and announce him dead.

I once read that after the Battle of Kandahar(sp) the US asked the Bin Laden family for blood samples for DNA testing. Never heard if there was any results....

Well..considering that the Bush family has worked with the Bin Ladens for years and years...I doubt there was much trouble involved.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

He is not dead. He is in Iran, most likely.

If he was dead, al-Qaida would be using it fully to get people to join him. A martyr is worth more than an alive person.

Also, he did release a NEW audio tape a while ago, talking about Saddam, Iraq, and the US. He was talking about new stuff.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

He is not dead. He is in Iran, most likely.

If he was dead, al-Qaida would be using it fully to get people to join him. A martyr is worth more than an alive person.

Also, he did release a NEW audio tape a while ago, talking about Saddam, Iraq, and the US. He was talking about new stuff.

Iran would not openly touch him.

As to a martyr worth more then a live person? Well only short lived.

Tell me who was the spirtual force for Bin Laden an Al-Queyda? He was Martyred.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

He is not dead. He is in Iran, most likely.

If he was dead, al-Qaida would be using it fully to get people to join him. A martyr is worth more than an alive person.

Also, he did release a NEW audio tape a while ago, talking about Saddam, Iraq, and the US. He was talking about new stuff.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.

I don't care who captures Bin Laden, as long as he is captured. Alive, dead, I don't really care.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.

I'm telling you what I truly think. He is in Iran. Iran and al-Qaida share several common goals. He has been spotted in Iran. If he isn't there than he is in Pakistan/Afghanistan. I do not believe he has died. These 'he has died' things are the same thing they were saying about Saddam Hussein. They never got him. It was all a lie.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.

I'm telling you what I truly think. He is in Iran. Iran and al-Qaida share several common goals. He has been spotted in Iran. If he isn't there than he is in Pakistan/Afghanistan. I do not believe he has died. These 'he has died' things are the same thing they were saying about Saddam Hussein. They never got him. It was all a lie.

I know that Saddam is a Sunni Muslim and Osama is a fundamentalist, so the two of them couldnt even share a room with out wwanting to kill each other....

What about the government of Iran...which are they?

I know that Saddam is a Sunni Muslim and Osama is a fundamentalist, so the two of them couldnt even share a room with out wwanting to kill each other....

What about the government of Iran...which are they?

Iran is a Shi'ite fundamentalist country. While not exactly the same, they are MUCH MORE likely to be assisting each other rather than Osama and a secularist like Saddam.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.

I'm telling you what I truly think. He is in Iran. Iran and al-Qaida share several common goals. He has been spotted in Iran. If he isn't there than he is in Pakistan/Afghanistan. I do not believe he has died. These 'he has died' things are the same thing they were saying about Saddam Hussein. They never got him. It was all a lie.

I know that Saddam is a Sunni Muslim and Osama is a fundamentalist, so the two of them couldnt even share a room with out wwanting to kill each other....

What about the government of Iran...which are they?

Irans ruling Mullahs are Shi'ite.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.

I'm telling you what I truly think. He is in Iran. Iran and al-Qaida share several common goals. He has been spotted in Iran. If he isn't there than he is in Pakistan/Afghanistan. I do not believe he has died. These 'he has died' things are the same thing they were saying about Saddam Hussein. They never got him. It was all a lie.

Well the military tells the public is often different then what they belive. In the case of Sadaam, it was plausible he was dead because he was such a control freak. He did not make a peep for a long time so maybe a few assumptions were made.

Also, they might have been saying he was dead simply to give him enough confidence to make a few mistakes. It will be a long time before we know(if ever) the full story.

Another thing for Bin Ladens case. He loved the camera and Al-Jazera(sp?) loves showing his tapes.

don't you think it would be a great recruiting tool to have him on film saying "See the powerful United States can't kill me!"

I think he is dead and the Goverment will not admit it because a peoples attitudes towards the conflicts. Too much amunition to pull the troops....

I know that Saddam is a Sunni Muslim and Osama is a fundamentalist, so the two of them couldnt even share a room with out wwanting to kill each other....

What about the government of Iran...which are they?

Iran is a Shi'ite fundamentalist country. While not exactly the same, they are MUCH MORE likely to be assisting each other rather than Osama and a secularist like Saddam.

Its possible.

SOMEONE has to be sheltering him....but how would he ahve gotten there without anyone noticing?

I know that Saddam is a Sunni Muslim and Osama is a fundamentalist, so the two of them couldnt even share a room with out wwanting to kill each other....

What about the government of Iran...which are they?

Iran is a Shi'ite fundamentalist country. While not exactly the same, they are MUCH MORE likely to be assisting each other rather than Osama and a secularist like Saddam.

Its possible.

SOMEONE has to be sheltering him....but how would he ahve gotten there without anyone noticing?

Easy. He could have just crossed the Afghan-Iran border. He could have crossed into Pakistan and then from Pakistan into Iran. One of his sons went over the border from Afghanistan to Iran. No one knew about it until the Iranian government said it.

Also, the Iranian province that borders Pakistan and Southern Afghanistan is called Baluchistan. It is a wholly Sunni province. If he is not receiving support from the Iranian government, there are people there that would support him.

Its possible then I suppose.

If that IS true...

Then were never gonna get him.

how far can a guy who needs to be on dialysis get?

how "uncatchable" can a guy who needs to have his blood pumped out of his body and put back in possibly be?

He dead......and this is likely a ruse.

He is not dead. He is in Iran, most likely.

If he was dead, al-Qaida would be using it fully to get people to join him. A martyr is worth more than an alive person.

Also, he did release a NEW audio tape a while ago, talking about Saddam, Iraq, and the US. He was talking about new stuff.

well...

the fact of the matter is this.

The man is in frail health.

he requires kidney dialysis at least twice a week, or he will die.

His liver is also in frail condition.

If hes not dead.....then someone is sheltering him.

Considering the well known reward for any information that leads to his capture, its likely that a foreign government is sheltering him.

No one else would.

and,,he would need to be in close proximity with a fully equipped hospital.



Actually, one doesn´t need a fully equipped hospital when suffering from a kindey insufficiency. It is fully possible to keep equipment at home (gambro has "home kits").
And if you are trained to do it yourself you don´t even need a physician as long as no complications occur.

I enjoy a good French joke as much as the next person, but I think it would be great if it were the French troops who eventually caught bin Laden. I dunno why, but it would just be hilarious to me. :P