Is bin Laden dead?

[Mike Baker]

I think I will reserve judgement on his death until a body is produced and dna test be done on it.

Same here.

 

[Old Sweat]

And we will need more than a picture from Reuters.

 

[darmil]

I think he has been dead for awhile and AQ has a bunch of prerecorded tapes to keep he movement going.But until there is a body :-\
The real question is who is organizing the taliban BL or someone new?

 

[1feral1]

And we will need more than a picture from Reuters.

Good one Old Sweat! Ha!

As far as I am concerned OBL/UBL will remain a fugitive until DNA is examined by a US force. Until then, he and his 'hangers on' are at large somewhere in shyteland cowering from Coallition forces. We must be patient, as his day will come sooner or later.

Cheers from brown skys, a sea of sand and definate poo dust,

Wes

 

[bilton090]

If he died a martyrs' death, I'd agree with you.  But if he died from illness, then it must be God's will that he is dead.  Moderate Muslims can then state that it was God's will because of his crimes against humanity and Islam.

                     +1

 

[big bad john]

CNN reporting on it...leaked document from French Intelligence

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/23/france.binladen.ap/index.html

Come on now... French Intelligence...No Body...  do we really have to ask.  I mean let's get real.

 

[Scoobie Newbie]

MAYBE we can use this to our advantage.  If OBL is still alive he may want to prove it and rush a tape or video into production.  This may flush him out a bit.

 

[regulator12]

I really dont think it matters anymore if is dead or alive. The extremists will still fight regardless...the hornets nest has been stirred up and there are a lot of groups with there own cause fighting now against the west, and i think the taliban take credit for attacks even if they didnt do it.

 

[paracowboy]

living or dead is immaterial. Infanteer got it right.

I agree with DGlad - Al Qaeda is no longer an organization, it is a movement.  bin Laden has done what he set out to do when he started "the base"; mobilized a significant portion of the Muslim world against the West and, in particular, the United States.

And bin Lazin' has NEVER controlled the Taliban.

 

[Lost_Warrior]

If he is dead, I wonder if AQ has a stockpile of prerecorded Bin Laden tapes to inspire the movement and garner attention from the West... maybe with a green background for photoshoping a current newspaper into the background. 

Kind of like how Elvis and Tupac keep releasing new albums?  ;D

On a serious note, to confirm his death, we will need to see a body.  Unfortunately, I don't think AQ would ever give us the chance, in turn keeping us speculating.

In 50 years we can say "Yes, he's dead now"  Old age has a funny way of creeping up on even the most infamous terrorist in the world.

 

[FredDaHead]

MAYBE we can use this to our advantage.  If OBL is still alive he may want to prove it and rush a tape or video into production.  This may flush him out a bit.

He might be delusional and have no conscience, but I don't think he's stupid. Besides, appearing "dead" would work for him: while he's apparently dead he can move with much more freedom as the world's intel agencies won't be as alert, and his "death" makes him a martyr and enflames the spirit of cowardly terrorist-wannabes. Then, when the martyr-related interest wanes, he comes back, rising from the "dead" to rule over his sheep.

 

[Trinity]

He might be delusional and have no conscience, but I don't think he's stupid. Besides, appearing "dead" would work for him: while he's apparently dead he can move with much more freedom as the world's intel agencies won't be as alert, and his "death" makes him a martyr and enflames the spirit of cowardly terrorist-wannabes. Then, when the martyr-related interest wanes, he comes back, rising from the "dead" to rule over his sheep.

No way Fred.

Suspected dead or alive... they will NEVER stop looking for him.  And until there is definitive proof,
like Elvis, he will always be spotted somewhere!

 

[zipperhead_cop]

I'm also calling BS on the story.  Plus, does anyone really die from Typhoid?  The guy had a fair amount of cash and support.  I thought that was one of those diseases that was on it's way out, like polio?  Not one of my lanes, however. 

Possibly, could it be that whoever is actively on his trail is getting warmer and the bad guys want to buy some breathing room ala "the stupid, lazy westerners" sentiment?

Or is there any chance there is some sort of Islamic resurrection tie in to this?  Don't know enough about it, but maybe they are trying to ramp up his importance to some sort of god-like stature. 
Of course, my God doesn't crap in a cave and eat Spam, but I guess that is what informed choices are all about. 

 

[Journeyman]

I was going to ignore this thread because I don't have anything factual, or opinion based on first-hand experience, to contribute (bizarre concept, I know  ).... but I had to pass along this one sentence from today's Washington Times:

http://washingtontimes.com/world/20060924-120100-8177r.htm

The regional French newspaper L'Est Republicain printed what it described as a copy of a confidential document from the DGSE intelligence service citing an uncorroborated report from a "usually reliable source" who said Saudi secret services were convinced that bin Laden had died

Count the qualifying and distance-from-source phrases:

"what it described"
"a copy of"
"a confidential document" [<<-- the lowest security classification used by DGSE]
"uncorroborated report"
"usually reliable"
"who said [someone else] was convinced" [<<-- even the "original source" claims no proof]

No, I'm not ready to invest any cash in this proposition yet. Let it go.

 

[pronto]

And until there is definitive proof, like Elvis, he will always be spotted somewhere!

I saw him recently at the Piggly-Wiggly - he was a-packing groceries and humming "Oops I did it again" I am sure of it. ;D

Journeyman is right... WAY too much speculation, and a paucity of facts.

 

[paracowboy]

WAY too much speculation, and a paucity of facts.

and irrelevent to the Mission, anyway.

 

[time expired]

  bin Laden dead?
  Allah ak bar . Probably spelled that wrong but it sums up my reaction ,God is great
                        Regards