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Osama, Come Out With Your Hands Up
2004-02-21
Bin Laden ’boxed in’ by US soldiers
OSAMA bin Laden is reportedly surrounded by United States special forces in a mountain range that straddles north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan. Internationally respected investigative journalist and author Gordon Thomas says the al-Qaida terror group leader has been sighted for the first time since 2001 and is being monitored by satellite.
I didn’t know they could see stains on a rock that clearly.
In a report to be published in a British newspaper, Thomas says bin Laden is in a mountainous area to the north of the Pakistani city of Quetta.
I don't think all this salt intake is good for my blood pressure...

More, from the Sunday Express, via the Telegraph and Drudge...
A BRITISH Sunday newspaper is claiming Osama bin Laden has been found and is surrounded by US special forces in an area of land bordering north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Sunday Express, known for its sometimes colourful scoops, claims the al-Qaeda leader has been "sighted" for the first time since 2001 and is being monitored by satellite.
Is "colourful" a synonym for "accurate"? I thought not...
The paper claims he is in a mountainous area to the north of the Pakistani city of Quetta. The region is said to be peopled with bin Laden supporters and the terrorist leader is estimated to also have 50 of his fanatical bodyguards with him. The claim is attributed to "a well-placed intelligence source" in Washington, who is quoted as saying: "He (bin Laden) is boxed in." The paper says the hostile terrain makes an all-out conventional military assault impossible. The plan to capture him would depend on a "grab-him-and-go" style operation. "US helicopters already sited on the Afghanistan border will swoop in to extricate him," the newspaper says. It claims bin Laden and his men "sleep in caves or out in the open. The area is swept by fierce snow storms howling down from the 10,000 ft-high mountain peaks. Donkeys are the only transport." The special forces are "absolutely confident" there is no escape for bin Laden, and are awaiting the order to go in and get him. "The timing of that order will ultimately depend on President Bush," the paper says. "Capturing bin Laden will certainly be a huge help for him as he gets ready for the election."
Oh, that's it. They're just gonna capture him because there's an election coming up...
The article says bin Laden's movements are monitored by a National Security Agency satellite.
Wrong agency, Leroy...
On Thursday last week, General Richard Myers, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff, said America had been engaged in "intense" efforts to capture bin Laden, who was believed to be hiding in the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. But he insisted that the focus of the search had not narrowed for months.
I'm inclined to believe him.
Posted by:Rawsnacks

#31  The thing that worries me is that even if Osama gets killed or captured in any circumstance, people in the US (quite possibly a large chunk of people), will think the war on terror is over. I personally don't think it can be even if we get Osama, there are still his backers and funders out there.
Posted by: Valentine   2004-2-21 11:09:51 PM  

#30  Just throwing my two cents on the table. All the above. I thought the last state address was heavy on the OBL is next context. If they get the perp lets have a quick trial. Forbid the punk any words.
Posted by: Lucky   2004-2-21 10:57:11 PM  

#29  Dead. But identifiable.

Saves the expense and idiocy of a trial, and shuts up morons like Ramsey Clark.
Posted by: OldSpook   2004-2-21 10:55:17 PM  

#28  well eviserating binnie would be nice--but he was always just a fame seeking financier and logistics guy--we need to disembowel the REAL brains behind al queda which is al zawahiri and his egyptian islamic jihad minions --they're the real terror strategists--get tojo--not just the emperor!!
Posted by: SON OF TOLUI   2004-2-21 10:54:32 PM  

#27  I hope the spring offensive will be successful. Have you seen the documentary, I Met Osama bin Laden?
Posted by: Martin Lindeskog   2004-2-21 8:07:43 PM  

#26  I hope OBL's still alive so that he can repent.

"Oh, that's it. They're just gonna capture him because there's an election coming up..."

That's ecactly what Dhimmicratic Underground is saying.
Posted by: Korora   2004-2-21 7:05:46 PM  

#25  Just the head all we need is just the head so we can stick it on a pike in front of the White House.Then invite SA,Syria and Iran heads of state to the White House to walk past it.
Posted by: djohn66   2004-2-21 5:05:48 PM  

#24  The rational part of my brain is telling me this is tabloid baloney. The irrational part of my brain is calculating the cost of buying a blowtorch and shipping it to the Special Forces.
Posted by: Matt   2004-2-21 3:36:09 PM  

#23  I just checked and my Acme Ululator is still on the shelf where I put it, packed in cosmolene, right next to my Ship-2-Shore cleaning agent. I am not cleaning it up until we have confirmed capture, road kill DNA, etc. It took alot of work to pickle it after Sammy's capture.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2004-2-21 3:28:46 PM  

#22  Okay, I'm on the record for dead. If he's still alive and recently killed/ captured I'll hit the bat for Fredo... $50. Send news.
Posted by: Shipman   2004-2-21 3:10:40 PM  

#21  glurg
Posted by: Jim   2004-2-21 3:01:02 PM  

#20  If this is true then lets just hope Bush goes sooner than later. The closer to the election and the dems will be crying about how Bush cost lives by waiting to capture him for political reasons.
Posted by: Dan   2004-2-21 3:00:50 PM  

#19  Yes, and he's right tasty.
Posted by: Anaconda   2004-2-21 3:00:10 PM  

#18  We've got him?
Posted by: Marlin   2004-2-21 2:59:18 PM  

#17  Correct, the US general in question and Rummsfeld (GO RUMMY,GO RUMMY) himself where somewhat more cautious when questioned about the subject, that being said, the fact that the "chatter" on this subject has steadily increased over the past couple of months in combination with the fact that Perv feels more "inclined" recently to go after the Pashtun-tribes in the area where Binnie is supposed to be hiding, leaves me somewhat optimistic that we will see the end of the saga of Bin hiding pretty soon.
Posted by: Evert Visser   2004-2-21 2:07:01 PM  

#16  Dragon Fly - I think that was a congressman (senator?)
Posted by: Frank G   2004-2-21 1:50:04 PM  

#15  a head would be cool on the bayonet of an M-16, I can see it on the front pages now. For me though just a shread of flesh to get his DNA would be nice enough, wait no he could just lose a limb and we'd think hes dead - then a quadraplegic Binny video turns up. Seriously though i'm betiing AC-130's,Predetor UCAV's, and A-10's for the airforce element, Delta or Seals backed up by say a few hundred rangers all delivered by 160th and AFSOC heli's and Hercs, think on the lines of the whole 'spider hole' incident in Iraq and then add Spec forces and heavy airpower. I just hope the Army has a few camera men there to film the raid.
Posted by: Jon Shep U.K   2004-2-21 1:34:43 PM  

#14  That's fine with me Jon. The soldiers just need to remember that we require the head for "recreational" purposes.
Posted by: Charles   2004-2-21 1:25:40 PM  

#13  MOAB the area he's in then let the troops attack while Binny and the boys are still wondering what the fucks going on
Posted by: Jon Shep U.K   2004-2-21 1:20:27 PM  

#12  This does match with what one of our top Generals was saying a few months ago. He said something to the effect that we were within months of catching Binny.
Posted by: Dragon Fly   2004-2-21 1:08:44 PM  

#11  No, Anon - It's a conspiracy to sell papers.
Posted by: Rawsnacks   2004-2-21 12:48:49 PM  

#10  From the liberal media paranoia angle, could this story be a plant by the press to either alert BL or to set expectations at an absurdly high level that we are going to get him. If Bush fails then he looks like a boob.
Posted by: Anonymous   2004-2-21 12:46:33 PM  

#9  another...

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8754564%255E401,00.html
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-2-21 12:37:57 PM  

#8  And in related salt news...
Posted by: Rawsnacks   2004-2-21 12:31:29 PM  

#7  If this is true, someone needs to read all the principles of warfare by Von Clausewitz. Perhaps the "....well-placed idiot intelligence source" in Washington, can arrange for a satellite feed of all the SF positions into OBL's cave. Wouldn't won't to surprise the dear man.
Posted by: GK   2004-2-21 12:29:59 PM  

#6  very interesting this, damn hope this could be true and i have a sneaking feeling this just may well be true, theres been alot of shit going on with the Paks in the mountins hasn't there and the US forces seem to be at least ramping up toward a spring offensive, I'm wondering could the 'spring offensive have actually began properly about 3 - 6 weeks ago but done so well so as not to draw any media near. Any thoughts?
Posted by: Jon Shep U.K   2004-2-21 12:28:17 PM  

#5  Based on the lack of coverage on the Kerry thing, CNN and MSNBC may wait until they bring Binny down on the floor of a joint session of Congress.
Posted by: Tim   2004-2-21 12:26:45 PM  

#4  here's article 2 from drudge:

http://www.sundaytelegraph.news.com.au/story/0,9353,8752173-28778,00.html

but I wanna see it on fox or cnn etc before I start getting excited.
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-2-21 12:24:30 PM  

#3  I think I'll wait until I see footage of his dental exam.
Posted by: Rawsnacks   2004-2-21 12:19:06 PM  

#2  I think I'd wait for six or seven corroborating stories...
Posted by: Fred   2004-2-21 12:17:34 PM  

#1  Please let this not be bullsh-t
Posted by: Damn_Proud_American   2004-2-21 12:13:57 PM  

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