Article

2004-06-03 Afghanistan/South Asia

French Gen'l: U.S. Had Osama Within Reach

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Posted by Steve White 2004-06-03 12:34:36 AM|| || Front Page|| [1 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 French chief of staff Gen. Henri Bentegeat, said the al-Qaida leader has evaded capture several times since 2002, but not recently. He didn't say where bin Laden had been tracked down, and refused to comment on whether French special forces operating in southern Afghanistan were involved. "Several times the coalition has had Osama bin Laden directly within reach," Bentegeat told reporters during a visit to the Afghan capital. "But between locating a person and arresting them there is a gap tied to all the uncertainties of all operations of this kind." (emphasis mine)

So what's the deal here? Doesn't this guy or his underlings have any idea on how to solve or work around this "gap" problem? I mean, one failure in unfamiliar territory might be expected, two failures is understandable, but not three or more. Either something is terribly wrong or this guy is just dispensing BS.

Posted by Bomb-a-rama 2004-06-03 1:39:11 AM|| 2004-06-03 1:39:11 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Hilarious followup to the "French guys singlehandedly almost catching Bin Laden" articles of the past.

If the big AQ baddies did get away, I expect it's because the frogs tipped 'em off.

Posted by someone 2004-06-03 3:04:36 AM|| 2004-06-03 3:04:36 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 "Ah, zees Americains! I do not understand zem! Zey 'ave 'ad three--how you say?--golden opportunities to surrender, an' zey 'ave not taken zem!"

Posted by Mike 2004-06-03 6:33:19 AM|| 2004-06-03 6:33:19 AM|| Front Page Top

#4 I understand the French had Paris in their hands during WWII for a short time. Somehow they let it slip away. . .

Posted by Doc8404 2004-06-03 9:28:21 AM|| 2004-06-03 9:28:21 AM|| Front Page Top

#5 Who's helping the general out here, Inspector Clouseau?

Posted by Raj 2004-06-03 12:25:36 PM|| [http://angrycyclist.blogspot.com] 2004-06-03 12:25:36 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 French? General? What's next, a Muslim hog grower?

Posted by Sorge 2004-06-03 2:51:08 PM|| 2004-06-03 2:51:08 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 What is French for "I missed him by 15 minutes"?

Posted by eLarson 2004-06-03 4:39:52 PM|| 2004-06-03 4:39:52 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Slipped away, did 'e? That's pretty good slippin' for a guy whose been dead for years.

Posted by Parabellum 2004-06-03 6:22:47 PM|| 2004-06-03 6:22:47 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Now I wonder if the Saudi gendarme have French trainning..... come to think of it perhaps it's German training... Dunkirk and all that. We got your ass surrounded! ;)

Posted by Shipman 2004-06-03 7:07:34 PM|| 2004-06-03 7:07:34 PM|| Front Page Top

#10 I'm with you Para. Until I see video of Bin Laden standing in front of evidence to date his continued existence, I say he is dead.

The media and administration walk hand in glove on this issue. While the press has failed to raise the question of his death, the administration would be foolish to declare it without stone cold flesh evidence.

The media likes the story better if he is alive. It satisfies their "wascally wabbit outwits Elmer Fudd" desires. Exactly what evidence is there to say he is alive?

Posted by Zpaz 2004-06-03 8:11:31 PM|| 2004-06-03 8:11:31 PM|| Front Page Top

#11 The more I think about it, the more I find myself thinking if bin Laden were alive, he'd be very much at odds with Zarqawi at the moment for the latter's insistance on targeting Shi'ites in Iraq.

Not to mention the violence going on in Karachi.

Posted by Phil Fraering 2004-06-03 9:12:05 PM|| [http://newsfromthefridge.typepad.com] 2004-06-03 9:12:05 PM|| Front Page Top

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