Bin Laden may be unable to command: Rumsfeld

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden may no longer be able to run the militant network and has not been heard from for nearly a year, U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said on Wednesday. Rumsfeld said on a trip to Pakistan that the Bush administration still considers it a priority to capture the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, who is believed to be hiding somewhere in the mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

"I think it is interesting that we haven't heard from him for close to a year," Rumsfeld told reporters en route to Islamabad. "I don't know what it means, but I suspect in any event if he is alive and functioning that he is sending a major fraction of his time trying to avoid being caught," Rumsfeld said.

"I have trouble believing he is able to operate sufficiently to be in a position of major command over a worldwide al Qaeda operation, but I could be wrong," he said. Rumsfeld's comments echoed earlier assessments by the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan Crocker, but contradicted the assertion of al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri in a video interview earlier this month that bin Laden's battle against the West was only just beginning. Said Rumsfeld, "We just don't know".

The most recent al Qaeda message from bin Laden came on December 27, 2004, when Al Jazeera television broadcast a videotape in which he urged Iraqis to boycott elections the following month. Rumsfeld's visit to Pakistan, an ally in the U.S. war on terrorism, is intended to reinforce America's support and assess U.S. relief operations after an October earthquake which killed 73,000 people. His visit comes a day after a similar trip by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.

http://today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=fundLaunches&storyID=2005-12-21T040435Z_01_KRA114630_RTRUKOC_0_US-SECURITY-BINLADEN.xml

It's something Bush and Osama Bin Laden have in common. So much of who they are in public is pure fiction.

you also said you knew where the weapons were....remember ?

on another thread. Just popped into my head. Great minds...

Great minds, indeed!

:toast:

...knew that several years ago, the guy been dead for about 4 years now.

probably kidney failure

unless cave dialysis technology (maybe via satellite?) has vastly improved

he may have never left that hospital he was in (and visited by US feds) ...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/waronterror/story/0,1361,584444,00.html

Four years after we entered WWII Hitler was not only unable to command, he was a burnt corpse in a bombed out bunker. Bin Laden seems to be comfy in his mountain resort, but not in touch with the troops. In another ten years or so, what with his bad kidneys and all, he will likely be dead from natural causes. Hopefully Rummy can be interviewed from his comfy cell in Belgium about that event and give us some more of his insightful comments.

Any excuse to remind Americans of TERRRRRAAAAAH!!!

"we haven't heard from him for close to a year".

So, does Bin Laden just call up Rummy and check on how things are going? What's the next Boogey man stunt for the American people, to scare the bejeezuz out of them?

Seriously, I can't get away from these two idiot. Cheney, Rumsfailed. They're always in the news. I'm going to move to a deserted island so I can get away from them.

King of the mihop control center.

We have any Arabic speakers/readers here to see if this translation is right?

Translation of Funeral Article in Egyptian Paper:
al-Wafd, Wednesday, December 26, 2001 Vol 15 No 4633

News of Bin Laden's Death
and Funeral 10 days ago

Islamabad -
A prominent official in the Afghan Taleban movement announced yesterday the death of Osama bin Laden, the chief of al-Qa'da organization, stating that binLaden suffered serious complications in the lungs and died a natural and quiet death. The official, who asked to remain anonymous, stated to The Observer of Pakistan that he had himself attended the funeral of bin Laden and saw his face prior to burial in Tora Bora 10 days ago. He mentioned that 30 of al-Qa'da fighters attended the burial as well as members of his family and some friends from the Taleban. In the farewell ceremony to his final rest guns were fired in the air. The official stated that it is difficult to pinpoint the burial location of bin Laden because according to the Wahhabi tradition no mark is left by the grave. He stressed that it is unlikely that the American forces would ever uncover any traces of bin Laden.




<http://www.welfarestate.com/binladen/funeral/>

A died-in-the-wool ex-military genius like Rumsy sure would know.


:sarcasm:

That doesn't make it true.

said too many for too long. We don't need chicken hawks running our military.

its been a loooooooong time. ZARQAWI is the NEW bugbear. i think this is because of bush's mentioning bin laden recently, they need to pretend they still care.

of spin?

video he released Friday before the election in Nov 04. Of course we're not going to hear from him. I would love to know the details of the deal they cut with Bin Laden.

Seems if it's not done in the CIA's own studio we hardly get to hear about it.

December 16, 2005
Osama video draws U.S. skepticism
By AP

WASHINGTON -- U.S. officials are treating skeptically a report on an Afghan news site about a new video showing Osama bin Laden.

The story from Pajhwok Afghan News, dated Tuesday, describes a new 30-minute tape with a message from Taliban commander Mullah Dodallah and the al-Qaida leader, according to the IntelCenter, a U.S. government contractor that does work for intelligence agencies.

A U.S. counterterrorism official, who spoke only on condition of anonymity in compliance with office policy, said the government could not confirm the tape's existence, but added officials were aware of the media report. U.S. authorities are viewing it skeptically, the official said.

http://www.edmontonsun.com/News/World/2005/12/16/1355855-sun.html

:kick:

Hope this is not a dupe, my threads keep getting locked even if they are 1st or last:shrug:

What's your damned point, Rumsfeld?

can accomplish.

Agree with you..."and your point is what, Rumtata?"

Why don't you look in the mirror. 'Unable to command" fits most everybody in the whole (mis)administration.

Not sure which headline is more correct.

since the moran who promised justice for the terra-ists is also unable to command.

Cheers
Drifter

Weren't we trying to get him dead or alive a few years back? Ah, how innocent we were then...

worldwide operation."

but if he's "disabled," it's not b/c of anything you and your incompetent goons did, now, is it Rum-filled?

I think the doddering idiot, and Cheney as well, are actually bemoaning the fact that their little construct "Osama bin Laden" hasn't given them any good material lately. Probably secret code to initiate the latest black ops "al Qaeda" "terrorist attack."

And what the hell does "major fraction" of his time mean?

a tee, everything is going pretty much as planned. Why it's almost as if you and Shrubco are working with him - nah, can't be. :eyes:

hasn't given Rumsfeld a clue if OBL is alive or dead?

"I think it is interesting that we haven't heard from him for close to a year," Rumsfeld told reporters en route to Islamabad. "I don't know what it means, but I suspect in any event if he is alive and functioning that he is sending a major fraction of his time trying to avoid being caught," Rumsfeld said.

"I have trouble believing he is able to operate sufficiently to be in a position of major command over a worldwide al Qaeda operation, but I could be wrong," he said. Rumsfeld's comments echoed earlier assessments by the U.S. ambassador to Pakistan, Ryan Crocker, but contradicted the assertion of al Qaeda's deputy leader, Ayman al-Zawahri in a video interview earlier this month that bin Laden's battle against the West was only just beginning. Said Rumsfeld, "We just don't know".



Its a disgrace that 4+ years after 9/11 the Secretary of Defense issues a statement confirming he has no friggin' clue if OBL is dead or alive and plotting more terror attacks. Regardless if you think OBL is a figment of their imagination or that Afghanistan was a stepping stone for a PNAC plan to get into Iraq, catching OBL and bringing him to justice for the 9/11 attacks is what triggered the whole 'War on Terror' to begin with. I'm sorry - this is simply not good enough for me. Its not good enough for me that Rumsfeld is so cavalier when musing about the status of the person they claim is responsible for the murder of 3000 Americans. I'm supposed to be fucking satisfied that he just doesn't know?!?