Bin Laden Dead?????

[superally]

Is Osama bin Laden dead?

Has he really died of typhoid? robert fox weighs the claim and its implications

Osama bin Laden, charismatic founder of al-Qaeda, died of typhoid earlier this month in Pakistan, according to a highly classified intelligence brief given to the King of Saudi Arabia and President Chirac this week, and leaked to the French newspaper L'Est Republicain.

The chief of the terror group was known to have been suffering from acute typhoid and seeking treatment in Pakistan in mid-August. This was picked up and tracked by Saudi intelligence services. The same sources, said by the French to be very reliable, believe he later died.

The powerful Pakistani intelligence agency the ISI - at times virtually a parallel government, instrumental among other things in founding the Taliban - has not confirmed the report. "We have no information on Osama's death," a senior Pakistan Interior Ministry official said on Saturday morning.

Bin Laden last appeared on video in 2004. A few poor-quality audio tapes purporting to be of his voice surfaced earlier this year - but it was impossible to say when the original recordings were made.

The reaction of the bin Laden command cell of al-Qaeda to the fifth anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks was surprisingly muted and unfocused. It said al-Qaeda would attack "American targets" again, and that all Americans should "convert to Islam".

Lets hope so eh!:

[paddy]

Why do stories like this ALWAYS get leaked to the French media?

Anyways, lets hope he is dead, I'd be surprised if he's still alive.

[boro_boy]

We've heard this all before haven't we?

[hailhail7]

Panorama did a similar story some time ago. The Americans were trying to get DNA to prove that it was him that died. But seeing as we have never heard anything definitive then I'd presume they have failed to do this. Besides, I don't think whether he's alive or not makes much difference now. The terrorist franchise is well organised without him.

[Nafe]

Originally Posted by hailhail7

Panorama did a similar story some time ago. The Americans were trying to get DNA to prove that it was him that died. But seeing as we have never heard anything definitive then I'd presume they have failed to do this. Besides, I don't think whether he's alive or not makes much difference now. The terrorist franchise is well organised without him.

I agree, its leaked into mosques in and out of England, its become lucrative and doesn't need a 'big' leader to carry it on.

Still, would be nice to know hes pissed off somewhere else.

[superally]

better him die in a way like this rather than become a martyr.