Bin Laden-Dead or Alive?

The Gopher · 15-09-2002 1:00am #1

Its been a year since he shot to prominence but do you still think hes alive?Did he survive Tora Bora?Is he dead?Is he being held in secret at Guantanamo in the hope that his followers will abandon him if they believe hes alive but has severed links with his organisation?If he is alive I predict its a short amount of time before hes caught.In the last few days/weeks his main underbosses in his network have been captured.That brings to at least 3 top figures in custody and one,Ayman Al Zawhiri,possibly in custody after rumours he was captured in Iran.The reason I believe he will soon be caught if hes alive is because hes running out of hiding places.Iran doesnt want him,raids on Pakistani safehouses are geting more frequent,Iraq is about to go the same way as Afghanistan within months,Yemen is currently hosting US Special Ops as is the Phillipines,there are few safe rebel areas of Chechnya to hide in-he really is running out of hiding places.If he is alive and hasent been captured the Americans are very embarrased that they dont know his location-a year ago he was the most dangerous man in the world.Today they like to portray him as the leader of a dead organisation,almost as if saying"Dont worry about Osama.He has no power to order new attacks and he has the embarrasment of being the leader of a defunct terror organisation.Hes suffering as much now as he would if we had him in prison".
So what do you believe and why?

Clintons Cat · 15-09-2002 1:45am

I think he is dead,most of the recent al queedia videos have used osama footage shot before the fall of kandahar.Given the sophistication of OBL as a Media Icon and as a rallying focus to the "cause" not to mention his own meglomania and constant self promotion that has accompanied his rise since the soviet occupation.i find it had to believe he is "lying low".
Since the collapse of the taliban The whole Al Queedia myth has been totally discredited,His followers attempts at hi jackings have been exposed as both amatuerish and abject failiures
If OBL had a follow up strategy to the attrocities of sept 11 he has been unable to implement them.No Al Queedia terrorist attack outside asia with the exception of tunisia has been sucessful.The only way for the Al quedia to regain its momentum is for OBL to make a pronouncement that despite the intervention of the most powerful state on earth he is still alive.In that way he might gain a propaganda victory.
That he didnt use the Psycological Advantage of the Aniversary of Sept 11 to announce his Survival seems to me to be very telling.

Clintons Cat · 15-09-2002 1:50am

here is an article from the times,
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ search for "Ramzi Binalshibh" its the result titled
"Slip of tongue in interview 'betrays secret that bin Laden is dead'"

bugler · 15-09-2002 1:24pm

Don't have the time to read that article, but I'd agree and say it's likely he is dead. If he was alive then surely he would have surfaced to taunt his enemies once more. He could be lying low and intend on resurfacing again but time isn't really his friend now. In fact he has very, very few friends now. Life won't be easy. Maybe he has to settle for a quiet time in rural Pakistan, but I'd tend to think he has died. That or he's in such condition that for him to appear publicly now would demoralise what admirers/followers he has now, and give the impression of weakness.

mike65 · 15-09-2002 1:34pm

I have'nt really thought about whether he's dead or not as it does'nt make much difference to either Bush or the followers of Bin-Liner, either way they'll follow his word. Until someone better comes along...

Mike.

Lemming · 15-09-2002 2:03pm

I think he's still alive for one simple reason.

What better way to make people stop looking for you then to let them think that you're dead.

I think that he's smart enough to know when to lie low and when to stick his head up and taunt and that he's just bidding his time and trying to rebuild or consolodate what resources he has left.

imp · 15-09-2002 2:32pm

I'm not really sure whether I belive he's dead or alive, but I think the U.S. is definitely afraid to say that he's dead a) because they'll probably never know for sure and b) they're afraid it would make a martyr out of him.

}:>

spooky donkey · 16-09-2002 1:10am

who cares its an american problem till the bomg us
and its never peeb proven anyway!

Raskolnikov · 16-09-2002 1:18am

I'll believe he is dead when i see his body

Shinji · 16-09-2002 9:38am

If he /is/ dead, then who loses out most? Al Quaeda, who lose a leader with a massively recognisable face who was dying anyway? Or the USA, who lose the hate figure they've used to rile up their people?

Isn't there a worry that if George Bush stands on the lawn of the White House and presents Bin Laden's head to the cameras of CNN, the people of the USA will say "oh so that's that then, lets bring our boys home"?

I don't think the American Government and Military will admit that Bin Laden is dead until it's in their interests to do so, and right now, it isn't.

netwhizkid · 16-09-2002 7:45pm

To be honest i think Osama Bin-Laden is still alive, if the american ever catch him, the can't execute him or he'd become a martyr and you'd have 9/11 at least every month by his followers, he's like a god to them, hopefully he'll be caught or his body will be found, i would not like to be an american knowing he's at large,

Regards netwhizkid

Caesar_Bojangle · 17-09-2002 9:45pm

I think Osama's bin laughin at all this who shot jr like media interest, without question and beyond doubt he is alive.

bugler · 18-09-2002 4:25pm

Such an emphatic assertion is more grounded in tabloid hyper-bole than logic or reason. He isn't Rasputin.

Clintons Cat · 10-10-2002 1:05pm

Originally posted by Shinji
If he /is/ dead, then who loses out most? Al Quaeda, who lose a leader with a massively recognisable face who was dying anyway? Or the USA, who lose the hate figure they've used to rile up their people?

Isn't there a worry that if George Bush stands on the lawn of the White House and presents Bin Laden's head to the cameras of CNN, the people of the USA will say "oh so that's that then, lets bring our boys home"?

I don't think the American Government and Military will admit that Bin Laden is dead until it's in their interests to do so, and right now, it isn't.

the director of the institute for strategic studies,himself a former Head of the Cia was on radio four on wednesday making that exact point.]
If the US Government was really serious about finding Osama because they thought he was still alive or a threat they would be focusing their attention on pakistan rather than Iraq.

odee · 11-10-2002 11:10pm

Well I have it on good authority that he is alive and well and driving around Cobh in a Renault Clio.....:)

adnans · 15-10-2002 12:20am

apparently, he's still alive and fat. probably from eating lots of western children in his cave of evil.

adnans

clit commander · 24-10-2002 3:23pm

i can officially announce that bin laden is dead.killed with my bare hands.boy did he meet his match.he will not bother u again,trust me.go in peace good citizen and spread the seed

amp · 24-10-2002 3:30pm

odee and clit commander. If you want to post drivel, do it elsewhere

clit commander · 24-10-2002 3:52pm

hey amp or lamp or wotever u wanna call urself, how dare u condemn my right to freedom of speech.go hang ur head in shame or better still just go and hang urself u little anti-christ

seamus · 24-10-2002 4:00pm

Worst. troll. Evar.

/me waits for deletage of this post

swiss · 24-10-2002 5:26pm

LOL,

this is far too funny

how dare u condemn my right to freedom of speech.go hang ur head in shame or better still just go and hang urself u little anti-christ

amp · 24-10-2002 9:32pm

Ah I just saw this now. Even more reason for banning him.

Lets get back on topic now folks.

Samba · 27-10-2002 12:24am

What ever happend to that story about the U.S wanting dental records from his family?

The Gopher · 31-10-2002 6:22pm

Wow,that clears up so many unanwsered questions.,Where would we be without experts to guide us?

amp · 01-11-2002 9:42am

Interesting question. I'm not sure. I'll ask an expert.

Kambika · 18-11-2002 3:58pm

I think he is at some place where nobody expects him to be. Probably had a facial operation, loads of money and lives a happy life !

The Gopher · 18-11-2002 6:26pm

Yes I think he has drastically altered his appearence-cut off the beard,put on alot of weight etc etc.That is most probably the reason he hasnt released a video in ages,just taped messages like the one delivered last week.He wants people to know he is alive but he cannot be seen as it would only make the hunt for him easier.For all we know he is living quite publicly in Pakistan,but nobody recognises him.

amp · 19-11-2002 1:40pm

Organic, if you have a problem with me, pm me or post on Admin. It's in the charter.

Further off-topic bleatings will result in your second banning, Mr Commander.

Bin Laden-Dead or Alive?

Comments