October, to provide the Bush campaign the biggest bump possible. And if it truly happens then, watch the conspiracy theories fly...with very good reason. October 31st....what better day than Halloween?
There was an article today saying that the French almost nabbed him...Voulez-vous manger le crow, M. le President?
Is this the story? If so, it doesn't detail anything unique being done by French troops to almost capture bin Laden. Reads more like: <i>Almost the Right Place at Almost the Right Time.</i> <a HREF="http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=4567775§ion=news">France: Bin Laden Nearly Caught in Afghanistan</a> <i> PARIS (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden has escaped capture in Afghanistan several times and may be linked in some way to the Madrid train attacks that killed 200 people, France's chief of defense staff said Monday. <b> Gen. Henri Bentegeat said about 200 French troops were operating with U.S. forces in southeastern Afghanistan against the Taliban and bin Laden's al Qaeda.</b> The Saudi-born militant is thought to be there or just across the border in Pakistan. "Our men were not very far. On several occasions, I even think he slipped out of a net that was quite well closed," he told Europe 1 radio. He did not specify a time frame. Bentegeat, who spoke as if he were sure bin Laden was in Afghanistan, said the country's difficult terrain explained why it was so hard to catch the world's most wanted man. "In Afghanistan, the terrain is extremely favorable to escapes, there are underground networks everywhere," he said. The general said it was essential that bin Laden be caught. "He symbolizes September 11 and is certainly not completely innocent in what happened in Madrid," he said, making a link between the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington and the Spanish train bombings last Thursday. But he added that arresting bin Laden "would not change things directly. (Al Qaeda) is a hydra with many heads. If we catch one head, there will be others." Bentegeat said the minute preparations needed for the Madrid bombings were "the clearest indication" that al Qaeda was probably behind them. He said the threat of Islamic radicalism was spreading beyond the Middle East. "It's a phenomenon we're seeing step by step in Africa," he said, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. "Then there are countries that are adrift, that we are trying to help to not sink, such as Ivory Coast or the Central African Republic," he added. Asked about security in France, Bentegeat said French fighter jets could scramble in less than two minutes to confront any intrusion into the country's air space. "Not a day goes by with at least one patrol that takes off to go check an airplane that has strayed off its path or doesn't respond by radio," he said. </i>
That was it. I didn't think or suppose that anything unique was being done, just my recollection of a wire story followed by a musing.
Years of reading the comics has taught me that the French excel at desert warfare, I imagine this special unit has been deployed:
You forgot to put the poll option "Never" . I probably would have voted for that one at the rate things are going. I have almost come to the conclusion that the reason Al Qaeda always indicates that "the Sheik" is well and in the Afghan-Pakistan border region is because he is nowhere near that area. He's probably holed up in some house in Yemen or somewhere. Why would they even indicate where he was at all in their statements if their intent wasn't one to mislead on OBL's whereabouts? It's not like their known for their honesty. Or, OBL...the most elusive man alive in the Afghan/Pakistan border region. Where in the world is OBL? Connect the dots from hole to hole to hole to sub-hole to hole to sub-hole to sub-sub-hole. Bah!!!!!!
Despite the easy target France seems to be for redicule around here, from reading Mango's post it would seem that the French are very much involved in trying to nab bin Laden, are very concerned about protecting their own airspace, and are doing what they can in North and West Africa to combat Islamic radicals, an area where they have long had interest and influence. You would never know it from most of what you read around here.
I vote never. The Republicans should be careful for what they ask for. If OBL is found in October-ish, no doubt that this will be a huge plus for GWB and his poll numbers but ... Ramadan violence in Iraq around election time would have the opposiite, sobbering effect. Ramadan violence in Iraq is much more likely than OBL being captured.
France is a joke. Announcing to the world that they almost caught Osama only benefits two people. Naive believers in the French cause, and Osama Bin Laden for knowing where they were.
....actually, it's three: it benefits the US, for providing badly needed troops to serve in Afghanistan.
I'd vote for never if it was there. I think the guy is not even in the same region their looking. And hey, if Saddam can have look-a-likes, why not osama?
This nothing more than liberal conspiracy theorists searching for an "October Surprise." I know you people are desperate because Kerry is a bum, but really! Nothing to see......move along.
Iran was claiming that Osama has already been captured and that we're just holding onto him for the best possible bump in the Bush polls. Not to be believed, but it feeds into what many of us suspect. I'm surprised he would be in Afghanistan. He's been the administration's favorite boogeyman, and he has served a great purpose in giving this administration its pretext to invade....well, just about anybody. I think we're going after Canada next. Those f***ers. Medical care for all and no guns? And some of them even speak French! As a first language! Should be interesting. 9/11 should have never happened but Bush gets favorable ratings after the incident. Will he pull Osama out of a hat in time to save his A in November? It's not as if Osama will be allowed to give testimony as to where he's been, what he's done before and since 9/11, how he had to send that Christmas present back to the Carlyle Group ("Dear George the Elder, Thank you for the thought [glad it wasn't ticking, ha ha!] but what part of 'Muslim' do you not grasp?")
So far today I've seen posited in this forum that: - the victorious party in the Spanish elections could have been behind the Madrid bombings; - the U.S. government was somehow involved in 9/11; - OBL's potential capture is merely an election gimick. The cynicism is disturbing.
