Al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden 'dead'. Again.

[James H. Fetzer]

Peter,

It's called "inference to the best explanation". I have laid out a lot of evidence and the question becomes,
"What makes more sense: that he died on or about 15 December 2001 or that he was killed a few days
ago?" If you can't figure that out, you are not as smart as I have supposed you were. And read post #137.

Jim

EARLIER REPORTS:

Fox News reported Bin Laden's death in Dec. 2001:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,41576,00.html

FOXNEWS.COM HOME > WORLD > NATIONAL
Report: Bin Laden Already Dead
Wednesday, December 26, 2001

Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.

"The Coalition troops are engaged in a mad search operation but they would never be able to fulfill their cherished goal of getting Usama alive or dead," the source said.

Bin Laden, according to the source, was suffering from a serious lung complication and succumbed to the disease in mid-December, in the vicinity of the Tora Bora mountains. The source claimed that bin Laden was laid to rest honorably in his last abode and his grave was made as per his Wahabi belief.

About 30 close associates of bin Laden in Al Qaeda, including his most trusted and
personal bodyguards, his family members and some "Taliban friends," attended the funeral rites. A volley of bullets was also fired to pay final tribute to the "great leader."

The Taliban source who claims to have seen bin Laden's face before burial said "he looked pale ... but calm, relaxed and confident."

Asked whether bin Laden had any feelings of remorse before death, the source vehemently said "no." Instead, he said, bin Laden was proud that he succeeded in his mission of igniting awareness amongst Muslims about hegemonistic designs and conspiracies of "pagans" against Islam. Bin Laden, he said, held the view that the sacrifice of a few hundred people in Afghanistan was nothing, as those who laid their lives in creating an atmosphere of resistance will be adequately rewarded by Almighty Allah.

When asked where bin Laden was buried, the source said, "I am sure that like other places in Tora Bora, that particular place too must have vanished."

The New York Times reported Bin Laden's death in July 2002, six months after
it happened:

The Death of bin Ladenism
By Amir Taheri
Published: July 11, 2002

Osama bin Laden is dead. The news first came from sources in Afghanistan and Pakistan almost six months ago: the fugitive died in December and was buried in the mountains of southeast Afghanistan. Pakistan's president, Pervez Musharraf, echoed the information. The remnants of Osama's gang, however, have mostly stayed silent, either to keep Osama's ghost alive or because they have no means of communication.

With an ego the size of Mount Everest, Osama bin Laden would not have, could not have, remained silent for so long if he were still alive. He always liked to take credit even for things he had nothing to do with. Would he remain silent for nine months and not trumpet his own survival?

Even if he is still in the world, bin Ladenism has left for good. Mr. bin Laden was the public face of a brand of politics that committed suicide in New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001, killing thousands of innocent people in the process.

What were the key elements of that politics?

The first was a cynical misinterpretation of Islam that began decades ago with such anti-Western ideologues as Maulana Maudoodi of Pakistan and Sayyid Qutb of Egypt. Although Mr. Maudoodi and Mr. Qutb were not serious thinkers, they could at least offer a coherent ideology based on a narrow reading of Islamic texts. Their ideas about Western barbarism and Muslim revival, distilled down to bin Ladenism, became mere slogans designed to incite zealots to murder.

People like Mr. Maudoodi and Mr. Qutb could catch the ball and run largely because most Muslim intellectuals of their generation (and later) had no interest in continuing the work of Muslim philosophers. Our intellectuals were too busy learning Western ideologies of one kind or another -- and they left the newly urbanized Muslim masses to the half-baked ideas of men like Mr. Maudoodi and Mr. Qutb and eventually Mr. bin Laden.

Now, however, many Muslim intellectuals are returning home, so to speak. They are rediscovering the philosophical heritage of Islam and the challenges of Muslim political thought. And Maudoodi-Qutbism is now being seen as a pseudo-Islamic version of Western fascism.

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/11/opinio...sheadlines

Jim, with due respect...I'm not 100% convinced as to when he was killed - now or long ago....but either way one needs to explain why they staged the 'killing of OBL' now; and in the manner and location they did! I agree there is much evidence that he's been dead quite a while.....the non-capture and immediate and irrecoverable manner of the 'body disposal' make it all seem that much more suspicious! I wonder if we'll ever be allowed to hear from those who survived the attack. They are notably absent from the 'stage'. Also, the changed story of 'OBL' first resisting with a weapon and then not having a weapon are all very suspicious.....I think the whole story from anti-Soviet days to today smells of lies and disinformation. Our deep political state does not trade in truth...not even their derivatives and futures.

Exactamente Peter!:rocker:

I'm aware of these and other such reports, Jim. I do NOT discount them as true...I have long been inclined to believe they were. I look at it a little differently. Here we have multiple [or two main] reports of OBL's death by the MSM and propaganda apparat. Obviously one of them [or both] are false.....that alone says much. To prove which is true will not be easy, but I'm sure it will happen. I think, at this point, more important is the TIMING and purpose of both of the 'reports'....
NB- much in the early death reports seem convincing. Some [although less at this point]. in the latter death report seem somewhat convincing. The people reporting this are CHRONIC if not CONGENITAL liars.....but in the fullness of time, we will find out. Hey, if they could find the Air France flight recorders, we can find OBL's body at the bottom of the sea....other evidence of the truth exists, but I'd not trust the CIA, Military or USG to tell me anything other than the it was...all else are lies for the purpose of control.