Official: US Capture of bin Laden close

[bob_barron 0]

Official: U.S. Capture of bin Laden Close

 

Sat Sep 4, 1:38 PM ET

 

 

By MATTHEW PENNINGTON, Associated Press Writer

 

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) in the last two months, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said in a television interview broadcast Saturday.

 

 

 

"If he has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. He will be caught," Joseph Cofer Black, the U.S. State Department coordinator for counterterrorism, told private Geo television network.

 

 

Asked if concrete progress had been made during the last two months — when Pakistan has arrested dozens of terror suspects including some key al-Qaida operatives — Black said, "Yes, I would say this."

 

 

Black, who briefed a group of Pakistani journalists after talks with officials here Friday, said he could not predict exactly when bin Laden and other top al-Qaida fugitives would be nabbed.

 

 

"What I tell people, I would be surprised but not necessarily shocked if we wake up tomorrow and he's been caught along with all his lieutenants. That can happen because of the programs and infrastructure in place," he told Geo.

 

 

Bin Laden and his top associate, Ayman al-Zawahri, are believed to be hiding some place along the rugged border between Pakistan and Afghanistan (news - web sites). Officials have divulged no solid intelligence about bin Laden's precise whereabouts, and it's not clear if they have any.

 

 

Pakistan is a key ally of the United States in its war on terror, and Black's visit comes weeks after Pakistani security forces captured Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a Tanzanian wanted for the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in east Africa, and Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan, a Pakistani computer expert allegedly linked to al-Qaida operatives around the world.

 

 

The arrests led to a terror warning in the United States, and arrests in Britain and the United Arab Emirates.

 

 

Black attended a meeting of the Pakistan-U.S. Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism and Law Enforcement in Islamabad on Thursday and Friday.

 

 

During the talks, Pakistan asked U.S. officials for more helicopters, surveillance and communications equipment to help Pakistani forces guard border areas near Afghanistan "more efficiently," a Pakistani official at the talks said.

 

 

"We got a positive response from the American officials," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

 

 

Pakistan has deployed about 70,000 troops along the Afghan border and conducted several military operations this year in its lawless and largely autonomous tribal regions against al-Qaida suspects and their local supporters.

 

 

Black hailed Pakistan's efforts in counterterrorism — despite criticism from Western officials who say that elements of the former ruling Taliban regime in Afghanistan still operate inside Pakistan.

 

 

"In terms of national programs and effectiveness, I would put Pakistan up against anyone else ... If you look at the arrests they have made, the information they have developed and the lives that have been saved, Pakistan is doing a great job," he said.

 

 

He added, however, that, "you can always do more."

[DerangedHermit 0]

Yeah, it's getting close to November.

[Guest JMA]

I have a feeling bin Laden would take the Hitler route and commit suicide before he's captured. The guy is a gutless coward.

[k thx 0]

Surely it would take more guts to kill yourself than not...

[EricMM 0]

If he's caught in October and/or November, of course people are going to call shenannigans. We've been looking for him for three years and we just happen to find him when a new election comes around?

 

Coincidence or not, it doesn't look good. The pure and honest truth would still look like crap in those circumstances.

[cabbageboy 0]

It would be so funny to me if we catch Bin Laden and it actually HURT Bush in the polls because everyone would realize what bullshit it is that we got him conveniently in time for the election.

 

I've been worrying about this for about 2 years actually, that we'd screw around intentionally for a long time and get Bin Laden right in time for the election.

[Guest Smell the ratings!!!]

well all year everyone though they were saving him for October, so if they get him in September mayby it'll throw off the dopes. Or maybe it's a coincidence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ok, I was kidding on the last part.

[jesse_ewiak 0]

Who is this Osama person? Is he a criminal or something? I haven't heard anybody in the White House mention his name so he can't be too bad. :-)

[NoCalMike 0]

hey, wait, I though Saddam Hussein was responsible for 9/11.........who is this Osama fella?

 

Seriously though, it will be a good thing that he is caught no matter WHEN it happens, but come fucking on........if this isn't a goddamn coincidence, not to mention predicted about a year a half ago....then I dunno what is........

[2GOLD 0]

Good.

You should forget him since he's not the end all of terrorist and it would nice if the American public didn't think once we get him that we are safe. Cause we won't be. Will we be a little safer with him out? Maybe, unless his new #2 is more dangerous than him.

 

I don't care when we get him, it's better to bring down the entire organization rather than the figurehead. Cause I know some in America who will say, "Bin Laden is gone! This is no longer our problem!" the minute he is caught.

 

We'll either get him now or we'll get him later. But he's just a single fish in the huge damn ocean of trouble.

[Highland 0]

Agreed.

 

And the AP is rapidly losing credibility with me. It's becoming a propaganda piece reporting speculation as fact. Bin Laden hasn't been captured, and it is only speculation that his capture is iminent.

[cabbageboy 0]

I remember during the initial BS Afghan operation when we came THIS close to catching Bin Laden, only to screw the pooch and let him slip through our fingers.

 

As I said, no one is really thinking about Bin Laden right now. He hasn't been on the news in ages, so if he's captured so close to the election it'll look really bad.

 

I'm kinda torn about it. Frankly, I was hoping Kerry would win the election, then we could catch Bin Laden in Jan. All this time I've had the sad feeling that we could nab Bin Laden anytime we felt like it, but chose not to in order to give Bush a boost in 2004 for the election. But maybe I'm too cynical.

[kkktookmybabyaway 0]

How many times have we been "this close" to nabbing him? I'll believe it when I see them drag him out of his cave with a net, much like they did with that Brain Bug in "Starship Troopers..."

[Guest Brian]

He's been on ice since February.

[Toshiaki Koala 0]

Echoing kkk's thoughts (!), I see no reason to believe we're any closer to capturing him than last time we got one of these reports (read: about last month).

[Vyce 0]

How many times have we been "this close" to nabbing him? I'll believe it when I see them drag him out of his cave with a net, much like they did with that Brain Bug in "Starship Troopers..."

If they do that, they MUST have Neil Patrick Harris on standby to provide commentary.

 

"They.....they're afraid of us!!!"

[CBright7831 0]

We shouldn't even know about this.

[Styles 0]

Exactly, when they get him, it will be news.

[Guest Vitamin X]

If we're SO CLOSE to capturing him... WHY THE HELL ARE WE REPORTING IT ALL OVER THE WORLD?! Yeah, let's just let him know he's almost caught. That won't hurt any, no.

[Guest SP-1]

If we're SO CLOSE to capturing him... WHY THE HELL ARE WE REPORTING IT ALL OVER THE WORLD?! Yeah, let's just let him know he's almost caught. That won't hurt any, no.

Because if the government doesn't disclose all of it's information to the public it's wrong or something. Someone, somewhere, will cry foul somehow.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Once we capture Osama, we can throw him in the same cell with his BUTT buddy Saddam.

[Vern Gagne 0]

I remember during the initial BS Afghan operation when we came THIS close to catching Bin Laden, only to screw the pooch and let him slip through our fingers.

 

As I said, no one is really thinking about Bin Laden right now. He hasn't been on the news in ages, so if he's captured so close to the election it'll look really bad.

 

I'm kinda torn about it. Frankly, I was hoping Kerry would win the election, then we could catch Bin Laden in Jan. All this time I've had the sad feeling that we could nab Bin Laden anytime we felt like it, but chose not to in order to give Bush a boost in 2004 for the election. But maybe I'm too cynical.

The History Channel had a special and a Afghan reporter said someone who had been traveling with Bin Laden said he wasn't cornered and was already into Pakistan.

 

No it won't. An overwhelming majority of Americans will be happy Bin Laden is caught. They won't think twice about the timing.

 

Truth be told. I don't think they know where he is. If he's still active, he's not communicating electronically and considering how massive the area he's alleged to be in it's not going to be easy finding him. Hell, he could be dead. They could of burned his body and we'll never know for sure.

[BX 0]

It would be so funny to me if we catch Bin Laden and it actually HURT Bush in the polls because everyone would realize what bullshit it is that we got him conveniently in time for the election.

HA. I wouldn't count on it. You're putting way too much faith in your fellow Americans.

[Positively Kanyon 0]

No it won't. An overwhelming majority of Americans will be happy Bin Laden is caught. They won't think twice about the timing.

I'm an outsider but even I would still think that if OBL is caught between now and November, the timing would be considered too convenient. Americans are a cynical bunch of people.

 

If he was caught now, even Little Johnny Howard down under here would latch onto it for political gain.

[Vyce 0]

It would be so funny to me if we catch Bin Laden and it actually HURT Bush in the polls because everyone would realize what bullshit it is that we got him conveniently in time for the election.

HA. I wouldn't count on it. You're putting way too much faith in your fellow Americans.

Does it even fucking matter?

 

If the end result is that we catch him, does it even really matter if helps Bush or not? I mean, God forbid such an action helps Bush in the polls - I'll just be happy the son of a bitch is finally in our custody. I could give two shits if it helps out the president's approval ratings or not.

[Your Paragon of Virtue 0]

If we're SO CLOSE to capturing him... WHY THE HELL ARE WE REPORTING IT ALL OVER THE WORLD?! Yeah, let's just let him know he's almost caught. That won't hurt any, no.

Because if the government doesn't disclose all of it's information to the public it's wrong or something. Someone, somewhere, will cry foul somehow.

That's no excuse. The American government isn't so wimp-ish that they would risk the results of a major terrorist capture for the sake of a few conspiracy theorists.

[Guest CronoT]

As far as I'm concerned, bin Laden should be strapped to the business end of a large naval gun, and shot to allah. Our justice system will be less psychotic, most likely, but that's what it will probably boil down to. Anything less than the death sentence would be seen as weakness in the eyes of those Arabic butchers.

[Justice 0]

It would be so funny to me if we catch Bin Laden and it actually HURT Bush in the polls because everyone would realize what bullshit it is that we got him conveniently in time for the election.

HA. I wouldn't count on it. You're putting way too much faith in your fellow Americans.

Ha! You put too much faith in your own personal superiority...

 

I just want to see him captured so all the people on this board who thought the best thing for the War on Terror was to concentrate on him suddenly say "Well... He wasn't the REAL problem..."

 

Surely it would take more guts to kill yourself than not...

 

It takes a stronger man to live with the consequences of his actions than to end everything in an instant.

[Highland 0]

As far as I'm concerned, bin Laden should be strapped to the business end of a large naval gun, and shot to allah. Our justice system will be less psychotic, most likely, but that's what it will probably boil down to. Anything less than the death sentence would be seen as weakness in the eyes of those Arabic butchers.

It would also make him a martyr in the eyes of those butchers. I would keep him alive , but hold him at an undisclosed location and extract everything he knows about Al-Qaeda and its cells. Only when I had extracted all the information I needed from him would I have him killed.

 

 

By strapping a bomb belt on him and having him make one of his televised speeches to his followers.

[Guest CronoT]

As far as I'm concerned, bin Laden should be strapped to the business end of a large naval gun, and shot to allah. Our justice system will be less psychotic, most likely, but that's what it will probably boil down to. Anything less than the death sentence would be seen as weakness in the eyes of those Arabic butchers.

It would also make him a martyr in the eyes of those butchers. I would keep him alive , but hold him at an undisclosed location and extract everything he knows about Al-Qaeda and its cells. Only when I had extracted all the information I needed from him would I have him killed.

 

 

By strapping a bomb belt on him and having him make one of his televised speeches to his followers.

Irony, she is a bitch.