Daughter says bin Laden captured alive then killed

The Beirut Daily Star ^ | May 5, 2011 | Rima Aboulmona

[2ndDivisionVet]

Osama bin Laden was killed at close range after he had been captured alive by U.S. commandos, one of the al-Qaeda leader’s daughters told investigators, reported a pan-Arab newspaper Thursday.

Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat newspaper said Saffia, bin Laden’s daughter who is believed to be 12 years old, told Pakistani security intelligence while under interrogation that she had witnessed the demise of her father at the hands of U.S. Navy Seals at a compound near the Pakistani capital Islamabad.

President Barack Obama announced Monday that the al-Qaeda leader had been tracked down and killed by U.S. Special Forces in the Pakistan city of Abbottabad Sunday.

Saffia, who was one of several of bin Laden’s family members to survive the May 2 operation, said her father's killing had taken place on the ground floor of the complex, the paper said.

"She saw the Americans capture her father alive, then they shot him at point-blank range in a room at the ground floor," Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat said. "Bin Laden's [body] was dragged toward a helicopter hovering over the compound," it said.

The newspaper said Pakistani authorities had also arrested a woman among the survivors of the commando operation who claimed to be one of bin Laden’s wives.

Speaking to investigators, the woman who identified herself as Amal Ahmad Abul-Fateh, said she had passed out when U.S. forces stormed the compound.

Abul-Fateh, who was wounded in the commando operation, told Pakistani authorities that she was a Yemeni national, the newspaper added.

Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat quoted Pakistani authorities as saying that two other of bin Laden's daughters – Aman, 22 and Mariam, 26 – had been slightly wounded during the 40-minute operation that killed the United States’ most-wanted man.

After medical treatment, the two women were taken to a “secure location,” the daily added.

Ash-Sharq Al-Awsat said Pakistani authorities were facing legal problems in indentifying survivors of bin Laden’s family because they do not have any papers on them, except for bin Laden’s wife, who was carrying a passport issued by the Yemeni government.

It said the Pakistani government announced it would deport bin Laden’s family members to their countries of origin. A Pakistani official, however, said that this measure would be difficult to implement given that the family members do not have any travel documents.

[nuf said]

Of course you mean osama, not obama.

Here is the thing that is really bugging me. Why did they have to come out and say we got Bin Laden? Why not keep it a secret for as long as possible while we go through intel acquired in the raid? Imagine how much more damage we could have done to Al Qaeda.

Guess the pres was more desirous of a boost in the polls. Mission accomplished.

[Allegra]

Oh, yeah....like I’m going to believe something someone named bin Laden says...

[Morgana]

[Chode]

[OriginalChristian]

Wrapped in a gutted pig.