US scotches reports on bin Laden's capture

Deepikaglobal.com ^ | 21 February 2004

[MegaSilver]

Washington, Feb 21 (UNI) The US has scotched reports coming out of Pakistan that its forces have captured Osama bin Laden.

''That would be news to everybody in this room. No, I haven't heard anything -- haven't heard anything like that,'' spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters at the White House here yesterday.

Asked to clarify what prompted President Pervez Musharraf to say a couple of weeks ago that Pakistani forces would have bin Laden by the year-end, the spokesman said, ''I speak for the President.

Obviously, I don't speak for President Musharraf.'' As for whether the capture of bin Landen would signal the end of the war on terrorism, McClellan said the war on terrorism would continue.

''And obviously, we have made significant progress in the war on terrorism. But as the President has said, this is something that is not going to be won overnight.'' He pointed out that the US and its allies had already either ''captured or otherwise gotten rid of two-thirds of the al Qaeda leadership and we continue to pursue other members of al Qaeda, including Osama bin Laden.'' ''We will find him [bin Laden] and we will bring him to justice.

[Common Tator]

''That would be news to everybody in this room. No, I haven't heard anything -- haven't heard anything like that,'' spokesman Scott McClellan told reporters at the White House here yesterday.

Isn't that an interesting denial. He did not say "That is not true. We have not captured Osama."

He said it would be news to everybody in this room. That is not saying anything at all. He also said he hadn't heard anything like that. Do you suppose he read anything like that?

I start kind wondering when people use non denial denials.

It is also true that press secretaries are often kept out of the loop, so they can honestly deny things that may be true.

He could have just been been saying, "It could be true, but if it is no one has told me."

The ohter possibility is we are letting on like we may know where Osama is hoping to get him to move and show himself.

But the Bush administration has stopped using the routine of "We don't know where he is, but we are going to find him."

But what they are saying now sure sounds like weasel words.

[OldFriend]

The other possibility is that your tin foil hat is a bit too tight.

[cajungirl]

I agree with Tator but then again my hat is a bit tight too.

[JLS]

Come on, everyone knows we have him at Gitmo waiting to announce his capture this October.

[Fighting Irish]

How many malts for that scotch?

[Pedrobud]

Hope you are right JLS. If it keeps Kerry out of the WHite House, DO IT !!

[Always Right]

Come on, everyone knows we have him at Gitmo waiting to announce his capture this October.

Hey, no leaking confidential information. Someone may read it.

[JLS]

M. Aldumb told me. Is that still classified? Afterall only 10 million others heard the report from that source.

[dc-zoo]

If our guys have taken him alive it makes sense that they will take their time interrogating him to dismantle the Al Queda network. The announcement wouldn't come until the time was right.

[txhurl]

Who-are-these-1998-people bump.

[SaxxonWoods]

Greetings. OBL captured by Special Ops Forces in Iran in mid/late January. Italians handled diplomatic courier role during critical period. (Note call from Italian Foreign Minister to Colin Powell on Jan. 23, just after FM left Iran.

Cover story of Afghan/Pak border "capture" being put in place to hide Iran's complicity.

Note that Bush has always said "we are on the hunt for bin Laden" but when asked recently by Tim Russert what he (Bush) knew about OBL's whereabouts, Bush refused to comment. That's because he didn't want to lie.

[MamaLucci]

Welcome to FreeRepublic. I hope your inside info is correct.