Dave Taylor: Fox reporter's whereabouts may indicate bin Laden capture imminent

Naples Daily News Columnists ^ | February 27, 2004 | DAVE TAYLOR

[Anti-Bubba182]

Dave Taylor: Fox reporter's whereabouts may indicate bin Laden capture imminent

By DAVE TAYLOR, Special to the Daily News
February 27, 2004

"I have a feeling that Osama bin Laden is about to be captured. The reason behind this prediction is that Fox News Channel's Bret Baier is reporting from the Afghanistan-Pakistan border on military operations in the area. It's my feeling that Baier, the national security correspondent for the network, was sent to the area on a tip from the Bush administration. Why would he be there otherwise?

Since Fox seems to be more pro-Bush than any of the other news organizations, it seems to be a reasonable conclusion that he might have some inside information. Military officials have already denied that they have bin Laden cornered. What better pre-election news would there be for Bush than to have bin Laden in U.S. hands before voters go to the polls. Keep an eye out for breaking news...."

[Anti-Bubba182]

This is Taylor's speculation, but he may have a point.

[Petronski]

I love timely rumors, especially--as now--when they are indicated as rumors. Thanks.

[Betaille]

"to have bin Laden in U.S. hands before voters go to the polls"

Yes... so the politically opportune time to catch him would be in about 7 months. This is as silly as saying that Saddams capture came at a politically convinient time for Bush.

[dc-zoo]

From Dave Taylor's mouth to God's ear. Sure hope his hunch is right. That would sure shut the dumbocrats up for a while.

[Mo1]

Wow .. I didn't know Bret Baier was so important

[GeronL]

I hope they didn't tip off the bad guys and make them run and ..oh.. they'll be noticed

[HAL9000]

Taylor is probably watching for U.S. helicopters operating on the Pakistan frontier.

When they're actually closing in on Osama - Fox will send Geraldo.

[Qwinn]

"That would sure shut the dumbocrats up for a while."

Hahahahah. You don't -really- believe that, do you? They'll scream -louder-.

Qwinn

[HAL9000]

Taylor is probably watching...

Should be: Baier is probably watching...

[isom35]

he's not. Jennifer Eccelston is though. Urgent memo to fox:
Get Jennifer back on the air more often.

[Keith in Iowa]

>>...but he may have a point.

If he wore a hat, no one would see it...especially a tin-foil hat. Baier is there because Rummy is.

[ping jockey]

It would warm the recesses of my heart if they could get vidieo of him running, screaming like a little girl just before a 50 cal cuts him in half. Then run in for the closeup and get HIS LAST FREAKING GURGLE ON TAPE for me to play when I am feeling blue.

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

This is as silly as saying that Saddams capture came at a politically convinient time for Bush.

I agree, but one has to acknowledge that Saddam's capture came at a politically inconvenient time for Dean. That's what Deano gets for betting against our troops--poetic justice.

[RWR8189]

The day after bin laden is caught, the dims will demand to know what took so long, and demand we turn him over to the Hague.

[ping jockey]

Trying unsuccesfully to not be consumed by hate for these dogs. Do you think therapy would help?Oh darn talking to myself again.

[rewrite]

I'm with ya' on that one! Just don't put her where she can get hurt...

[river rat]

"That would sure shut the dumbocrats up for a while.

Dreamer!
The chronic whiners would simply pick another issue to cry about ----- or challenge....

Just stop listening to them, for any purpose other than to agitate them or laugh at their misery.....

Semper Fi

[Mr. Mojo]

Before Saddam's capture the Rats were constantly grumbling about the fact that the administration hadn't yet caught either him OR bin Laden. After we pulled him out of his hole, one would think that they'd now change focus to bin Laden. But they haven't, perhaps because they know that if they do, and we make the capture (which now seems likely), they'll look like two times the fool.

[JennysCool]

Just stop listening to them, for any purpose other than to agitate them or laugh at their misery.....

That's the correct response. Ignore the bratty child and he stops acting up.

[DakotaGator]

Taylor's underlying point seems to be; "Important events await the media."

How arrogant.

[KingNo155]

bump

[zarf]

To hell with damn election. I hope our guys fry the son of a bitch 10 times over.

[Cap Huff]

I think there is a good chance that all of the news agencies [not just Fox] are being specifically alerted to the strong possibility of big news coming.

I have been curious about the use of certain phrases to describe what is happening in Afghanistan. In particular, there is a weird use of the expression “sands in the hourglass . . . running out.” This has happened repeatedly for the last month. I detail a number of examples here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085572/posts?page=17#17

The expression kind of jumps out at you. Explanations:

1) General Barno's favorite expression and everyone under his command starts to mimic him. That happens a lot in the military. Nothing but a cliche.

2) It is an unofficial code word to the press in the area that lets them know that the operation is on track as planned. Be prepared to respond to the breaking news. Don't leave for R & R right now. Make sure your satellite links work, etc. [Right now this is the explanation that I favor.]

3) Pure coincidence.

4) ???

[ClancyJ]

I don't think the administration would give any forewarning to the press. As we all know - the press acts as an enemy - not an ally.

Of course, it is their job to sniff out the news. Maybe they will gather available hints.

[cartoonistx]

When they're actually closing in on Osama - Fox will send Geraldo.

This is Geraldo Rivera reporting live from just outside Osama Bin Laden's locked vault! Oh, what treasures we're sure to find when, at last, the special forces crack open this safe....

[Southack]

Interesting speculation, but we haven't even seen new video footage of Osama that's more recent than 2001...so even his very living existence is in question.

What we *do* know, however, is that Rumsfeld is in Afghanistan, the 121 group used to hunt Hussein and WMD's is in Afghanistan now, Afghan's President Karzai has just declared the Taliban dead, and we currently have a hammer and anvil two pronged attack going on in Afghanistan and Pakistan in cooperation with Musharaff's forces.

Thus, the simple, plain, *known* facts are worth sending a reporter like Baire over there. There is simply a lot to report on right now in that region.

[smoothsailing]

Agreed.

Let the democrats wallow in the quagmire of their own despair.

[Hazzardgate]

I sure hope that scum bucket Ayman al-Zawahri is caught/capped at the same time.

[Cap Huff]

" the press acts as an enemy "

That's certainly true, but it is also an enemy that sometimes is used against itself.

In any event, I find it curious that the official word out of the military command in Afghanistan keeps hinting about al-Qaeda in what I think is an obvious fashion. From a month ago I've been noting how confident they seem, and now I note what seems to me to be a pattern in their statements. Of course, I have offered some plausible explanations that are much less exciting.

[AmericanVictory]

But only for a while.

[skip2myloo]

Baier covers DoD and Rumsfeld, Rumsfeld was just in Afghanistan and that's why Baier is there. I think its that simple.

[MattAMiller]

I have to disagree with this analysis. There's a new offensive about to be launched so Bret already has a perfectly good reason to be there. I don't see anything so odd about it that it needs to be explained by anything else.

And I don't think the White House would take the risk of tipping off Fox News.

[Finalapproach29er]

Thin line between genius and a straight jacket. We'll see.

I like the speculation. Good eye.

[MrsEmmaPeel]

When they're actually closing in on Osama - Fox will send Geraldo.

LOL! You're right!

[philetus]

"to have bin Laden in U.S. hands before voters go to the polls"


I'de settle for his head on a pike in front of the White House.

[ChicagoHebrew]

Osama won't get executed, he's already enjoying his 72 virgins. He's been dead since December 2001.

[Cap Huff]

There may already be some interesting things concerning that guy and his family:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1084298/posts?page=87#87

There have been a couple of threads about the son of al-Zawahiri possibly being nabbed. There have been some denials, and some ambiguous statements. The one in the post linked is one I find interesting.

[dc-zoo]

Well we don't hear "where's sadam" anymore. Just not hearing "where's osama" and "Bush promised to get osama but lied to us about that too". Just not hearing that would help but I'm sure they'll find something else to bi-itch about.

[mercy]

LOL

Really.

[sonofatpatcher2]

Heck, save the troops wear and tear. Just fly over John eFing Kerry and give him a bowie knife. He'll have old Osama Bin's hide in two shakes!

He was in Vietnam, ya know...

[skip2myloo]

Wait a minute, Clinton is a "constitutional scholar" you know -- did anybody check with him to see if we have a compelling legal authority to arrest bin Laden ??[/sarcasm]

[smoothsailing]

Who Knows?

He could be found in 2006 during an excavation for a Wal-Mart.

FRegards

[Qwinn]

Eh, it's actually been a very long time since I heard Dems complain that we haven't caught Osama. Seriously. I don't think they want to raise it, because they know how much face they lost when Saddam was captured after they had been harping about him not being captured for 6 months.

It was impossible for them to make such a big deal about it for 6 months, and then minimize it when he finally was caught. Oh, of course they tried, but a tremendous number of people could see just how pathetic it was. If not catching Saddam was SUCH a miserable failure, as they kept telling us, then obviously catching him couldn't be trivial. They -tried- to have it both ways, but it made them look like morons.

Democrats are very very stupid, but there is no level of stupidity that would make them make the same mistake twice so soon after the first time. Give it a good 18 months, and they'll completely forget the lesson, just like they eventually do every other.

Qwinn

[CyberAnt]

I don't think so!

After all, Bret's regular assignment is the Pentagon. Rumsfeld (the Pentagon) was traveling in that area, so naturally Bret would be there. I don't think it had anything to do with Osama.

Besides, when we caught Saddam, no special media were sent to the area - but I do think Fox got the exclusive.

As for the WH (Bush Admin) giving Fox special treatment; Fox earned it. During the rescue of Jessica Lynch, CentCom had asked the media to hold their reports. None of them did - EXCEPT FOX; and I remember the head of CentCom complimenting Fox on the air about it. Even though Fox wasn't first with the story, they had more of the details. Also .. that prompted Myers to give Fox an exclusive interview .. and if my memory serves me correctly, it has consistently been Fox who has received "exclusives" from the WH (Bush admin) on a more consistent basis; such as Jim Angle being selected to accompany the President to Baghdad.

[graycamel]

Better still, if they ever catch Osama, they should bring him to New York and allow the survivors of WTC torture him to death.

[Gringo1]

July 4th.

Day of Capture.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Does anyone have a scorecard on how many scoops he got in OIF?

[#3Fan]

Currency markets have been very weird the last few days. There may be something going on. I still think OBL died on Dec 9, 2001, but maybe he didn't.

[GraniteStateConservative]

Is she the young blonde who took Gore's Columbia journalism seminar?

[far sider]

Better still, if they ever catch Osama, they should bring him to New York and allow the survivors of WTC torture him to death.

I like what one Iraqi said about Saddam on TV. They should put him in a pit with bars on top and have the people come by and spit on him until he drowns.