Osama bin Laden has died, according to the L'Est republicain

AP France ^ | September 23, 2006

[confrico]

PARIS (AP) - The head of terrorist network al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, has died, according to information from the Saudi police, transmitted by the Directorate-General of External Services (DGSE), and reported on the Lorraine daily newspaper L'Est republicain in its Saturday edition.

"According to a commonly reliable source, the Saudi police believes that Osama Bin Laden has died," said a September 21st confidential note from the DGSE classified as "defense." L'Est republicain will publish it in its Saturday edition. The note, specified the daily newspaper, would be re-printed "un-edited."

According to the note to be published by the L'Est republicain, the Saudi police "would try to obtain more details, in particular the location of the burial site, and then announce the news officially." The DGSE specified in the note that no "jihadist Internet site has for the moment been made aware of the death of Osama bin Laden."

According to the note, "the head of al Qaeda may have fallen victim to a strong case of typhoid fever while in Pakistan, on August 23, 2006," and may have died within a matter of days.

The French news organization transmitted this note to the President of France, to the Defense and Prime Minister and the Ministers of the Interior Department on September 21, according to the regional daily newspaper, which added that a prior note transmitted on September 19th to the leaders of France explained why the Saudi police "sought to confirm the death of Osama bin Laden."

[LynnHam]

No shiite, he's dead! He died at Tora Bora in 2001..

I was one who thought he died there
am deeply saddened :(

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Wish it were true, but he's been dead many times before...

Did he supposedly die before or after recording his next audio/video appearance?

[beyond the sea]

Granted, the way he died may somewhat subdue the anti-American and anti-Israel sentiments

I doubt it. Won't they just get all bent out of shape because we forced Osama to the place where he got ill?

[beyond the sea]

I personally believe this.

I tend to believe it too ........ but I thought Sandy Fancy Pants Berger would be behind bars today.

;-)

[Miss Marple]

I am really interested in the effect of this story, and also the source.

You are quite right about the street reaction. If he IS dead, we should see some signals in the demonstrations that are bound to occur.

[Beckwith]

Show me the bones AND the DNA match

His followers will bury him where he will never be found.

Remember Crazy Horse?

There has been much speculation as to just where Crazy Horse was buried, no one knows for sure

[hershey]

Actually, bin Laden is/was a dead ringer for Julia Roberts with a beard. R.I.P..

[Atlantic Friend]

"remember, you saw it first on Free Republic ;)"

Well, no actually it was "you saw it first on l'Est Républicain" ! ;)

[beyond the sea]

My nose is telling me that this story is either true or is a setup cover story of an Osama who has been dead for an even longer time.

But, in the end I'm just guessing.

I think we will know one way or the other rather soon.

[justa-hairyape]

They seem to get all bent out of shape whenever any potential bad news comes their way. That is how they handle the problem. It is true that when he ran into the mountains, his health care was severely limited. He was the one however that launched the 911 attack that ended up making him a fugitive in the first place.

[beyond the sea]

What about that funeral a while back where our military chose not to nail all those guys all lined up in neat lines? Could that have been an Osama "funeral formation"?

Does that time line fit with this report?

[WestVirginiaRebel]

If true, they'll say that Pope Benedict did it...

[Miss Marple]

No, it does not fit. The funeral was in July.

[beyond the sea]

I can see it..... those dreamy and sad brown eyes, the sensual pouty mouth.........

;-)

[beyond the sea]

right

[beyond the sea]

If true, they'll say that Pope Benedict did it...

LOL.

But maybe this is just another: It's Bush's fault. He did not rid the world of typhoid in time.

[beyond the sea]

Thanks for that. You are one of the reasons I love FR.

:-)

[beyond the sea]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1706830/posts

Have you seen this thread?

[beyond the sea]

Btw, FoxNews just led their news program with the speculation about this story. The very first words from the gal's mouth.

[Cringing Negativism Network]

PARIS (Reuters) - France's Defense Ministry said on Saturday a secret service report saying al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had died could not be confirmed but said it would launch an inquiry into the leak of secret documents.

-

So there was a leak of a secret document, but the story could not be confirmed.

OK.