Saudis refute bin Laden report

Newscom.au ^ | September 24, 2006 | Agence France-Presse

[generalhammond]

THE Saudi Government has pulled the rug from under a French newspaper report about the alleged death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, saying it "has no evidence to support" the contention.

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no evidence to support recent media reports that Osama bin Laden is dead," the Saudi Embassy said in a statement issued in Washington this morning (AEST).

[generalhammond]

He'd have been finished in the 90s if Clinton didn't dismantle human intelligence. At least Bin Laden's as good as dead.

[mainepatsfan]

"Well at least he tried!" - new Clintonista talking point.

[SauronOfMordor]

"The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no evidence to support recent media reports that Osama bin Laden is dead,"

Saying you know of "no evidence to support" a claim, is not the same as saying that you have evidence that the claim is not true. They are just saying they have no data

Remember Bill Clinton's famous line on March 7, 1997: "I don't believe you can find any evidence of the fact that I had changed government policy solely because of a contribution" ? If you read the statement clearly, he isn't saying he didn't do it. He's expressing a belief that no evidence of his having done it could be turned up

[freeangel]

I will accept nothing less than obl's head on a stake as proof.

[AFPhys]

He's dead, Jim.

[freeangel]

Hey, it can be a skull too.

[No Blue States]

We would do better to concentrate on the living terrorists.

This war is way beyond OBL now anyway.

[13Sisters76]

Unless this POS pig died a painful and messy death- in which case I would want to hear ALL the juicy details- I don't really care. He hasn't mattered much since Tora Bora. I'm still not convinced he didn't die there, then.

[Jackknife]

He hasn't mattered much since Tora Bora. I'm still not convinced he didn't die there, then.

OBL has been taking the eternal celestial dirt nap since Tora Bora. Those thugs merely wish he were alive.

[finnigan2]

"OBL has been taking the eternal celestial dirt nap since Tora Bora."

- I certainly hope you're right, but we can't discount the possibility the report that he's dead is merely a ruse to try and provoke him into issuing another video tape just to prove he's still alive. Then, if intelligence sources are in place, they may be able to trace the video back to it's source.
You may address me as George Smiley.

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "I'm still not convinced he didn't die there, then."

Well, Bush is definitely not convinced that he died there, then -- since he's expending huge government resources towards capturing him -- in addition to telling the American public that he's trying to capture him. And in addition to that, the FBI's 10-Most-Wanted list is still listing Osama with $25 million reward and an additional $2 million from the Pilots Association.

So, there are significant resources, out there, still in the hunt for him (if he's such a dead man...).

Regards,
Star Traveler

[ASA Vet]

Why do you suppose President Bush ordered the release to the public press on Dec 13, 2001 of Elvis Bin Ladens confession tape?

[Star Traveler]

You said -- "Why do you suppose President Bush ordered the release to the public press on Dec 13, 2001 of Elvis Bin Ladens confession tape?"

So it could accompany bin Ladin's campaign tape for John Kerry in 2004?

Regards,
Star Traveler

[ASA Vet]

So it could accompany bin Ladin's campaign tape for John Kerry in 2004?

That Simone production hurt John "Hanoi" Kerry, so was successful in it's purpose.