Posted on 02/24/2008 3:45:34 PM PST by TigerLikesRooster
Osama Bin Laden's brother plans Africa-Arabia bridge
By Mike Pflanz, East Africa Correspondent Last Updated: 5:52pm GMT 24/02/2008
Osama bin Laden's half-brother is planning to build the world's second longest bridge to connect Africa and Arabia with a six-lane motorway and a railway.
![]() Click to enlarge: The bridge would span the 18 mile stretch across the narrowest part of the Red Sea |
Tarek Bin Laden has been wooing the governments of Djibouti and Yemen with his £35bn idea to bridge the 18 mile span across the narrowest stretch of the Red Sea.
Djibouti's prime minister said there was growing excitement about the proposal, despite the fact that it is at a very early stage and has not yet officially been presented to his government.
"The project fell on us from the sky with the proposal by Osama Bin Laden's brother, who has a construction company in Saudi Arabia," Dileita Mohamed Dileita told the French news agency, AFP.
"People are talking about it a lot here - the Yemenis are convinced the project will be carried out with Saudi and Emirates funds to connect the Arab world to Africa."
Mr Dileita said the bridge would make African Muslims' pilgrimages to Mecca far easier, athough the link would raise concerns over the flow of illegal immigrants into Arabia.
The world's longest bridge across open water is the 20 mile Donghai Bridge in China.
Wasn’t he in Iran?
In Great Britian, there was clearly a Moslem move from the continent into GB.
Think New York
Think Verazano Narrows.
Think Golden Gate.
Think Bosporous
Uranium.......
This is the one reason this plan will never fly. The Saudis like to keep a tight control on their foreign labor force.
Don’t try to judge this man by his brother. I would make a wild guess that they would make it high enough to sail under or make a draw bridge. Ya think?
Every time I read Osama, I think Obama.
It’s a good idea if they can keep people from blowing it up.
Me too, I can't help it!
They’re going to need a bridge that can grow by a centimeter per year. :O)
Excellent!
Once the Trans-Alaska railroad is open and the Siberia-Alaska tunnel complete we can ride the train from Rio to Cape Town. Of course the railroad would be freight only, but a passenger car might be allowed on now and then for an appropriate fee.
They could just off load everything into submarines and go under the bridge.
Just because such a thing is possible doesn’t mean its a good idea. This is a pie in the eye plan. Who would gain from such a thing? I can’t see it really helping anyone.
OBL has quite a few half-brothers in fact.
The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, or the Causeway, consists of two parallel bridges that are the longest bridges in the world by total length.[2] These parallel bridges cross Lake Pontchartrain in southern Louisiana. The longer of the two bridges is 23.87 miles
If Barack Obama does end up as the Democratic nominee for POTUS, and this now seems to be the case, then I’m wondering if Senator Ted Kennedy, an Obama supporter, will screw up saying Barack Obama’s name at all during the entire Democratic convention. Ted has already screwed up saying Barack Obama’s name wrongly only a few months ago.
The 35 billion pound ($75 billion) price tag will attract few investors. I’m sure there are plenty of ferrys operating in the area to meet any Mecca Pilgrim demand.
Damn how many siblings are Binny anyway
Tankers sail under bridges all the time.
There's some interesting quotes regarding that in another article, Bin Laden plans worlds longest bridge.
The big advantage will be to take millions of African Muslims to Mecca, by train or by bus.
The bridge would not only benefit pilgrims but also African migrants. Hundreds drown each year trying to reach Yemen from Somalia.
He must be related to Huey Long. If the bridge is low enough, they have to stop at your port.
I gave at the pump.
Don't think Binny, think Bunny. Lots and lots and lots of bunnies all over the place.
Osama's dad was married at least 14 times and had at least 55 children. Although no one can be sure in the bin Laden family rabbit hutch, Osama's generally counted as #16.
It's so difficult getting a straight answer in these Muslim marriage situations with all those wives coming and going. Osama, for instance, is said to have anywhere between 12 and 24 children.
Dangit. Everytime I read Osama Bin Laden, I confuse him with the guy running for president. Seriously. I was going to say that I didn’t know he had a brother, until I started reading the article and realized it was the OTHER threat against this country. The one hiding in a cave somewhere.
Boy, if someone could just figure out how to make ships go under bridges....
How the in the name of Muhammed (May Peace Be Upon Him) are Mexicans supposed to get there to do the jobs Arabs won't do?
Damn Binny has lots of rug rat
I wonder if this same brother who had that daughter who pose scantley clad in I think in Vanity fair I think one of Binny niece did that
Who are you kidding? People CAN build bridges that will clear oil tankers.
Depends on the prevailing winds.
Probably to put the Americans working for Aramco out of work....
Toll bridge? How will this pay? All those rich daily commuters going to pay $10/day to cross? Or do they just have so much of our money they can’t think of anything else to do with it?
Egypt won’t allow it to be built if ships cannot pass under it. And, isn’t that prime earthquake country?
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