Bin Laden's No. 2 'Captured in Iran'

Guardian U.K. ^ | 2/18/2002 | Rory McCarthy and Luke Harding

[usconservative]

I’m sure you are aware that there is a power-struggle within Iran between the younger generation, who craves a democratic and free society, and the older, religious leaders, who still hold most of the power and favor a strict fundamentalism. It is those leaders, with their not-so-secret financial and logistical support for terrorism, that Bush was referring to.

May I add credibility to your argument sir? I heard this interesting tidbit on the local Talk Radio station (WLS in Chicago) this morning:

60% of Iran's population is 25 years old or younger. That means the majority of Iranians have no memory of the hostage crisis, or the Ayatollah Khomeni.

The 25 and younger population of Iran is very westernized, with internet and satellite dish TV. They see what's waiting for them "out there" in the rest of the world, and want it.

There is a huge struggle between Iran's non-elected "religious leadership" and the more moderate elected Government of Iran. Time will tell which one wins.

Regards,

[powderhorn]

All of those idiot Democrats who have said it was a mistake to label these countries the Axis of Evil have egg on their face right now.

A few democrats and a few republicans did not approve of Bushes "evil" speech. But most Americans, regardless of party, understand the issues and support Bush's handling of the war. It's time to drop some of the conservative PC slogans and get behind the idea that Bush is leading an American war effort, not a republican war effort.

[shattered]

You are right. I remember reading a few months back that the government was banning satellite dishes and were actively going around to residences to remove them. They don't like anything but them to influence the younger generation.

[powderhorn]

Here's one possibility: They did get him, but they want $$$$something$$$$ in return for admitting that they have him. Perhaps they want to sell him to the highest bidder.

[powderhorn]

Iran probably hates him as much as we do. He would love to cast Iran into the same chaos that existed in Afghanistan. Poverty and social disintigration is the coin of his relm. Iran knows this and that is why they would fear and hate him. If they are holding him they might hide him from us, but they would not "protect" him.

[dead]

There is a huge struggle between Iran's non-elected "religious leadership" and the more moderate elected Government of Iran. Time will tell which one wins.

More news on that front today, from the Sydney Morning Herald:

Iranian courts branded a tool to silence reformers

It will be a long (and possibly bloody) battle for control of Iran, but the reformers have the numbers. They also have the expatriats (in the US and UK) with all the money.

[dead]

Here's one possibility: They did get him, but they want $$$$something$$$$ in return for admitting that they have him. Perhaps they want to sell him to the highest bidder.

If they got him, we will give them $25 million dollars. That’s the price we put on his head.

I don’t believe we’ll get into a bidding war over him. A shooting war is a distinct possiblity, but not a bidding war.

[powderhorn]

If they got him, we will give them $25 million dollars. That’s the price we put on his head.

$25 million is a lot for an individual or a small group, but Iran probably spends that much on one small anti-US rally. I think they want more.

But I do agree with you, there's no point in getting into a bidding war when all we really need to do is find out where they are hiding him and put him out of his misery. If we knew where he was being held, we could probably put together a successful operation to eliminate him for even LESS than $25 million.

[TheDon]

I agree 100%.

[Righty1]

If true Iran would most likely return him to Egypt. Hopefully, the Egyptians would show some gratitude for their receipt of our foreign aid and hand him over.

[Zviadist]

Obviously, Bush’s inclusion of the country in his “axis of evil” was his attempt to bolster the “good guys” in Iran’s internal power struggle.

First, your assessment of Iran is simplistic, and smacks of a CNN sound-bite report. As to the above, even if what you said was true, American intervention in the internal power struggles in Iran -- particularly when these so-called "moderates" seem to be on the upswing -- is ill-advised at best, as it provides a convenient bludgeon for the non-moderates to attack the moderates with: they are tools of the Americans. Either way you slice it, it was a collossally stupid move to spew out the Weakly Standard jingoisms and call it a foreign policy statement.

[Dog]

Didn't we recently give Iran info about Al-Qaeda we know who were escaping over the Iranian border?? We now have this newspaper print this story about Al-Zawarhi's "capture"....hmmmmmm...we know there are two factions inside Iran...could we have informed the one faction of this "tidbit" and we sit back and watch them tripping over themselves to help us..

I think Iran is more unstable than we think...

[kinghorse]

"(Truth is, they have been cooperating all along with the war on terror. The evidence is overwhelming. The public mood was initially suggested by the thousands of Iranians who turned out in the streets afte 9/11 to demonstrate AGAINST those who attacked us. But Americans seem to have a bad memory or bad reasoning ability.)"

Done out of fear not sympathy.

[anymouse]

Give that man a cigar! :)

First Yemin starts cracking down on terrorists, then the Philipeans welcome our troops with open arms to start cracking some terrorist heads, and even Somalia is eager to cooperate in getting rid of the terrorists plaguing their embattled country.

With all of the saber rattling of Iran, Iraq and N. Korea, deep down they know that we are serious this time, and they can either get their house in order or we will do it for them (and not be very careful in how we do it.)

Note for future reference: When the left bleats on about something, you know they are scared; that you are on the right track and should press ahead harder.

At least someone in DC is acting like they have a pair. :)

[Dog]

I did a little searching on google this is a reformist newspaper in Iran..

the reformist Hayat-e-Nou reported

I bet you this story is true...

[Helms]

What meaning of a preemptive move don't you understand. People like you don't seem to grasp this Matter and understand the importance of the United States in a free world.

Are you posting somewhere within Lebanon, Syria, or even the Elite of Saudi Arabia getting its rocks off seeing all this go down?

[dead]

First, your assessment of Iran is simplistic

Yet it was monumentally more nuanced than yours.

Either way you slice it, it was a collossally stupid move to spew out the Weakly Standard jingoisms and call it a foreign policy statement.

Yet it appears to be producing results, your angry and wrongheaded wailings not withstanding.

Contrary to your pacifist dogma, sometimes a little saber rattling is called for.

[stboz]

I'll believe it when I see him on TV being led into Camp X-Ray or an American jail.

Ditto that. I'll believe it when I see him dancing at the end of a rope or having a date with Monsieur de Paris.

[Zviadist]

What meaning of a preemptive move don't you understand.

So you think a successful foreign policy is one where the United States bombs any country it thinks might be some kind of threat at some point in the future? You think this is what foreign policy is about? The I.Q. level demonstrated in your posts is truly frightening. I am certain you have never even been out of the US, and that all those foreigners are just terrifying and dangerous. So the US should just kill them all. Not even NAZI Germany pursued such a policy.