[white_wolf]

I was struck by the Bush Press Conference in October (the one where the Presidential podium was at the head of the long hallway in the White House) in which he seemed supremely happy and confident. I remarked to my wife at the time that he looked and sounded like a man who had just won a big victory. I wondered at the time if we hadn't gotten bin Laden then.

However, mitigating against this is the lack of rumours about it. If we had gotten him, somebody within the terrorist ranks or the Taliban either knows or suspects it. They would have no incentive to keep quiet it about it.

So, you may be right, there is evidence for and against your theorem.

[Joshua]

"However, mitigating against this is the lack of rumours about it. If we had gotten him, somebody within the terrorist ranks or the Taliban either knows or suspects it. They would have no incentive to keep quiet it about it. "

Exactly.. The terrorists would love to portrait him as their martyr. It would give them something to rally around. This is a very well written piece of Bravo Sierra

[HighWheeler]

"However, mitigating against this is the lack of rumours about it. If we had gotten him, somebody within the terrorist ranks or the Taliban either knows or suspects it. They would have no incentive to keep quiet it about it.

For weeks now, the U.S. has spoken in terms of Osama being alive, yet have stated some unusual things to create enough doubt. If they took out bin Laden early, and still stuck to the Startegies, they would have to take out all witnesses within a huge perimeter to ensure no positive witnesses.

The one who are alive are quiet about it because they don't know for sure, and yet they still want to believe.