Aimed For Osama, Hit With A Fine

CBSNEWS ^ | March 17, 2004 | (CBS/AP)

[sumocide]

A Frenchman was convicted for trying to run over a pedestrian he mistook for Osama bin Laden.

The 35-year-old defendant, identified as a struggling artist named Pierre, was sentenced Tuesday by a court in this southern France city to a three-month suspended prison term and ordered to pay 500 euros ($615) to the victim, who was unharmed.

The man's lawyer, David Mendel, said his client was traumatized by last week's terror attacks in Madrid and was temporarily the "victim of a hallucination," while driving Monday through Montpellier's historic center.

The victim, a man in his 30s, was able to run from the oncoming car, which crashed along the side of a street.

"It wasn't bin Laden," Mendel said. "If it was, we would have won $5 million."

In fact, the U.S. Rewards for Justice program says information leading to bin Laden's capture could fetch a prize of $25 million.

Bin Laden — the suspected mastermind of the 1998 African embassy bombings, the 2000 attack on the USS Cole and the 2001 Sept. 11 hijackings — is widely believed to be hiding in the rugged mountains of Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan, not in the Languedoc-Rousillon wine region of which Montpellier is capital.

The Madrid train bombings, which killed 201 people, increasingly appear to have been orchestrated by Islamic extremists with links to bin Laden's al Qaeda terror network.

[sumocide]

Not all frenchmen are surrender monkeys. Good intentions , but I'd advise on double checking the target.

[NeonKnight]

was sentenced Tuesday by a court in this southern France city to a three-month suspended prison term and ordered to pay 500 euros ($615) to the victim, who was unharmed.

Ummm....I can certainly understand criminal charges, but if the so called victim suffered no damages, why does he get any compensation...compensation for what?

Judge Wapner would ask him what his damages were.

[Paul Atreides]

A Frenchman was convicted for trying to run over a pedestrian he mistook for Osama bin Laden.

I applaud his good intentions, but he should have realized that Osama would not be walking around Fr*nce, alone....he would have had his best bud, Jacques, with him.

[Old Grumpy]

That's priceless! I needed a good laugh.

[atomicpossum]

A French guy trying to kill a terrorist? Obviously he was out of his mind...

[Paul Atreides]

Well, there was a large sum of money involved.

[speedy]

Well, here's hoping that guy is the next President of France. At least there is one good one, even if his motives were monetary.

[zygoat]

A struggling artist named Pierre? How stereotypical is that? I would think that the attempted murder of a Muslim in France would constitute the gravest of "hate crime" intentions, thereby inviting the harshest penalties imaginable.It looks like a suspicious looking muslim in France can still be persecuted by a French citizen as long as the defendant is-

(A) A "struggling artiste.

(B) Named Pierre.

(C) Wears appropriate vertically striped shirt and beret.

[roadcat]

Is this the source for the other story, where France claims to almost have gotten Bin-Laden several times? Good job, France, keep it up!

[river rat]

".....where France claims to almost have gotten Bin-Laden several times?'

Hell, that's nothing......I almost ran the three minute mile.

The French never cease to amaze,.......or infuriate..

F'em
Semper Fi

[Bonaparte]

Sounds like a simple case of drunk driving to me. The guy's lawyer could probably make a lot more money writing sci fi fantasy novels.

[Flora McDonald]

And of course, this can all be blamed on President Bush for offering the reward and thereby instigating hate crimes.