French general: Bin Laden was almost caught
 

http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=stor..._binladen_dc_4

France: Bin Laden Nearly Caught in Afghanistan


PARIS (Reuters) - Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) has escaped capture in Afghanistan (news - web sites) several times and may be linked in some way to the Madrid train attacks that killed 200 people, France's chief of defense staff said Monday.

Gen. Henri Bentegeat said about 200 French troops were operating with U.S. forces in southeastern Afghanistan against the Taliban and bin Laden's al Qaeda. The Saudi-born militant is thought to be there or just across the border in Pakistan.

"Our men were not very far. On several occasions, I even think he slipped out of a net that was quite well closed," he told Europe 1 radio. He did not specify a time frame.

Bentegeat, who spoke as if he were sure bin Laden was in Afghanistan, said the country's difficult terrain explained why it was so hard to catch the world's most wanted man.

"In Afghanistan, the terrain is extremely favorable to escapes, there are underground networks everywhere," he said.

The general said it was essential that bin Laden be caught.

"He symbolizes September 11 and is certainly not completely innocent in what happened in Madrid," he said, making a link between the 2001 attacks in New York and Washington and the Spanish train bombings last Thursday.

But he added that arresting bin Laden "would not change things directly. (Al Qaeda) is a hydra with many heads. If we catch one head, there will be others."

Bentegeat said the minute preparations needed for the Madrid bombings were "the clearest indication" that al Qaeda was probably behind them.

He said the threat of Islamic radicalism was spreading beyond the Middle East. "It's a phenomenon we're seeing step by step in Africa," he said, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.

"Then there are countries that are adrift, that we are trying to help to not sink, such as Ivory Coast or the Central African Republic," he added.

Asked about security in France, Bentegeat said French fighter jets could scramble in less than two minutes to confront any intrusion into the country's air space.

"Not a day goes by with at least one patrol that takes off to go check an airplane that has strayed off its path or doesn't respond by radio," he said.

Sorry, but I dont think the French can find their asses!:o

At least they were the only ones to pay off the WW II debt to the USA!

They are like a limp weenie. If not for wine, what else would they be good for:confused:

How many times have they lost or given up their Country!:rolleyes:

GREAT...Another Almost
WTH do people expect us to do with almost? Am I supposed to be excited?
WOW! I ALMOST won the lottery, nope still broke. I mean, come on. They could have kept that to themselves.

No, you see.. this is the the French trying to keep the fact that Osama is in custody a secret:D

They're trying to help out Bush.

Yup;)

Yep...November 1st 2004....America we caught him!
Dubya wins re-election....Got Darn Cons!!!!!:)

So the French almost caught Bin Laden like the Raiders ALMOST won the superbowl last year????

Please...

Pic on the AOL main page allegedly may be a shot of Bin Laden taken by a spy drone. (is that redundant?)

Counting down to Oct. 20 "capture." Just kidding.