Iranian Radio Reports Bin Laden Captured

[PhiPsiRuss]

AP Story

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said Saturday that Osama bin Laden was captured in Pakistan "a long time ago." U.S. and Pakistani officials denied the report.

The report said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest. In Washington, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied early Saturday that bin Laden was captured.

The report was carried by Iran radio's external Pushtun service. The director of Iran radio's Pushtun service, Asheq Hossein, said he had two sources for the report that bin Laden had been captured.

A Pakistani military operation has been under way in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan (news - web sites), and a Pakistani official said previously that members of al-Qaida are being sought there, although bin laden was not a specific target.

Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan also told The Associated Press that the report was not true. "That information is wrong," he said.

Speaking to the AP in Tehran, Hossein identified one of the sources as "Shamim Shahed, editor" of the English-language Pakistani newspaper The Nation in Peshawar. Hossein said Shahed told him Friday night that bin Laden was arrested "a long time ago."

But Shahed, who is The Nation's Peshawar bureau chief and not its editor, denied telling the Iranian radio station that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this," Shahed said in a telephone interview with the AP's Islamabad bureau. "But I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans') reach, and they can declare him arrested any time."

Shahed gave no evidence to back up that claim.

Hossein said he had a second source for his report that bin Laden had been captured, but he declined to identify him except to say he was "a man with close links to intelligence services and Afghan tribal leaders."

Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago.

"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," he said.

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

[PhiPsiRuss]

You just have to love conspiracy theories, that are propagated by the state run media of hostile governments.

What gets me is that there are hundreds of millions of people, with no access to a free press, who will be exposed to this story. They will have no option but to accept it as truth. And some people wonder why America is unpopular in that part of the world.

[AlphaSigOU]

I still say we nuke the mountains into oblivion... but it ain't no guarantee it'll get OBL and his henchmen.

[Rudey]

I say we drop more than one nuke and take out a few countries at once. We can create a large parking lot.

-Rudey

[Tom Earp]

Great idea Rudey!

Did you come up with this idea on your own or have help?

[HBADPi]

Originally posted by russellwarshay
You just have to love conspiracy theories, that are propagated by the state run media of hostile governments.

What gets me is that there are hundreds of millions of people, with no access to a free press, who will be exposed to this story. They will have no option but to accept it as truth. And some people wonder why America is unpopular in that part of the world.

Now Russ...what makes you think the US governement isnt running its own consipiracy when it comes to this. Think about it...Bush is worried about losing the election and what better way to get the nation's stamp of approval by capturing the most hated man in the country! Its genius! Congrats W you managed to wiggle your way in the oval office for another 4 yrs. Of course the only way this will work is to hide Osama away for a couple of months (I hear Saddam's old hole is vacant these days) and the Iranian government would love nothing better than to piss the US off by leaking this story out.

Just my 2 cents feel free to agree/disagree I really dont care.

And Rudey...honestly sometimes I cant figure you out...

[sugar and spice]

Well, I have to admit that if bin Laden conveniently turns up in, say, October, I would be suspicious. But that was before I read this article -- and clearly this article should be taken with a grain of salt.

I read an article, and I wish I could remember where, that said that Bush's approval ratings have steadily dropped month after month throughout his term -- with three exceptions, each of which cause a temporary major spike in the approval ratings. Those three events were, obviously, 9/11, declaration of war on Iraq, and finding Saddam. The article surmises that unless something major changes (the most obvious possibility is finding bin Laden), Bush's approval ratings will continue to slip and he will probably not be re-elected in the fall.

However, as the article points out, if bin Laden is found "too early" -- let's say in April -- Bush's approval ratings will still slip by the time the election rolls around. So it would be in the Bush admin's best interests to find bin Laden in, say, October, in time to send his approval ratings soaring for the election with no time to

The article didn't suggest that bin Laden had already been found or anything resembling a conspiracy theory, and it doesn't discuss the fact that approval ratings don't necessarily have that much to do with whether or not he'll get re-elected -- but I imagine that if bin Laden IS found close to election there will be a lot of suspicious people out there.

[PhiPsiRuss]

Originally posted by HBADPi
Now Russ...what makes you think the US governement isnt running its own consipiracy when it comes to this. Think about it...Bush is worried about losing the election and what better way to get the nation's stamp of approval by capturing the most hated man in the country! Its genius! Congrats W you managed to wiggle your way in the oval office for another 4 yrs. Of course the only way this will work is to hide Osama away for a couple of months (I hear Saddam's old hole is vacant these days) and the Iranian government would love nothing better than to piss the US off by leaking this story out.

If the Bush administration was willing to engage in such conspiracies, then when the anthrax scare emerged in late 2001, it would have been pinned in Iraq. No one would have known, and the Bush administration would have, very easily, been able to get Congress to actually declare war on Iraq.

The military is not that effective. Ever hear of the old saying that "military intelligence" is an oxymoron?

There is no conspiracy. What will determine if Bush gets reelected is the economy. Its been that way every 4 years since there has been econometrics. Its that simple.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by HBADPi
And Rudey...honestly sometimes I cant figure you out...

What do you mean? I think people should have large parking lots in the middle east.

-Rudey

[DeltAlum]

Originally posted by Rudey
What do you mean? I think people should have large parking lots in the middle east.

I read a great quote somewhere -- maybe Tom Clancy -- but I can't remember who said it.

Something to the effect of, we should nuke them and turn the country into a parking lot, then send in the Marines to paint the stripes.

[Love_Spell_6]

ahh..politics are so funny...can anyone see how the issue isnt even about war on terror??? its about people's hate for Dubya...Even if this administration finds WMD's and BIn Laden... people will find something negative to say...or invent another conspiracy theory

[HBADPi]

Originally posted by russellwarshay
If the Bush administration was willing to engage in such conspiracies, then when the anthrax scare emerged in late 2001, it would have been pinned in Iraq. No one would have known, and the Bush administration would have, very easily, been able to get Congress to actually declare war on Iraq.

Sorry not sure I follow..are you saying the Bush administration is too good for a consipiracy theory? No offense my friend but I'm pretty sure that most, if not all, of our presidents in recent years have had their share of consipiracies in some shape or form. I'm not a paranoid freak who thinks my government is out to get me nor do I enjoy getting into politics. I believe everyone is entitled to their own opinion and sometimes its necessary for people to just agree to disagree. Seeing as how the anthrax letters were dated 9-11, Bush couldnt tact anthrax onto Iraq because they had already blamed Al Quida for that.

Originally posted by
DeltAlum
Something to the effect of, we should nuke them and turn the country into a parking lot, then send in the Marines to paint the stripes.

Wow deltalum, up to this point I had a lot of respect for you and a lot of the stuff you have said on GC but I certainly hope no one says that about an area where your loved ones live. An entire population of people in a country shouldnt be blamed because they are stuck under the rule of a bunch of religiously fanatic as*holes . To quote Russ on this one, "And some people wonder why America is unpopular in that part of the world."

[Rudey]

Originally posted by HBADPi
Wow deltalum, up to this point I had a lot of respect for you and a lot of the stuff you have said on GC but I certainly hope no one says that about an area where your loved ones live. An entire population of people in a country shouldnt be blamed because they are stuck under the rule of a bunch of religiously fanatic as*holes . To quote Russ on this one, "And some people wonder why America is unpopular in that part of the world."

Yeah that DeltAlum is a cold blooded killer. Let's bomb the middle east.

-Rudey
--AAAAAAA BOOOOOOOOOOMB

[HBADPi]

Originally posted by Rudey
Yeah that DeltAlum is a cold blooded killer.

Dont put words in my mouth Rudey...thats not what I said.

[Rudey]

Originally posted by HBADPi
Dont put words in my mouth Rudey...thats not what I said.

I didn't say you said that. I'm calling him a cold blooded murderer. I hate DeltAlum and his cold blooded murdering ways.

I probably wouldn't nuke the middle east - just drop a couple bombs on certain area. The radiation probably affect temperatures to the point that we couldn't pour concrete for the parking lot so it's better to go for traditional bombing. I nominate Iran, Syria, and Saudi Arabia for the first 3 countries.

-Rudey