An Indication that Bin Laden may have died?

[Undesired Walrus]

There is something missing from this Presidential Election, and -barring a last minute online posting- it is Bin Laden's voice.

Is it something to expect? I believe so. No other time can he be guaranteed to garner such publicity. While the world is talking about the future course America will take, there is no better time to make himself -and his organisation- seem relevant. Another perculiar reason for his lack of recent messages has been the global recession. In his last online video, his lecture was less focused on foriegn policy but domestic issues, and how Islam is the solution to the problems Humanity faces. It seems natural he would attempt to lure disenfranchised Westerners to Sharia economics.

Perhaps he is more concerned about his own safety, or perhaps As-Sahab is experiencing problems, but his absence may say something about whether he is still breathing.

[Father Dagon]

Sharia economics? How so? I know that many people say that they want the economy to be "fair" and "ethical". But when push comes to shove, it's all lip service. They want good interest on their bank accounts, etc.

[Undesired Walrus]

For some people, I suppose anything is better than their current situation. Religion is a great net for the vulnerable (consider scientology), so I can see a reason for Bin Laden to attempt at least.

[Kilaak Kommander]

An excellent question. Terrorism in general has been a bit of a forgotten issue in this election.

Has Bin Laden made any references to the candidates in his purported 2008 messages? You have to think he would have created a library of generic messages, making it more difficult to pinpoint his eventual incapacitation or death. He could be the Tupac of terrorists, putting out new material posthumously for years. But if we see no messages or messages that show no knowledge of the post-Bush president, that will be VERY suspicious.

[bozothedeathmachine]

Maybe he's just shutting the hell up because every time he opens his noise hole it's a tacit endorsement of Republican candidates, IE those "tough on terror", or whatever that meme is.

[gumboot]

Maybe he's just shutting the hell up because every time he opens his noise hole it's a tacit endorsement of Republican candidates, IE those "tough on terror", or whatever that meme is.


I suspect that's his entire tactic. Al Qaeda's goal is to keep the USA in Iraq and Afghanistan as long as possible. I think he knows well that his videos push people towards the Republican camp, and a Republican president is far more likely to "stay the course".

[Nogbad]

He was supposedly fairly ill 10 years ago so he may have died. I doubt they would publicise his death.

[E.J.Armstrong]

I suspect that's his entire tactic. Al Qaeda's goal is to keep the USA in Iraq and Afghanistan as long as possible. I think he knows well that his videos push people towards the Republican camp, and a Republican president is far more likely to "stay the course".

The other, perhaps more plausible scenario, is that the world's biggest military power has not captured the man responsible for the biggest terrorist atrocity in US history because it simply decided not to.

What evidence do we have for such a scenario? Nothing less than the perp in chief.

See '... Barnes said that Bush told him capturing bin Laden is “not a top priority use of American resources.” ...'

from http://thinkprogress.org/2006/09/14/barnes-osama/

Bush needs a bogey man to frighten Americans with so that they will continue to pay trillions to the armaments industry and say little about his torturing of innocent people. A ploy that seems to have been spectacularly successful.

If the USA actually wanted to catch Bin Laden how can all the trillions invested into the US military produce such an incompetent result unless the US military actually is
1/ Incompetent or
2/ Not trying

Answers on a postcard to: -

The Most Reverend Richard Cheney Torturer in Chief,
Vice President for socialist handouts to Halliburton etc,
The White House
Pennsylvania Avenue

[Jimbo07]

If the USA actually wanted to catch Bin Laden how can all the trillions invested into the US military produce such an incompetent result unless the US military actually is
1/ Incompetent or
2/ Not trying


Agreed.

Funny how they did find Saddam Hussein...

:boggled: