We know where Bin Laden is, but...

Pewter'01SS · #1 06-20-2005, 09:26 AM

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/06/20/gos...den/index.html

CIA chief has 'excellent idea' where bin Laden is

Monday, June 20, 2005; Posted: 7:05 a.m. EDT (11:05 GMT)

CNN) -- CIA Director Porter Goss says he has an "excellent idea" where Osama bin Laden is hiding, but that the al Qaeda chief will not be caught until weak links in the war on terrorism are strengthened.

In an interview with TIME magazine published Sunday, Goss said part of the difficulty in capturing bin Laden was "sanctuaries in sovereign nations."

The magazine asked Goss when bin Laden would be captured.

"That is a question that goes far deeper than you know," he said. "In the chain that you need to successfully wrap up the war on terror, we have some weak links. And I find that until we strengthen all the links, we're probably not going to be able to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice.

"We are making very good progress on it. But when you go to the very difficult question of dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states, you're dealing with a problem of our sense of international obligation, fair play.

"We have to find a way to work in a conventional world in unconventional ways that are acceptable to the international community.

Asked whether that meant he knew where bin Laden is, Goss responded: "I have an excellent idea where he is. What's the next question?"

Goss did not say where he thinks bin Laden is, nor did he name the country or countries he was referring to when he spoke of sanctuaries.

But intelligence experts have long said they believed bin Laden was probably hiding in the rugged mountainous border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Asked if al Qaeda could strike the United States again, Goss said: "Yes, it could. Certainly the intent is very high. And we are trying to stay ahead of their capability. And so far, I think we have done pretty well carrying the war to them, as it were. I think that's mattered."

On Friday, the Arabic language television network Al-Jazeera aired portions of a video by Ayman al-Zawahiri, the No. 2 man in al Qaeda -- his first message in four months.

In the message, bin Laden's top lieutenant urged Muslims to press on with their jihad against U.S. and Western interests in the "land of Islam," saying that Islamic nations must be allowed to run their own affairs without foreign interference. (Full story)

On Thursday, the U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said he did not believe bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar were in the central Asian country. (Full story)

Zalmay Khalilzad's remarks came a day after a purported Taliban military commander told a Pakistani TV station that the two men were "alive and well." (Full story)

Goss also told the magazine the insurgency in Iraq was not quite in its last throes, but close to it.

In an interview on CNN's "Larry King Live" that aired last week, Cheney said he expected the war would end during Bush's second term, which ends in 2009.

"The level of activity that we see today from a military standpoint, I think, will clearly decline," Cheney said. "I think they're in the last throes, if you will, of the insurgency." (Full story)

Asked if that was his read of the situation, Goss said: "I think they're not quite in the last throes, but I think they are very close to it. And I think that every day that goes by in Iraq where they have their own government and it's moving forward reinforces just how radical (the insurgents) are and how unwanted they are."

On Sunday, U.S. Sen. John McCain said he disagreed with Cheney's assessment that the insurgency was in its "last throes" and called on the Bush administration to stop telling Americans victory is around the corner.

"What I think we should do," the Arizona Republican told NBC's "Meet the Press," "is wait until we achieve the successes, then celebrate them, rather than predict them. Because too often that prediction is not proven to be true." (Full story)

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O.K. Can someone explain this to me? They are saying that we know where he is and he is still a threat, but we can't go in to get him because it might cause a conflict?!?

Raz_Kaz · #2 06-20-2005, 09:50 AM

Simple.

They don't know where the fuck he is, just trying to make everyone think that the war in Iraq is actually doing something towards the capture of the man responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

YogsVR4 · #3 06-20-2005, 10:33 AM

What they're saying is that the freekshows in the mountains over there are protecting him.

Raz_Kaz · #4 06-20-2005, 10:45 AM

Except the part where the US ambassador in Afghanistan also said the Bin Laden is mot likely not in the country.

fredjacksonsan · #5 06-20-2005, 12:22 PM

Yeah, sure. If they really knew where he was, they would have gotten him months ago. Puh-lease.

Pewter'01SS · #6 06-21-2005, 08:44 AM

sooo...wouldn't they be farther ahead just syaing that we're still working on it and we should be getting close soon.

This sounds like they know exactly where he is and thier not going to do anything about it.

I'm sure the majority of the country is content with them doing everything they can, why come out with this?

Muscletang · #7 06-21-2005, 06:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pewter'01SS

This sounds like they know exactly where he is and thier not going to do anything about it.

Clinton already did it once, why can't we do it again?

lazysmurff · #8 06-23-2005, 12:41 PM

doesnt really matter if they catch him or not. he's not exactly all that powerful anymore. just a symbol. catching bin laden will stop terrorism about as much as catching charlie manson stopped murder.

Muscletang · #9 06-23-2005, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lazysmurff

doesnt really matter if they catch him or not. he's not exactly all that powerful anymore. just a symbol. catching bin laden will stop terrorism about as much as catching charlie manson stopped murder.

It would hit them very big psychologically.

lazysmurff · #10 06-23-2005, 07:01 PM

yeah....or enrage them. you have no idea how its going to affect the minds of other terrorists. and neither do i for that matter. but i can tell you if someone i saw as a leader or a hero was arrested and thrown in jail, and awaiting execution, id be doing everything in my power to: A) get them back B) hurt the people that took him.

what we can know is this. al-queda, as we knew it no longer exists. part of the set up was that at anytime they needed to, they could totally break up the whole organization in to self suffecient groups, or "cells" as our government like to call them. Bin Laden has no more power over these groups now than the queen of england has over Australia.

catching bin laden might actually engrage terrorists, as i said, and cause a surge in attacks and deaths, and the only good it would do us would be that "feel good feeling" that we actually caught a bad guy, 4 years after the fact. maybe our government is actually being smart about this, and waiting until things are a little less volatile(sp?) for our boys in Iraq, but i really try not to give them (our government)too much credit.

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