Typhoid kills Bin Laden???

[suffragette]

Or has it?? A French newspaper has leaked a secret service memo that Osama Bin Laden died from typhoid in Pakistan back in August of this year. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/537499 8.stm Saudi authorities have denied any knowledge of the matter and the French president has launched an inquiry into the leak. Some reports suggest the Pakistani authorities are searching for a grave before confirming or denying the story. Would Bin Laden's death be of any significance or has he become nothing more than a rallying cry for fundamentalist insurgents and a convenient bogeyman for western intelligence services?

[Marky B]

I have had a suspicion that if the Americans caught him,they would kill him instantly and drop his body in a sea full of sharks.
Ta Ta
Marky B

[Booldawg]

It seems to be common 'conspiracy theory' knowledge that he's been dead sometime.

[jno]

if he's dead, they'll need to show it by producing his body. Otherwise people will refuse to believe it (like King Arthur).

[Big Al1st]

Problems is what difference will it make if he is dead
The cretins will still continue to blow people up

[bernardo]

If he is dead, it won't make any difference. Al Qaeda is an idea and an inspiration and a philosophy which is put into practice by volunteers on an ad-hoc basis, not via a hierarchical power-structure.

[jno]

Bernardo's probably right; and yet it seems quite possible to me that some who join up do so because they admire bin Laden; his death might then have an impact on recruitment. If he were seen to have been killed by western forces, an appearance of martyrdom might actually increase the number of volunteers. A slow, painful death from typhoid might deter people, on the other hand.

[admarlow]

Bin ladens death would have a negative impact on Al Qauida, as they would no longer have his money, and a number of his connections. It would be a good thing if he has died of a (painfull) disease so it can not be claimed he was a matyer.

[suffragette]

Thank you for raising some interesting points, particularly about the martyrdom issue not being fulfilled with death by typhoid.

[WaldoMcFroog]

An interesting read here:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5 375064.stm

Essentially, new classified US intelligence paper leaked to the New York Times (not exactly a radical newspaper), collates the views of the 16 major intelligence services in the USA in what is called a National Intelligence Estimate.

It blames the Iraq war increasing the threat of terrorism and fueling worldwide Islamic radicalism. The invasion and occupation of Iraq has spawned a new generation of Islamic radicalism that has spread across the globe. It reportedly concludes that, while al-Qaeda may have been weakened since the 9/11, the radical Islamic movement worldwide has strengthened with the formation of new groups and cells who are inspired by Osama Bin Laden, but not under his direct control.

(The White House is rather predictably attempting to play down the importance of this document.)

Of course, it's a little ironic if Bin Laden was the centre of a cult of personality, since the whole idea of al Qaeda is that it is a set of instructions to follow. It is not intended to be hierarchical or particularly have leaders and nor is it a system of organisation as such. This was problematic for the US, since their legal system can only prosecute for terrorism within an organisational structure. Outside of an organisation, the same acts can only be prosecute as Criminal Acts, so it has been very important to reinforce the view of Al Qaeda as an organisation, something it has never been or intended to be.

[flubber]

Oh I do hope the news is true and he could not get hold of any Immodium.......

[unruliejulie]

I do so hope this story is true!!!! The world would be rid of one more evil man! However, i cant see it making too much difference to anything.

[admarlow]

Could we have a day of joy if he is dead a la ''Day Of Anger''

[flubber]

I have a gut feeling that its all media hype geared to get followers to join his murdering crusade because he will become a martyr and people will want to follow him to martyrdom and keep his laws and his spirit ongoing and that will cause us biggy problems.

If he is really honestly and truthfully finally hopefully dead and kaput then I think the Friday day of anger should be changed to a national worldwide public holiday where the majority of the world's population could have a sort of thanksgiving type of day.