Wagging the dog
From the New Republic Online, Pakistan has been pressured to time their arrests of al Qaeda members for Bush’s political convenience (their website doesn’t make it clear, but the article was up at least as long ago as July 7.)
The Pakistanis “have been told at every level that apprehension or killing of HVTs [high value targets] before [the] election is [an] absolute must.” What’s more, this source claims that Bush administration officials have told their Pakistani counterparts they have a date in mind for announcing this achievement: “The last ten days of July deadline has been given repeatedly by visitors to Islamabad and during [ul-Haq’s] meetings in Washington.” Says McCormack: “I’m aware of no such comment.” But according to this ISI official, a White House aide told ul-Haq last spring that “it would be best if the arrest or killing of [any] HVT were announced on twenty-six, twenty-seven, or twenty-eight July”—the first three days of the Democratic National Convention in Boston.
Well, Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani was arrested over the weekend, and it was announced the day of Kerry’s speech at the DNC.
What a coincidence.
Update: Sept 5 2004
right on schedule
Headlines from Google News
http://news.google.com/nwshp?hl=en&gl=us
News24 Bin Laden capture nearer, official says
Chicago Tribune , IL - 17 hours ago
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- The United States and its allies have moved closer to capturing Osama bin Laden in the past two months, a top US counterterrorism ...
Bush envoy: Bin Laden capture can be soon Albawaba Middle East News
Bin Laden Close To Capture The Spoof (satire)
US Official Says Close to Catching Bin Laden Reuters
Hindustan Times
CNN Osama bin Laden - What makes US counter-terrorism so confident?
ProFindPages.com, Russia - 11 hours ago
... has been heard saying that he "guarantees" that Osama bin Laden will be caught! There seems to be a lot of confidence out there and his "capture" could very ...
http://www.albawaba.com/news/index.php3?sid=284348&lang=e&dir=news
Bush envoy: Bin Laden capture can be soon
05-09-2004
Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden may be nabbed anytime soon, if the claims made by the U.S. Coordinator on counter-terrorism, Ambassador J. Cofer Black, are to be believed.
"Everything is in place and a little bit is needed to localize these people and catch them," the Daily Times quoted Black as saying.
"The programs are in place. We are after these guys globally. Success against people that you know about, Osama could happen tomorrow, could happen the day after, a week from now, or month from now," he added.
"I tell the people and the media in the U.S. that I would be surprised but not shocked that Osama and all his lieutenants have been caught and none of these guys are in jail. It will be a good day for the people of this world in terms of counter-terrorism," he said. (Albawaba.com)
there's even a spoof:
http://www.thespoof.com/news/spoof.cfm?headline=s2i6508
http://www.profindpages.com/news/2004/09/05/MN351.htm
He has also been quoted as saying "Success against people that you know about, Osama, could happen tomorrow, could happen the day after, a week from now, or a month from now"
We find it interesting that his comment does not seem to stretch beyond one month and George Bush has been heard saying that he "guarantees" that Osama bin Laden will be caught!
There seems to be a lot of confidence out there and his "capture" could very well be announced in October?
Our earlier article reported that Osama bin Laden had already been caught (4 weeks ago, according to our sources) and that this was going to be officially announced in October (see below).
The report, which can not be confirmed, made no reference as to who might conceal such information (if anyone) and we can only make guesses as to who and why.
There is no doubt at all that George Bush would benefit from the announcement of his "capture", if it was made just a few weeks before the election and the timing would be a remarkable coincidence. Especially as the US have been looking for him for almost 3 years.
http://www.citizen-times.com/cache/article/editorial/60853.shtml
But this election won't turn on media dynamics. It will likely turn on the presidential debates. It could turn on good news like the capture of Osama bin Laden, or bad news in the form of a terrorist strike.
http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=topNews&storyID=6152850
U.S. Official Says Close to Catching Bin Laden
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - The United States and its allies have put Osama bin Laden on the defensive, increasing chances of his capture soon, a U.S. counter-terrorism official said in remarks published in Pakistani media on Sunday.
Cofer Black, State Department coordinator for counter-terrorism, said in Islamabad the entire "infrastructure" was in place to capture bin Laden and his close lieutenants, Pakistan's English language Daily Times reported.
"In counter-terrorism, the programs are in place. We are after these guys globally," Black was quoted as saying after holding talks with Pakistani security officials.
"Success against people that you know about, Osama, could happen tomorrow, could happen the day after, a week from now, or a month from now," he added.
Black's comments, made only to Pakistani media, came just a few days after President Bush, who is standing for re-election in November, said that three-quarters of known al Qaeda leaders have been captured or killed.
"Osama bin laden is probably the most hunted man in the planet now. Osama bin Laden and his associates at that level are primarily defensive, they spend most of their time trying to keep from getting caught," Black told private Geo Television.
"If he (bin Laden) has a watch, he should be looking at it because the clock is ticking. He will be caught.
"Programs are in place and what I tell people (is) I would be surprised but not necessarily shocked if we wake up tomorrow and he has been caught along with all his lieutenants," said Black, who went to Bangladesh on Sunday.
please make your text entry box bigger
Posted by no name, fearful of repression on September 5 2004 21:16
But let's not go too far. Let's not think that when we get him there
is any reason to stop sending all our wealth down the terrorism toilet.
So the day after previous story, here's what the experts say:
Sept 6 04
SF Chronicle front page and
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/09/06/BINLADEN.TMP
Capturing bin Laden won't end Al Qaeda's threat, experts say
"He's now a symbol, not a solo strategist, in evolving network...
Posted by no name on September 6 2004 17:20
WORLD
Bin Laden 'alive and in Pakistan'
Monday, September 27, 2004 Posted: 2:23 PM EDT (1823 GMT)
Footage allegedly of bin Laden in mountain locations has been aired on Arabic TV channels.
(CNN) -- Intelligence indicates Osama bin Laden is alive, Pakistan's president says, and the top U.S. military official in Afghanistan believes the al Qaeda leader is probably in Pakistan.
http://www.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/asiapcf/09/27/pakistan.musharraf.binladen/index.html
on schedule
Posted by asdfasf on October 1 2004 14:33
http://www.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2004/9/29/175039.shtml
Wednesday, Sept. 29, 2004 5:49 p.m. EDT
Karl Rove: 'We've Got a Couple of Surprises' for Kerry
President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove, said Wednesday that the Bush-Cheney campaign is planning some October "surprises" for challengers John Kerry and John Edwards.
"We've got a couple of surprises that we intend to spring," Rove told ABC radio host Sean Hannity while explaining that he intends to wage an aggressive campaign no matter what the polls show.
Posted by dfhdfgh on October 1 2004 14:36
Well, it's Nov 2; so much for that theory.
If he's found by US military before or soon after Kerry inaugural (if Kerry wins, too early to tell at this second), what's a tin-foil hat kind of guy to think, other than (at least part of) the military has turned against Bush; that part of the military "on the ground", not the higher ranks.
Posted by dfggf on November 2 2004 17:33