Bin Laden’s trail cold, U.S. acknowledges

[skooooo]

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6639804/

KABUL, Afghanistan - For a time, the U.S. military in Afghanistan was talking as if it would smoke Osama bin Laden out of a cave on the rocky Pakistan border within months, perhaps even ahead of President Bush’s re-election.

Now, U.S. commanders say protecting the country’s fragile new democracy, reviving its economy and keeping Taliban militants on the run are the priorities, although tracking the cold trail of bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders remains the focus of intelligence efforts.

Spies, informers, electronic listening devices and surveillance from the air all belong to the U.S. arsenal. However, U.S. officials acknowledge that videotapes featuring a sprightly-looking bin Laden — released days before the Nov. 2 election in the United States — and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, have yielded no clues to their whereabouts, even though one was delivered to a TV channel in Islamabad, Pakistan.

[fertilizeonarbusto]

1. Really? No sh*t!

You mean he wasn't in Saddam's spider hole?
*sarcasm off*

[tk2kewl]

2. I thought he was in Iran?

:shrug: :eyes:

[OneBlueSky]

3. ask his dialysis guy . . .

or just go to the address where he collects his monthly CIA checks . . .

[Mari333]

4. oops we attacked Iraq for no damned reason....n/t

[tngledwebb]

16. Afghanistan too

lest we forget.

[JPace]

5. Tough talking bush regime....

with the biggest military and intelligence agency in the history of mankind cannot find a 6 and a half foot man hooked up to a kidney dialysis machine.

[LegalEagles]

25. No doubt

his medical problems will get him long before we do, but how long will he be dead before we actually know it?

[PATRICK]

6. A fine coincidence

that with all the years of leaks, hints, "closing in" and assurances of vague whereabout, one month after securing another fraudulent election they drop the whole ball.

What a coincidence. Now we know who has been heading the Intel for the hunt for Bin Laden. Karl Rove from his laptop. And no one else.

[gratuitous]

7. Gee, Bin Laden was minutes from capture right before the election

November 2 passes, and poof! Bin Laden's trail has gone cold. Whaddya know?

[Bono71]

9. Very good point

[tom_paine]

18. Not before he released his pro-Bush campaign commercial

Now, naturally, he needs to be left free because the Imperial Family needs nother attack to speed the tranisitoon to BushPutinist Tyranny.

[Just Me]

22. Yep. Spain taught him a lesson. n/t

[0007]

33. Is Zarqawi still fighting in Fullajah?

"He can run but he can't hide, we'll smoke him out! (Right after 911)

I know what I believe. I will continue to articulate what I believe and what I believe—I believe what I believe is
right.
George W. Bush: 43rd President of the United States

[Bono71]

8. But, but, but 142,000 extra US troops wouldn't help warm up

the trail...

Iraq was such a mistake on so many levels.

[BeHereNow]

10. Isn't is amazing?

The audacity of these people?
Bin laden the boogey man was under all of
our beds three years ago...he was coming for
our virgin daughters and was going to bring havoc to all.
But we were assured that they were going to
hunt him down and "smoke him out."

Next thing you know, the president said,
"I don't really think about him that much..."

Tell it to the families who have lost loved ones
in your sham war Mr. Bush.

bhn

[illflem]

11. If there was a $25 million bounty on bush's head

wonder how many days it would take for someone to collect?

[Earth_First]

14. I'd be US$25M up

...can I say that?

[underpants]

12. Fox News says that OBL is hiding in the UN basement

The UN and Kofi Annan is/are the boogeyman. They don't want to mention OBL or even Zarkawi since they can't find them.

[BeHereNow]

15. The UN and Kofi Annan

are now the ones hiding under all our beds?
Cripes, that's a LOT of folks under my bed!
Fill me in- do they want to rape my virgin
daughter too? Or are they after my cats
for a ritual soup recipe?
Are there dog eating North Koreans in the UN?
Any Iranians in there with metal for making nuclear
fly swatters that can reach Europe?

I just can't keep up with the latest news
on the ever changing boogey men.
So much danger, so little duct tape!
bhn

[underpants]

19. This is a big one I think they have sunk their teeth into this one

They aren't even really worried about individuals anymore they are going after organizations.

[BeHereNow]

23. The fundies think the UN is part of

the EVIL forces out to destroy our FREEEEEdums!
Look out Catholic Church, you're next.
I can just see the headline:
"Catholic Church Suspected of Smuggling Yellow Cake
in Communion Wafers."
bhn

[bunkerbuster1]

28. "I don't really think about him."

And lest we forget, during the debate:
"I don't believe I ever said that."

[BeHereNow]

29. Astounding, is it not?

They make it up as they go along and
feel NO responsibility towards accountability
to the people of the world.
Like Helen Thomas said,
"WORST PRESIDENT EVER."
No character, no ethics and (sorry evangelicals)
NO MORALS what so ever.
bhn

[Cocoa]

13. the wolves are still out there!

are the security moms scared? :scared:

[BeHereNow]

21. I'd be scared, if I had time...

But frankly, it takes every bit of my
energy just keeping up on who the
latest boogey man is...I'd say more
but I've got to go catch Fox news to
update myself!
Damn, where's my duct tape!?!?
Run, hide! Danger, Danger Will Robinson!
bhn

[tngledwebb]

24. Latest scariest evildoers, the ones you gotta fear the most?

Easy - they just stole their second presidential election, and are alive and well, 'cept for the alcoholic AWOL ex-frat boy and that big white turd with the bad ticker.

[Q]

17. I got the impression that they never wanted to find him...

...being a former(?) CIA operative and all.

[tngledwebb]

20. Never much of a threat ,

but wasn't he supposed to have been behind that 9/11 thing?

[Bouncy Ball]

26. They admit this NOW?

Raise your hand if you knew this months ago.

Incompetent fuckers.

[VegasWolf]

27. But if they catch him who will they have for a bogeyman for the

next election?

[bunkerbuster1]

30. Anyone else overwhelmed with the need to rub ~60 million noses

into this story?

(that's 60 million, ± 130K or so.)

[Enraged_Ape]

31. Try the rumpus room at the Western White House

Word is that Osama's about to hit the GTA:Vice City high score on Bush's Playstation machine.

[noshenanigans]

32. So what're the odds this will get on tv news?

Will this get any play out there amongst the rabble (er, "people who get their news from network television")?

God, this makes me furious. I keep trying to have faith people will see all of these clear, extremely sloppy machinations, but I'm losing faith here, people.

[GRLMGC]

34. Now

we REALLY need to support Bush. I mean, sure he let him get away and isn't actively pursuing him but that just means we need a REALLY strong leader! :sarcasm off: