How Do You ID a Dead Osama? (Under 5 hours)

[SkyDaddy7]

Source: Scientific American

Osama Bin Laden is dead. At least, that's what we've been told, and I tend to believe such things.

But how do they know it's him? Well, they have the visual evidence and the body, for one. But to be certain it's not a look-a-like, the government has taken steps above and beyond to make sure they've got who they think they have: DNA analysis.

Now, I'm not entirely sure what DNA analysis has been done, but I can say this for certain - whatever method they used could be completed in a matter of hours given a lab ready to go and focused solely on this. Using commonplace PCR methods - which, for the record, is what I use in my lab every day - Bin Laden could easily be ID'd faster than you'd think. Heck, I can get DNA from a fish and turn it into sequences or genotypes in 24 hours, so I think the US government can work faster than me when time is of the essence. Allow me to explain how they could do it so quickly.


Read more: http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=how-do-you-id-a-dead-osama-anyway-2011-05-02

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I have already seen people on You Tube claim this is all a lie because it is impossible to get DNA results so fast...And I am sure folks like Jesse Ventura, Alex Jones & maybe even Trump along with their faithful followers will claim the same thing as they begin to build their Conspiracy! Which we know is coming!

[ck4829]

1. Funny. Usually, this takes months or years when a prisoner is waiting on DNA to possibly free them

[monmouth]

16. Bin Laden's sister died in New York and they took her DNA....n/t

[NYC_SKP]

30. Exactly. End of story.

[Pacifist Patriot]

18. As someone pointed out below, laboratory back log has a lot to do with...

the time frame in which results are available. I imagine this test didn't have to wait in any line.

[ReturnoftheDjedi]

21. that's because they don't have the CIA working for them

[fatbuckel]

23. It`s not the test it`s the bureaucracy you wait on.

[cottonseed]

24. Why would the DNA Test take months or years? -- Admit it.. you don't know what you're talking about.

You can tell me :)

[Harmony Blue]

2. We used electrophoresis and restriction enzymes

to create DNA markers, for matchmaking purposes, and as students we had less sophisticated equipment to work with, and it was done in under three hours.

[Ganja Ninja]

3. They probably have details of scars and other things that can help.

just a visual and blood type on him would do well enough until the DNA can confirm it. Once they have the photos and samples they don't need a body anymore.

[patricia92243]

4. Where does the five hours come from? From time of death to burial at sea??? The actual death was

several hours before the announcement of his death. I'm not sure of the time-line. Anybody????

[IllinoisBirdWatcher]

10. Note the public announcement was delayed about two hours

I'm sure that the DNA samples were flown to wherever and that all tests were run and confirmed before the President appeared on TV. Remember that in the past we would get notices that bodies were NOT binLaden nor some of his top henchmen. They surely must have had a lab ready to work on a moment's notice.

But just like a birth certificate, the naysayers led by Ronald the Chump will be claiming this is all a big lie concocted in 1961 and only unveiled yesterday.

[FSogol]

5. They probably have dental records and blood type, also. n/t

[fredamae]

6. How many 6'4" tall Saudi's with Kidney disease

can there be who lived in a massive compound in a foreign country?

[libmom74]

7. God people are stupid!

Is this going to be the conspiracy theory for Repukes? These people would only be happy (and probably not even then) if Osama's head were displayed on stake on the White House lawn.

[JDPriestly]

22. Look. In the military, people do what they are told and don't ask questions.

But in the real world, you have to have receipts and letters of confirmation and all kinds of CYA documentation. That's the way it is.

Remember, this is the same bunch of military honchos who lied about the circumstances of the death of Pat Tillman.

You and I may be satisfied that they got Bin Laden, but we have to be prepared for mythmakers on all sides who are not going to believe it. That is the way of the world.

[24601]

26. No, this is not the same bunch. Those were Army Rangers and

these are Navy Seals. If you believe they are remotely close, then you likely have never served one day in uniform and the sum total of your military knowledge comes from Hollywood.

While Rangers may be attached to Special Operations Forces, they are different and the Ranger School isn't the same as the Special Forces "Q" Course.

[Marblehead]

8. They probably

found his driver's license , it was in his wallet.

[pschoeb]

9. Couldn't they just use fingerprints and his appearance?

If they had any fingerprint info on Bin Laden, that coupled with his appearance would probably be enough to rule out doubles.

[mountainlion55]

11. Thank you for the post

:smoke:

[SkyDaddy7]

14. You are Welcome!

I know the Conspiracy Theories are coming & I guess Scientific American does as well so it nice they are getting out ahead of the Tin Foil Hat crowd!

[SoulSearcher]

12. DNA, Facial recog software, wife called him by name- all used

Congrats to the Prez! (Now lets get our troops home...)

[aikoaiko]

13. I hear he wore a gold name necklace like Carrie from Sex in the City.

:rofl:

[Kablooie]

15. Good to know this. I was wondering.

Most DNA test time estimates factor in a busy lab which wouldn't affect this kind of high priority work.

[Pacifist Patriot]

17. Good heavens. Anyone who watches CSI knows you can get DNA results in approx. 28 minutes.

Sorry, couldn't help myself. :silly:

[Turbineguy]

25. And that includes

commercial breaks!

[Amonester]

19. K & R

Now, I predict DU will *need* another Dungeon(tm). :tinfoilhat:

[Ian David]

20. Someone on the radio says they kept Osama's brain. n/t

[somone]

27. They kept al-Zarqawi in storage and did an autopsy

They should have done the same with bin Laden. His carcass should have been shown to journalists.

[bhikkhu]

31. Muslim burial is traditionally before sunrise

on the day day of death. They did the burial at sea at 1 am, after the Saudis declined to accept the body.

I think its good that they acted with care and respect, and made it the hopeful closing of a bloody chapter rather than another middle finger to a billion or so people. Bush probably would have released gory autopsy video and put the body on display, in contrast.

[Justitia]

28. Tissue typing and marker matching are done very quickly for transplants all the time.

My son is a transplant recipient, I know this process is very fast as time is of the essence.

I am sure that DNA matching with all the resources of the US gov't / military for someone like OBL took no time at all.

[Thor_MN]

29. We have the original blueprints from when the Reagan admin created him.

[donheld]

32. Lucy Farinelli could have done it in 1/2 that time

[Puzzler]

33. Don't use any Texas DNA labs?

[avaistheone1]

34. I'm curious. Why did they toss Osama's dead body in the ocean?

[Concordia]

35. In many ways

It was the most compassionate and sensible thing they could do. Cremation is very frowned upon in Islam, but they didn't want to really take the risk and accept the headache of dealing with an actual gravesite, either. The burial at sea was something of a compromise.