Why is Fox News suddenly spelling it "Usama"?

[zaj]

Also, note that they put him under the catagory "Politics > Iraq > Usama Bin Laden" (though they used to call it "Politics > Iraq > Osama Bin Laden".

[Hannah Bell]

1. same reason no one can decide how to spell khaddafi.

though there is a specific, internationally agreed on transcription system used to render japanese & chinese names into english & other western languages, no one can agree how to transliterate arabic names. apparently.

[DebJ]

On 9/11, it appeared on the news in many different ways. I

have a friend who speaks/writes Arabic (because she is Muslim), and she says there is no standard translation from Arabic to English.
Ergo, Kadhafi, Ghaddafy, etc.

[whoneedstickets]

2. Trying to avoid a typo like Obama bin Laden, no doubt

given the deep bias of the news group they figure this is almost certain to happen

[MiniMe]

6. Like this?

[whoneedstickets]

11. Was that tonight!?

[MiniMe]

15. Yes

[zaj]

16. Talking Points Memo did it tonight

It's going to happen. But until tonight, they had clearly been using Osama. Why change tonight?

[tammywammy]

3. I think both ways are acceptable spellings n/t

[OneGrassRoot]

4. It's probably a mental note to help them avoid saying Obama...

which they love to do.

[zaj]

17. That makes the most sense of all the ideas I've heard...

[MiniMe]

5. They have always spelled it that way

I think it has to do with the Arabic translation on the name

[Hannah Bell]

10. obviously not, since they use both in the op.

[Xenotime]

7. Because they are dumb asses.

[leftstreet]

8. At least they didn't put a "D" after his name

That's something

[Adsos Letter]

13. !

:spray: :thumbsup:

[A-Schwarzenegger]

9. USA in USAma: subliminal advertising to connect the death with patriotic Faux.

:tv: :*

[JohnnyRingo]

12. Maybe Rumsfeld is writing copy for them.

He always called him that.

[Bucky]

14. They've been doing that for years. It's part of their commitment to living in a separate reality.

[gauguin57]

18. They're putting the USA in USAMA!!!!

Who knows why Fox News does anything.

[RaleighNCDUer]

19. They've been thrown into panicked confusion.

For years they used "Usama". They switched to "Osama" during Obama's campaign, to play up the one-letter difference in the names.

Now, they don't know if they want to connect Osama/Obama or DISconnect Usama/Obama, now with Osama being killed on Obama's watch.

Further proof that they are a propaganda outfit, not a news organization.

[JVS]

20. I'm going to venture a guess.

I think it's because typos that are intended to be Osama and Obama would hit the spell check in such a way that a very embarrassing gaffe could take place. By keeping the name of the president and the Osama bin Laden more than one keystroke away from each other, the risk of a faux pas is reduced.

[guardian]

21. The differences/confusion comes from Arabic -> English

From Wiki:

Variations of Osama bin Laden's name

There is no universally accepted standard in the West for transliterating Arabic words and names into English, so bin Laden's name is spelled in many different ways. The version translation most often used by English-language mass media is Osama bin Laden. Most American government agencies, including the FBI and CIA, use either "Usama bin Laden" or "Usama bin Ladin", both of which are often abbreviated to UBL. Less common renderings include "Ussamah Bin Ladin" and "Oussama Ben Laden" (French-language mass media). The last two words of the name can also be found as "Binladen" or (as used by his family in the West) "Binladin". The spelling with "o" and "e" comes from a Persian-influenced pronunciation used in Afghanistan where he lived for a long time.

[WCGreen]

22. They have spelled his name with an U since before 9/11