Iranian Radio Reports Bin Laden Capture

Iran's state radio is reporting that bin Laden was captured some time ago according to an unnamed source, and every reputable source is denying it.

I say it's bullshit. I don't doubt that the administration has a motive to "put off" a capture until later in the year but I really don't think it could keep news this big under wraps.

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By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said Saturday that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) was captured in Pakistan "a long time ago." U.S. and Pakistani officials denied the report.

The report said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest. In Washington, a U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, denied early Saturday that bin Laden was captured.

The report was carried by Iran radio's external Pushtun service. The director of Iran radio's Pushtun service, Asheq Hossein, said he had two sources for the report that bin Laden had been captured.

A Pakistani military operation has been under way in the border region between Pakistan and Afghanistan (news - web sites), and a Pakistani official said previously that members of al-Qaida are being sought there, although bin laden was not a specific target.

Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan also told The Associated Press that the report was not true. "That information is wrong," he said.

Speaking to the AP in Tehran, Hossein identified one of the sources as "Shamim Shahed, editor" of the English-language Pakistani newspaper The Nation in Peshawar. Hossein said Shahed told him Friday night that bin Laden was arrested "a long time ago."

But Shahed, who is The Nation's Peshawar bureau chief and not its editor, denied telling the Iranian radio station that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this," Shahed said in a telephone interview with the AP's Islamabad bureau. "But I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans') reach, and they can declare him arrested any time."

Shahed gave no evidence to back up that claim.

Hossein said he had a second source for his report that bin Laden had been captured, but he declined to identify him except to say he was "a man with close links to intelligence services and Afghan tribal leaders."

Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago.

"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," he said.

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

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http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...d=540&ncid=716

U.S. Denies Report of Bin Laden's Capture
5 minutes ago

By ALI AKBAR DAREINI, Associated Press Writer

TEHRAN, Iran - Pentagon (news - web sites) and Pakistani officials on Saturday denied an Iranian state radio report that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) was captured in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan (news - web sites) "a long time ago."

There have been reports that military forces believed they had identified bin Laden's general location and had him encircled, but Pakistani officials have denied any specific knowledge of bin Laden's whereabouts.

The claim came at a time when Pakistan's army was hunting al-Qaida suspects in a remote tribal region along the border with Afghanistan, believed to be a possible hiding place for the al-Qaida leader.

Iran's state radio, quoting an unnamed source, said that U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with the arrest.

Larry Di Rita, the chief Pentagon spokesman who traveled with Rumsfeld this week to Afghanistan, denied the report. "I don't have any reason to think it's true," he said Saturday.

Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, also said he had no information to suggest bin Laden had been caught.

"Things are going well, and we believe we will eventually catch all the leaders of al-Qaida, but I know nothing of that report," he said.

In Washington, another U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, also denied Saturday that bin Laden was captured.

The report was carried by Iran radio's external Pushtun service. The director of Iran radio's Pushtun service, Asheq Hossein, said he had two sources for the report that bin Laden had been captured.

Iranian state radio quoted its reporter as saying the arrest happened a long time ago.

"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," he said.

Pakistani Army spokesman Gen. Shaukat Sultan also told The Associated Press that the report was not true. "That information is wrong," he said.

A Pakistani official said previously that members of al-Qaida are being sought in the border region, although bin laden was not a specific target.

Separately, Pakistani forces killed 11 people in an exchange of fire Saturday after a minibus failed to stop at a roadblock in a tribal region where the ongoing anti-terrorism operations have been taking place, an army spokesman told the AP. The shooting occurred a day after armed men and soldiers exchanged fire at a military compound in the region.

Speaking to the AP in Tehran, Hossein identified one of the sources for the bin Laden report as Shamim Shahed, editor of the English-language Pakistani newspaper The Nation in Peshawar. Hossein said Shahed told him Friday night that bin Laden was arrested "a long time ago."

But Shahed, who is The Nation's Peshawar bureau chief and not its editor, denied telling the Iranian radio station that bin Laden had been captured.

"I never said this," Shahed said in a telephone interview with the AP's Islamabad bureau. "But I have for the last year been saying that he is not far away. He is within their (the Americans') reach, and they can declare him arrested any time."



Hossein said he had a second source for his report that bin Laden had been captured, but he declined to identify him except to say he was "a man with close links to intelligence services and Afghan tribal leaders."

Homayoun Jarir, son-in-law of Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, said he could not confirm the report.

The Iranian news agency IRNA was first to report the capture of Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). IRNA also carried the state radio report about bin Laden's capture and said it had contacted a radio announcer at the Pushtun service who confirmed the news.

For what it's worth, only denials coming from the US now. Shame, would be nice to see him found, beaten then executed.

Bullshit, aye.

No way...there is no reason to sit on something like this. They could release the information now and it would still when him the election. Not to mention it would remove all the heat that he recieved for moving forces into Iraq instead of concentrating on Bin Laden.

bin laden is hiding under my bed.......

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Originally Posted by Mman

No way...there is no reason to sit on something like this. They could release the information now and it would still when him the election. Not to mention it would remove all the heat that he recieved for moving forces into Iraq instead of concentrating on Bin Laden.

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Voters have short memories. Two weeks after bin Laden is caught, they'll have forgotten all about him, and will turn their attention back to the disaster that is our economy.

I don't see why Bush gets all these bonus points for catching him, anyway. Fucker took out the Towers on Bush's watch, so he pretty much owes us his head.

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Originally Posted by burgundy

I say it's bullshit. I don't doubt that the administration has a motive to "put off" a capture until later in the year but I really don't think it could keep news this big under wraps.

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What about the aliens?

WHAT ABOUT THE ALIENS?!

Those...Eyebrows..

Funny. I was just joking with pals that Bush has Bin Laden but is keeping it secret to maintain support for The War on Terrorism.

Probably not true, but fun to consider.

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Originally Posted by Six

Funny. I was just joking with pals that Bush has Bin Laden but is keeping it secret to maintain support for The War on Terrorism.

Probably not true, but fun to consider.

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Why, sounds entirely logical to me.

Besides, it could be the only saving grace Bush has come election time. I think you guys put a little to much faith in the honesty of our administration. ANYTHING is possible.

Bush will wheel out Bin Laden in chains like King-fucking-Kong two days before the election.

I think a month would be reasonable. Time will tell and I cant wait.

Doesn't make it any less despicable.

hmmm...politicians...despicable....not a far stretch on those words.