French say Osama’s dead
- Posted by Beth on September 23rd, 2006 filed in Afghanistan, General, International, Islamofascism, Support the Troops
I’m taking this with a mountain of salt, but here’s the report–I can’t find it anywhere else, though.
PARIS (Reuters) - A French regional newspaper quoted a French secret service report on Saturday as saying that Saudi Arabia is convinced that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan last month.
L’Est Republicain printed what it said was a copy of the report dated September 21 and said it was shown to
President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and France’s interior and defense ministers on the same day.“According to a usually reliable source, the Saudi services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead,” the document said.
“The information gathered by the Saudis indicates that the head of al Qaeda was a victim while he was in Pakistan on August 23, 2006, of a very serious case of typhoid which led to a partial paralysis of his internal organs.”
The report, which was stamped with a “confidential defense” label and the initials of the French secret service, said Saudi Arabia first heard the information on September 4 and that it was waiting for more details before making an official announcement.
Officials contacted by Reuters in Chirac’s and Villepin’s offices had no immediate comment.
A senior official in Pakistan’s interior ministry said: “We have no information about Osama’s death.”
Saudi-born Bin Laden was based in Afghanistan until the Taliban government there was overthrown by U.S.-backed forces in late 2001. Since then, U.S. and Pakistani officials have regularly said they believe he is hiding somewhere on the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The last videotaped message released by bin Laden was in late 2004, but there have been several low quality audio tapes released this year.
(Additional reporting by Islamabad bureau)
OK, the Fwench and the Saudis (with additional reporting from Islamabad) are all saying they think he’s dead. I have to wonder: why this “regional paper” in France? Not that I question their credibility, but why information like this would be shared with some “regional” French newspaper is a mystery to me. So basically, I’m not inclined to believe it yet.
Ace takes a much more throrough look at it and lists some reasons to be cautiously optimistic about the story. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
DAMN I hope it’s true.
Francis W. Porretto says:
I too hope it’s true, but more than that, I hope it makes a difference — that there aren’t a slew of “vice-Osamas” waiting to take his place and carry on the global Islamist jihad just as he did.
“7.62mm Justice” » Osama Dead? says:
[...] My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy [...]
The Median Sib » Blog Archive » Is Osama Bin Laden dead from Typhoid? says:
[...] reported death: My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy Ace of Spades HQ Trackback Permalink Filed under: Politics, Islamophobia, OurMilitary [...]
Doug Ross @ Journal says:
The dreams of Chavez - illustrated
Brought to you through our patented Blogoscope™ technology, we’ve injected a tiny recording device into the brain of Hugo Chavez (yes, exceedingly difficult given the minute scale of the host brain). The following is a transcript of one of Hugie’s mo…
Stop The ACLU says:
Osama Bin Laden Dead?
Hat tip: Gateway Pundit:
Rumors are swirling about that the terror mastermind bit the dust from typhoid. Saudi sources are saying:
“It said he died of a very serious case of typhoid causing partial paralysis of his internal organs.”
Kha…
Carnivore says:
The news agencies down here are reporting the same thing. They are also saying that the italian press is saying this too.
However, like you, I too am leary to believe this as fact. I want to see his body. Now if this is true, typhus is a horrid way to go. Thanks to the little insects crawling over his body! woohoo.
Still waiting for the pictures to fly around about this, and no other news has picked up this story yet that I have seen.
Salud.
Right Truth says:
Osama pushing up daisies?
According to a French secret service member, Saudia Arabia is reporting Osama bin Laden dead from “a very serious case of typhoid which led to a partial paralysis of his internal organs.” Pakistan says “We have no information about Osama’s
Pirate's Cove says:
Bin Laden Dead? DUmmie’s Say “Eh”
The French are reporting that Osama Bin Laden may be dead:
The French defense ministry on Saturday called for an internal investigation of the leak of an intelligence document that raises the possibility that Osama bin Laden may have died of typhoid in…
David Tomlin says:
Typhoid and typhus are not the same disease.
http://www.netdoctor.co.uk/travel/diseases/typhoid.htm
http://www.vdh.state.va.us/epi/typhusf.htm
All Things Beautiful says:
Osama bin-Laden Dead….Again?
Could this possibly be true? Was it something I said yesterday…..
Via WND I find in the early hours of this morning that a French daily newspaper L’Est Republicain has published that the al-Qaeda leader Osama bin-Laden died within days of contractin…
Beth says:
Appropriately enough, the spam word is CRAP. Everyone else (meaning the gubmint) is saying the story is crap.
I think Fwench intel is about as useful as…an accordion in a battlefield.
Blue Star Chronicles says:
The French say Osama Bin Laden is Dead
I would hate to think he died a peaceful death of natural causes (however painful dying of typhoid might be, it would not be painful enough). Although, dying like that would not be the ‘going down in a blaze of glory’ that most jihadists seem to pray…
Cat says:
Holy frijoles…It’s be a peach if this were true and he really is TU, piss be upon him. In the meantime, we have Komrade Klinton going shell over his failures to take bin laden seriously and not get him on how many occasions? Something like 8 chances if memory serves. And that tired, juvenile attempt to mitigate his culpability and dereliction of duty was to make some comment that Bush had 8 months and didn’t get him? WTF kind of reasoning is that? Ohh I forget who we’re discussing here.
Sorry Mr. Rapist-in-Chief, you blew it while you were getting blown. Get over it…that’s your legacy.
Right Wing Sparkle says:
The French say Osama Bin Laden is Dead
I would hate to think he died a peaceful death of natural causes (however painful dying of typhoid might be, it would not be painful enough). Although, dying like that would not be the ‘going down in a blaze of glory’ that most jihadists seem to pray…
The Anchoress » Osama, leaks, timing and reality says:
[...] Related: AJ has a rolling update Wizbang Gateway Pundit Beth Tom Maguire Dr. Sanity [...]
The Wide Awake Cafe » Non Non Non Non says:
[...] Silly Fwenchman Jacques Chirac is more concerned about who leaked the news than the actual content. Other than that, he has no comment. [...]
Old War Dogs says:
Again?
Moved here from Bill’s Bites — 2006.09.23: 12:20 France to probe bin Laden death report leak PARIS (Reuters) - France’s Defense Ministry said on Saturday a secret service report saying al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had died could not
planck's constant says:
Bin Laden’s Death Saddens Me
Here is my translation of the L’Est Republicain report in question:
The Saudi secret service are now convinced that the Al-Qaeda founder died. If it becomes confirmed soon, that information could help American president George Bush, whose party is t…
raz0r says:
Haven’t heard anything. I’m inclined to believe it’s just wishful thinking. Kind of like the hopes most Cubans have with Castro. I’d really like to see the US bag him and then quietly store him away in a deep dark cell never to be seen or heard again. The only people he’d see are those who come to peel his skin off every so often.
gnadfly says:
If the French’s treatment of Yasser Arafat is any indication, they have a hard time distinguishing between life and death.
Wait, Death for the French is the inability to retreat.