# Bin Laden win NOT be taken alive **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 1, 2001, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877 "2001-11-01T07:39:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![buddy1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6a8cbe/32.png) [@buddy1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddy1)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/21 "2001-11-01T17:28:15Z")
Why don’t we get an actor that looks like OBL, and put him on videotape, showing him being captured by US Army rangers. We could broadcast the tape to the arab world, via the Al-jezeera network. this would scare the hell out of the taliban-they wouldn’t know who to believe! We could then follow up with pictures of his dead body… this would cause their morale to plummet. Damn, I’m good! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/22 "2001-11-01T17:33:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by FortMarcy \* > > Who is the last matyr you can name who just disappeared? You can’t be a matyr unless people are sure that you are dead. \*\* You would do well to study the history of the Alaouites, the Shiites and the Druze before making rash assertions. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2001, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/23 "2001-11-02T02:13:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Whack-a-Mole \* > **A trial in the US would be bad given the accused’s rights. He’d probably get the death penalty and I’m not aware fo a death penalty case that saw the defendant put to death in less than 10 years from his sentencing. That’d be a LOT of time for him and his followers to agitate for his release** Timothy McVeigh - arrested 1995, convicted 1997, executed 2001 - 6 years. ---
**Author:** ![World\_Eater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f04885/32.png) [@World\_Eater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/World_Eater)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2001, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/24 "2001-11-03T02:01:39Z")
I’ll wager that OBL would kill himself (if possible) before being captured. ---
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/25 "2001-11-04T02:24:52Z")
Replying to the OP: No matter what happens in legal terms if OBL is captured, it’s still the worst case if the U.S holds him for more than a very minimal amount of time before executing him. While OBL is in custody, his followers would demand his release, emphasizing thier point by killing many Americans/Westerners. This is such a dirty business. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2001, 6:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877/26 "2001-11-04T06:43:57Z")
Apart from his ego, why wouldn’t he kill himself if capture was inevitable? Why is he still alive now – since his videotapes are on TV? What have people done so far that wasn’t predictable? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bin-laden-win-not-be-taken-alive/90877.md?page=1)