How was it established that the dead person was Ben Laden?

[janeslogin]

I read the top stories at nytimes.com and washingtonpost.com and scanned through Google news and I cannot find how they determined that the dead person was Ben Laden. No mention of photographs, fingerprints, DNA, expert witnesses. Just that they followed a trail and shot someone, identified him as Ben Laden and buried him at sea. Even CSI would have devoted a significant part of an hour to identification.

Do you have a link?

[engineer_comp_geek]

@janeslogin

No mention of photographs, fingerprints, DNA

In the top story on Yahoo news they are saying DNA testing “and other means” were used to confirm the identity.

[Jenaroph]

Funny, every story I’ve seen mentions that they’ve compared his DNA to a sample from his sister.

google search for bin laden DNA

[Oakminster]

No link, but I read somewhere that Osama had a sister that died in Boston. Apparently they saved her DNA for just this purpose. Don’t think the tests have been completed yet.

[CalMeacham]

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/05/02/ap_sources_dna_testing_proves_bin_laden_death/

WASHINGTON—After the firefight that killed Osama bin Laden, the U.S. used “multiple methods” to positively identify his remains, according to a senior Pentagon official who personally saw a photograph of the corpse.

The official, who discussed the matter on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly, declined to specify the methods of identification, but two Obama administration officials said DNA evidence confirmed the death.

The officials claimed the DNA evidence provides a match with 99.9 percent confidence.

The officials did not immediately say where or how the testing was done but the test explains why President Barack Obama was confident to announce the death to the world Sunday night. Obama provided no details on the identification process.

The U.S. is believed to have collected DNA samples from bin Laden family members in the years since the 9/11 attacks that triggered the U.S.-led invasion of Afghanistan. It was unclear whether the U.S. also had fingerprints or some other means to identify the body on site.

[Thudlow_Boink]

@janeslogin

they determined that the dead person was Ben Laden.

He was really Obi Wan Laden.

[control-z]

NBC news this morning was saying that DNA testing had not yet been completed.

[lieu]

From the CNN blog: *A U.S. official disputed reports that bin Laden had altered his appearance to avoid recognition.

The official said Bin Laden was recognizable on scene. He was “not transformed somehow.”

A visual ID was made, there were photo comparisons and other facial recognition used to identify him, the official said. A second official said that in addition to DNA there was full biometric analysis of facial and body features.
*

[janeslogin]

I found a ‘how to’ at Scientific American: How Do You ID a Dead Osama? but nothing on what in fact has been done.

[robert_columbia]

I’m looking for an Obi-Wan Laden. Is he a relative of Ben Laden? Do you know who I’m talking about?

[Khaki_Campbell]

Meh. It was written in the script.

[janeslogin]

MSNBC, 1100 hours PDT, says the identification was done with DNA

[lieu]

Whew, thank goodness. Could have been a little embarassing otherwise. Whoops!

[Dallas_Jones]

It was also reported that he was identified by one of his wives at the scene. Sorry, no link, I’m on my phone.

[KneadToKnow]

The AP article

[Lukeinva]

They used DNA and computer recognition to positively identify him. Virtually every website in the world has posted this information.

[Rhythmdvl]

@robert_columbia

I’m looking for an Obi-Wan Laden. Is he a relative of Ben Laden? Do you know who I’m talking about?

@Khaki_Campbell

Meh. It was written in the script.

This also explains why the SF killed him. From reports I’ve read–Osama shot first.

[Jim_s_Son]

Let’s also remember that Bin Laden was 6’6" tall. Not too many men are that size.

[Rachellelogram]

I was reading a report (spin, maybe) that there’ll be a mass-denial of his death by radical Muslims (and perhaps Republicans) unless an official photo of his corpse is released.

[Annie-Xmas]

@janeslogin

I found a ‘how to’ at Scientific American: How Do You ID a Dead Osama? but nothing on what in fact has been done.

How do you ID a dead Osama?
How do you ID a dead Osama?
How do you ID a dead Osama?
Ear-lie in the morning?