# O. B. Laden, Dead or Alive? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 8, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501 "2002-09-08T03:13:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![chuckster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@chuckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chuckster)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/1 "2002-09-08T03:13:05Z")
So, what do you guys think, is Osama Bin Laden (O’l Sonavabich Laden) dead or alive? My opinion is he is dead for the following reasons: 1. He was not in the best of health before he executed the big attack on America on 9/11 and as the war went on he appeared in worse health in progressive video appearances as time went by (let’s face it, taking on the United States of America is very bad for one’s health!) 2. He has not made any of his anoying videos since the battle of Tora Bora and has not turned up once to thumb his nose at the United States, even though it would be the thing to do to keep the morale of his troops up 3. If he were to turn up, on or around 9/11 of this year would be a good time, and he hasn’t appeared yet I suppose time will tell, but if you ask me, the best place to look for O’l Sonofabitch Laten is in Hell! ---
**Author:** ![LolaCocaCola](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7cd45c/32.png) [@LolaCocaCola](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LolaCocaCola)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/2 "2002-09-08T03:35:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by chuckster \* > \*\*2) He has not made any of his anoying videos since the battle of Tora Bora \*\* I missed the Battle of Tora Bora video. Damn MTV. _shakes fist_ ---
**Author:** ![Genseric](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Genseric](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genseric)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/3 "2002-09-08T04:52:44Z")
He’s like Schrodinger’s cat. He’s currently in a superposition of dead/alive states. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/4 "2002-09-08T11:40:11Z")
Alive and well in a CIA safe house…they’ll bring him out to do another video if they sense our support for war over there is waning… ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/5 "2002-09-08T12:30:17Z")
He’s dead, but they have frozen his body to bring out just before the elections, thereby giving Bush a landslide victory. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/6 "2002-09-08T12:49:18Z")
Alive, until conclusively proven otherwise. Keep looking. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/7 "2002-09-08T21:13:49Z")
**Bosda** : by that logic, Amelia Earhart is sipping umbrella drinks on some South Pacific island (or at least would have been, even natural causes would likely have claimed her by now). Seriously, what would catching him do besides the revenge factor? It’s not like terrorists need him as a leader to operate. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/8 "2002-09-08T22:15:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\ ***Bosda** : by that logic, Amelia Earhart is sipping umbrella drinks on some South Pacific island (or at least would have been, even natural causes would likely have claimed her by now). > > Seriously, what would catching him do besides the revenge factor? It’s not like terrorists need him as a leader to operate. \*\* [list=1] [li]We aren’t looking for Earhart.[/li][li]Establishing the policy that, if you attack the USA on it’s home soil, we shall never ever stop ‘til yo’ @ss is dead, is perhaps the best idea I’ve heard in years. This is not _revenge_ , thisa is the policy of deterence by reprisal. Most terrorist _leaders_ aren’t as willing to die as the suicide bombers.[/li][li]Besides–the TV special of the year will be parading Bin Ladin’s severed head on a spike down Wall Street.[/li][/list=1] ---
**Author:** ![Cabbage](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f07891/32.png) [@Cabbage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabbage)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2002, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/9 "2002-09-08T23:56:40Z")
I have absolutely no evidence, of course, but I’ve thought bin Laden was dead since late last fall, either KIA, or succumbed to his health problems. In addition, if you haven’t seen it yet, check [this](http://www.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/meast/09/08/attacks.al.jazeera.ap/index.html) out: > [@](#): > > Fouda said during the two days he spent talking to the two, Mohammed once referred to bin Laden in the past tense and that a sense of disarray led him to believe bin Laden could be dead. ---
**Author:** ![ElwoodCuse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/edb3f5/32.png) [@ElwoodCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElwoodCuse)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/10 "2002-09-09T06:45:43Z")
Bosda: Who says we’re still loking for bin Laden? I thought Saddam was our enemy now… And yes, it is nothing more than revenge. How is it deterrence? “Knock it off, would-be suicide bombers, or Uncle Sam will find you and kill you!” Riiight. If anything, the U.S. bragging about killing bin Laden would make him a martyr in the eyes of his followers and perhaps intensify the focus for another terrorist attack. There’s tons more things we could do to make our country more secure than finding and killing OBL, and even GW seems to think this. Although I disagree with him about Iraq, I think his changing tune of who our biggest threat is says a lot about bin Laden. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 11:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/11 "2002-09-09T11:57:22Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by ElwoodCuse \* > \*\*Bosda: Who says we’re still loking for bin Laden? I thought Saddam was our enemy now… > > And yes, it is nothing more than revenge. How is it deterrence? “Knock it off, would-be suicide bombers, or Uncle Sam will find you and kill you!” Riiight. If anything, the U.S. bragging about killing bin Laden would make him a martyr in the eyes of his followers and perhaps intensify the focus for another terrorist attack. > > There’s tons more things we could do to make our country more secure than finding and killing OBL, and even GW seems to think this. Although I disagree with him about Iraq, I think his changing tune of who our biggest threat is says a lot about bin Laden. \*\* **ElwoodCuse** — I said , if you had actually read my post, that the _leaders_ who recruit & organise suicide bombers **seem reluctant to die themselves.** This is true. Money is changing hands, & desparately poor Palestinians are frequent recruits to be suicide bombers. The hopelessly poor are offered money for their families in exchange for suicide attacks. So, guarenteeing that the _leaders and organizers_ of terrorist groups will die in reprisals _may indeed_ deter future attacks. As for GW & Saddam, I think that GW is whipping up a war against our only visible enemy in a dimwitted attempt to appear successful in his War On Terror. Also, for re-election purposes. **As if.** :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/12 "2002-09-09T12:07:13Z")
There was an exceptionally interesting article in the London _[Sunday Times](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,2086,00.html)_ this weekend. An investigative reporter had been taken to meet al Qaeda’s no. 2 and 3, where they revealed details of 9-11. The reporter noted that one of the leaders referred to bin Laden in the past tense. He also concluded that there is ‘trouble at the top’, which is why he had been taken to them in the first place. He reckoned that Osama’s dead. Incidentally, it really is the most interesting and horrifying article I’ve read for a long time. The deviousness, skill, and sheer lunacy of their motives defies belief. Unfortunately the online version is pay-only. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/13 "2002-09-09T17:08:16Z")
Nobody has mentioned that OBL’s bodyguard’s were captured without OBL. My guess is that he’s dead, but I wouldn’t be surprised either way. ---
**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:** [September 9, 2002, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/14 "2002-09-09T17:16:11Z")
He has been exceptionally quiet as of late, even for an evil mastermind. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/15 "2002-09-09T17:19:14Z")
Salman Rushdie shows up more than he does. ---
**Author:** ![flyboy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4da419/32.png) [@flyboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/flyboy)\ **Post date:** [September 9, 2002, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-b-laden-dead-or-alive/127501/16 "2002-09-09T21:46:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jjimm \* > \*\*There was an exceptionally interesting article in the London _[Sunday Times](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/section/0,,2086,00.html)_ this weekend … Incidentally, it really is the most interesting and horrifying article I’ve read for a long time. The deviousness, skill, and sheer lunacy of their motives defies belief. Unfortunately the online version is pay-only. \*\* I also read this article. Very creepy. It looks like the Capitol, not the White House, was the last target.