# Osama bin Laden - wanted by the FBI, but not for 911 **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 22, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705 "2006-09-22T13:39:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/1 "2006-09-22T13:39:06Z")
[http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm](http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten/fugitives/laden.htm) So why is that ? ---
**Author:** ![El\_Kabong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/el_kabong/32/496_2.png) [@El\_Kabong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/El_Kabong)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/2 "2006-09-22T13:50:36Z")
You did see the 1999 date on that page, right? ---
**Author:** ![Wildfire\_MM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/f08c70/32.png) [@Wildfire\_MM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wildfire_MM)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/3 "2006-09-22T13:53:04Z")
[QUOTE=El\_Kabong] You did see the 1999 date on that page, right? [/QUOTE] why haven’t it been updated? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/4 "2006-09-22T13:59:19Z")
My God - _they failed to update a web page_. Of all the crimes commited by the U.S. Government, this may very well be the worst. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/5 "2006-09-22T14:06:03Z")
[QUOTE=Alessan] My God - _they failed to update a web page_. Of all the crimes commited by the U.S. Government, this may very well be the worst. [/QUOTE] Sarcasm notwithstanding, it has been _five years_ since the last update, and he is a pretty notable figure. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/6 "2006-09-22T14:09:02Z")
Sarcasm notwithstanding, 2006-1999 = 7, not five. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/7 "2006-09-22T14:09:46Z")
[QUOTE=Squink] Sarcasm notwithstanding, 2006-1999 = 7, not five. 😃 [/QUOTE] Nitpicking notwithstanding, his mugshot was updated in November 2001. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/8 "2006-09-22T14:36:47Z")
Go to [this page.](http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/terrorists/fugitives.htm) > [@](#): > > The alleged terrorists on this list have been indicted by sitting Federal Grand Juries in various jurisdictions in the United States for the crimes reflected on their wanted posters. Evidence was gathered and presented to the Grand Juries, which led to their being charged. The indictments currently listed on the posters allow them to be arrested and brought to justice. Future indictments may be handed down as various investigations proceed in connection to other terrorist incidents, for example, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. I’m guesing there has to be an idictment first. ---
**Author:** ![PBear42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PBear42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PBear42)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/9 "2006-09-22T15:46:25Z")
Honest guess. OBL hasn’t been indicted because the administration doesn’t intend to try him in the regular courts. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/10 "2006-09-22T20:02:42Z")
I wonder how much actual evidence ties bin Laden to the attacks. He didn’t plan them, the money didn’t come directly from him, etc. Perhaps that’s an issue, or maybe they’re concerned about revealing how evidence was obtained. > [@PBear42](#): > > Honest guess. OBL hasn’t been indicted because the administration doesn’t intend to try him in the regular courts. I don’t think they intend to try any of these people in regular courts, but they’ve indicted others. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2006, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/11 "2006-09-22T21:16:03Z")
[QUOTE=Marley23] I wonder how much actual evidence ties bin Laden to the attacks. He didn’t plan them, the money didn’t come directly from him, etc. Perhaps that’s an issue, or maybe they’re concerned about revealing how evidence was obtained. I don’t think they intend to try any of these people in regular courts, but they’ve indicted others. [/QUOTE] Well, we already have the “archetict of the 9/11 attacks”, KSM, in custody. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/12 "2006-09-23T03:27:59Z")
And, in any case, does it really matter? If we actually get Osama alive he’s either looking at life in prison or death for actions before 9/11. Unlike most of the FBI’s Top Ten list, Osama’s got immediate recognition with most people (I know he’s the only one I recognize.) And I don’t think many people would mind if he was shot like a dog in some hidey-hole in Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2006, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/osama-bin-laden-wanted-by-the-fbi-but-not-for-911/373705/13 "2006-09-23T03:40:41Z")
[QUOTE=asterion] And, in any case, does it really matter? If we actually get Osama alive he’s either looking at life in prison or death for actions before 9/11. Unlike most of the FBI’s Top Ten list, Osama’s got immediate recognition with most people (I know he’s the only one I recognize.) And I don’t think many people would mind if he was shot like a dog in some hidey-hole in Pakistan. [/QUOTE] I would! I don’t want him getting off that lightly-I want him to stand trial and then be forced to live the rest of his life in a tiny cell. Maybe surrounded by pictures of the people he killed.