# Question: What if Bin Laden's innocent? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229 "2001-09-22T18:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/1 "2001-09-22T18:59:46Z")
Answer: Who cares? It doesn’t matter. I’ve put this in the pit because it’s most likely where it will end up anyway. Ever since the US govt’s ultimatum to Afghanistan to hand over Bin Laden, a cacophony of whines from the myriad bleeding heart university students in this country (UK) have chastised the US govt for laying the blame at Bin Laden when there’s no evidence. To be fair, I’ve yet to hear much evidence myself, however that’s not the point. This attack has galvanised the world into a war on terrorism. Not on Afghanistan, not just against Osama Bin Laden, but _terrorism_. The notion, the vile ideology. Osama bin Laden is, without a shadow of a doubt, the _world’s most well known living terrorist **bar none** _. The US government is not only starting this war by focussing on him because they think he’s ultimately responsible. They’re focussing on him because he’s a damn good place to start in a war against _terrorism_. Can’t prove his association with the WTC attacks? Doesn’t matter, there are half a dozen other attacks that he _can_ be linked to conclusively. Since we’re in a war against terror, can any of the ‘Osama could be innocent’ crowd raise an objection to demanding his extradition regarding attacks we know he _is_ guilty of? That’s my take on the whole thing, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Arden\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b487fb/32.png) [@Arden\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arden_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/2 "2001-09-22T19:20:27Z")
Can you even use “Bin Laden” and “innocent” in the same sentence? ---
**Author:** ![The\_Tim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@The\_Tim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Tim)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/3 "2001-09-22T19:23:32Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Arden Ranger \* > \*\*Can you even use “Bin Laden” and “innocent” in the same sentence? \*\* Bin Laden is responsible for the deaths of thousands of innocent people. See, they can be used in a sentence together. ---
**Author:** ![THespos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8c91f0/32.png) [@THespos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/THespos)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/4 "2001-09-22T20:29:59Z")
He’s not innocent. He’s admitted to other terror attacks, even if he’s innocent of the ones that occurred on 9/11. ---
**Author:** ![Gomez](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d78d45/32.png) [@Gomez](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gomez)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/5 "2001-09-22T20:33:16Z")
I know, that’s the whole point. Even if it turns out that he had nothing to do with these attacks the US is well within its rights to go after him based on other attacks that he was definately involved with. Therefore, anyone who whinges that it’s wrong to demand the extradition of OBL because he’s not been 110% conclusively proven to be linked to this attack _yet_ hasn’t got a leg to stand on because he _can_ be conclusively linked to other attacks. ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Carpenter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cc9497/32.png) [@Mr\_Carpenter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Carpenter)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/6 "2001-09-22T20:40:50Z")
Right. Thisis a war against terrorism. Too bad it is not a war against all forms of terrorism.(would include racism, drugs, a gangs etc) That blind sheik who was accused and arrested and jailed for planning the first bombing of the WTC probably has followers who did it this time too. All of them are guilty for being terrorists though. Then too it could have been splinter groups. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2001, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-what-if-bin-ladens-innocent/83229/7 "2001-09-22T21:37:01Z")
Even if he was innocent of all terrorist charges, he DID declare war on the U.S., and has called on all his supporters to attack us. That makes him a belligerant, and it is morally acceptable to kill him.