# We're still looking for bin Laden...right? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 28, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862 "2003-03-28T19:49:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Survey1215](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecb155/32.png) [@Survey1215](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Survey1215)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/1 "2003-03-28T19:49:07Z")
With Iraqi conflict coverage blanketing the news, I haven’t seen, read or heard anything about developments or lack thereof in the search for Osama. Does anyone know if the American military has had to divert to Iraq some/many/most of the assets it was using to hunt for bin Laden? Any cites would be appreciated; I did searchs at cnn and on the board here and got nothin. Thanks. ---
**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:** [March 28, 2003, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/2 "2003-03-28T19:57:07Z")
I have no cite, but I guarentee you this: the Powers That Be will hunt him until they find _him_; or his _grave_; or until every last person who is alive on this Earth today as you read this is stone cold dead. The nature of Power demands this–he tried to hit Congress, he hit the Pentagon, he hit the Trade Center, & scared hell out of WallStreet two blocks away. Leaving a blatant challenge to their Power like that unanswered is something that just won’t happen. It can’t & won’t be tolerated. Though I’ve often wondered–if the planes hit a charity hospital in Harlem & the EPA in Washinton, would we have invaded Afghanistan? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/3 "2003-03-28T20:10:35Z")
You bet! If he’s in Iraq, we’ll find him. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/4 "2003-03-28T20:21:25Z")
Bosda: > [@](#): > > Though I’ve often wondered–if the planes hit a charity hospital in Harlem & the EPA in Washinton, would we have invaded Afghanistan? Please tell me you’re kidding. ---
**Author:** ![trustno1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@trustno1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trustno1)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/5 "2003-03-28T20:58:18Z")
“I don’t know where he is. I have no idea and I really don’t care. It’s not that important. It’s not our priority.” George W. Bush, March 13 2002 ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/6 "2003-03-28T21:37:22Z")
**cmkeller** ’s right. Of course we wouldn’t have. What a silly question. Anyway, I think we’ve given up on bin Laden. We’re just hoping he gets caught by Pakistan or neighboring countries. We certainly aren’t going to put any more effort into finding him. ---
**Author:** ![JaxBeachBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19adc/32.png) [@JaxBeachBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JaxBeachBoy)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 9:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/7 "2003-03-28T21:59:14Z")
trustno1, please tell me you have a link to that quote…i would dearly love for that to be true. ---
**Author:** ![Payton\_s\_Servant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/3da27b/32.png) [@Payton\_s\_Servant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Payton_s_Servant)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/8 "2003-03-28T22:10:34Z")
bin Ladin was nothing more then the excuse “ **Shrub** ” used as a pretext to invade Iraq. Notice that it hasn’t been US agents or troops that have captured any of the major Al Quaida figures, but Pakistan. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/9 "2003-03-28T22:11:08Z")
_Time_ magazine, 24 March 2003: “[On Osama bin Laden’s Trail](http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101030324-433264,00.html)”. ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/10 "2003-03-28T22:49:58Z")
**Payton’s Servant** , we are not going to have a debate about the war in this forum. Go play in Great Debates. bibliophage moderator GQ ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/11 "2003-03-28T22:57:41Z")
**trustno1** , do you have a citation from a reputable source that GWB actually used those words? I have seen it widely repeated on the Internet, but not by any source I would trust. He did say something that _might_ reasonably be paraphrased that way, but taken somewhat out of context. > [@](#): > > And the idea of focusing on one person is – really indicates to me people don’t understand the scope of the mission… So I don’t know where he is. You know, I just don’t spend that much time on him, Kelly, to be honest with you… And, again, I don’t know where he is. I – I’ll repeat what I said. I truly am not that concerned about him… I was concerned about him, when he had taken over a country. I was concerned about the fact that he was basically running Afghanistan and calling the shots for the Taliban. [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/03/20020313-8.html) ---
**Author:** ![bradministrator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a698b9/32.png) [@bradministrator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bradministrator)\ **Post date:** [March 28, 2003, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/12 "2003-03-28T22:59:34Z")
I would have to say that while capturing UbL would be a big deal, capturing other operational al-Qaeda personnel should be our main focus. It’s not like some 60-year-old kidney patient with a bum arm and a face seen 'round the world is going to do much damage if he’s stuck in a cave unable to use a cell phone or e-mail. ---
**Author:** ![trustno1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/4bbf92/32.png) [@trustno1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/trustno1)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/13 "2003-03-29T00:30:25Z")
Bartcop uses this quote, so I asked on his board. look at the .jpg [http://bartcopnation.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show\_topic&forum=2&topic\_id=186231](http://bartcopnation.com/dc/dcboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=2&topic_id=186231) ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/14 "2003-03-29T01:55:27Z")
We’re more likely to find Elvis in Iraq than Osama. The US government seems to have lost interest in bin Laden. As **Splanky** notes, it’s Pakistan who we can thank for catching those couple of Al Qaida bigwigs. ---
**Author:** ![Zoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/a4c791/32.png) [@Zoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zoe)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/15 "2003-03-29T02:03:51Z")
A commentator on one of the news programs (CNN or MSNBC) said about a month ago that he had done some research and that President Bush has made no public mention of Osama bin Laden since June 2002. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/16 "2003-03-29T02:29:23Z")
I find a mention by President Bush at a White House [press conference](http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2002/07/20020708-5.html) on 8 July 2002: > [@](#): > > THE PRESIDENT: Well, that’s an interesting — his question is about Osama bin Laden. We haven’t heard from him in a long time. I don’t know if the man’s living or the man’s dead. But one thing is for certain; the war on terror is a lot bigger than one person. And as I told the American people, this is going to be a long and — long struggle. And we’re making good progress. We’re rounding people up slowly, but surely; we’re disrupting networks. But this is — and these are like international criminals, is what they act like. They kind of hide and order things up and hide again. And we’re just patiently hunting them down. And whether or not Osama bin Laden is alive or not, I don’t know. ---
**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:** [March 29, 2003, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/17 "2003-03-29T23:23:27Z")
I am dead serious. ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [March 29, 2003, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/18 "2003-03-29T23:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Survey1215 \* > \*\* I haven’t seen, read or heard anything about developments or lack thereof in the search for Osama. \*\* Who? ---
**Author:** ![Declan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ecae2f/32.png) [@Declan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Declan)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/19 "2003-03-30T03:04:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Survey1215 \* > \*\*With Iraqi conflict coverage blanketing the news, I haven’t seen, read or heard anything about developments or lack thereof in the search for Osama. Does anyone know if the American military has had to divert to Iraq some/many/most of the assets it was using to hunt for bin Laden? > > Any cites would be appreciated; I did searchs at cnn and on the board here and got nothin. Thanks. \*\* Actually just recently an operation was launched by US forces in Afganistan, during the press conference the next day , rummy and that general were asked about it in relation to the Iraq war. Personally , Bin is dead as far as I am concerned , while the hunt still goes on in afganistan, it seems more relaxed. Even before the war in Iraq it seemed to be at a relaxed pace. Bout a year ago , the FBI was asking members of his family , for DNA samples , I think he got smeared in Torabora , but the pentagon does not have a 100 percent confidence level. The recently released tapes seem to say the above opinion is wrong , but Bin Laden is a media savvy person , and all we have had lately , are audio cassettes. Seems to me that the War on Iraq would at least have the guy come out on video , even if it was shot 4 weeks previously. Declan ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [March 30, 2003, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862/20 "2003-03-30T03:46:08Z")
Bosda, I’ve now replied to your question in the IMHO thread. Chaim Mattis Keller [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-still-looking-for-bin-laden-right/164862.md?page=2)