# Who are friends with Osama? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [June 22, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111 "2010-06-22T12:12:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/1 "2010-06-22T12:12:11Z")
By which I mean, if Osama popped up in Iran, and we knew and they knew we knew, would they turn him over? Boot him out? I know Saddam would have. Anyone else among the Muslim/Middle Eastern nations? Jordan? ---
**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:** [June 22, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/2 "2010-06-22T13:19:55Z")
Why would either Iran or (the late) Saddam turn him over to the US? I say they keep him, never admit publicly that they have him, and then do whatever. It doesn’t matter if they know we know, as long as they consistently deny. That’s what dictators do. ---
**Author:** ![UDS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecae2f/32.png) [@UDS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UDS)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/3 "2010-06-22T14:34:57Z")
It must be remembered that Osama’s principal target is not the US, but the rulers of most of the Islamic countries. His objection to the US is, in large part, that it sustains these leaders in power. There are few leaders of Islamic countries who would feel safe from Osama. They might not turn him over to the US; they might just deal with the problem themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Love\_Rhombus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/love_rhombus/32/10694_2.png) [@Love\_Rhombus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Love_Rhombus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/4 "2010-06-22T16:10:44Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > Why would either Iran or (the late) Saddam turn him over to the US? I say they keep him, never admit publicly that they have him, and then do whatever. It doesn’t matter if they know we know, as long as they consistently deny. That’s what dictators do. My understanding was that Saddam and Osama did not like each other, and that Saddam would have eagerly tried to curry favor with the West by handing him over post 9-11. Iraq was pretty secular, no? ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/5 "2010-06-22T16:29:28Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > My understanding was that Saddam and Osama did not like each other, and that Saddam would have eagerly tried to curry favor with the West by handing him over post 9-11. Iraq was pretty secular, no? Bin Laden denounced Saddam any number of times before September 11th, yes. And Iraq was secular, especially before the Gulf War. After the war Saddam tried to make a show of being religious as a way to win more support from other Middle Eastern countries and people. I don’t think it worked. If Bin Laden had showed up in Iraq somehow - and there’s no reason it ever would’ve happened - yes, Saddam could have scored some major points by turning him over, and it might’ve convinced the West to leave him alone for a while. But that’s in the past. Al Qaeda despises most Middle Eastern governments - like **UDS** says, they’ve attacked most of them at one time or another - so between that and the potential punishment they might get for hiding him, I think few Middle Eastern governments would deliberately harbor him. Even before September 11th, he was kicked out of Saudi Arabia for opposing that government. He went to Sudan, and he wasn’t wanted there either. Right now he’s probably in the only place where he _wouldn’t_ be killed, captured, or turned over. Between Pakistan’s religious extremism and ethnic divisions, the abillity of the government to control parts of the country, and maybe some support from parts of the government, he’s somewhat secure. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/6 "2010-06-22T16:35:21Z")
The Iranian regime are fanatical Shiites and Osama is a fanatical Sunni, so I do not imagine that they would get along. I rather doubt that they would turn him over to America, but they might well find reasons to imprison or maybe even execute him themselves. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2010, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/7 "2010-06-22T20:15:33Z")
China, Cuba, Egypt, Iran, Jordan, Libya, North Korea, Pakistan, the Palestinian Authority, Russia, and Syria were all among the countries which denounced Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks. Even the Taliban regime of Afghanistan initially denounced that attacks and denied that Osama bin Laden was responsible for them. Saddam Hussein did not openly approve of the attacks. He expressed sympathy for those who had died and said that the attacks were a consequence of American foreign policy. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 5:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/8 "2010-06-23T05:20:55Z")
The Taliban and Iran were not at all friendly. Remember a large part of the Middle East’s so called friendships are based on the principle: “My enemy’s enemy is my friend.” Remember when Winston Churchill, who preached against the USSR, and was now aiding it after Germany invaded the Soviet Union. When asked what brought about this change of heart Churchill said “If Hitler invaded hell I would make at least a favorable reference to the devil in the House of Commons.” ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Moto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9de0a6/32.png) [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 11:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/9 "2010-06-23T11:14:29Z")
> [@Love\_Rhombus](#): > > Who are friends with Osama? Lurch Bishop ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2010, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/10 "2010-06-23T11:26:22Z")
How much has the rest of Osama’s large family been affected by his terrorist ways? Are they still doing alright despite it, or have their fortunes took a bit of a downward slump since 9/11? ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/11 "2010-06-24T06:48:28Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > Osama’s . . . terrorist ways What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2010, 6:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-are-friends-with-osama/544111/12 "2010-06-24T06:57:27Z")
What do I mean about what? Are you raising doubts that OBL is/was a terrorist?