November 3, 2002

WALKING AND CHEWING GUM:

Fleeing bin Laden son detained in Iran (Guy Dinmore, November 2 2002, Financial Times)
Iranian security forces have detained at least one of Osama bin Laden's sons along with several hundred people suspected of having links to the al-Qaeda organisation. The captures happened on Iranian territory as the group fled Afghanistan, according to an Iranian official.

The official, who asked not to be identified, said Mr bin Laden's son was handed over to either the Saudi or Pakistani authorities.


Bin Laden's wife No 5 held in armed raid (Marie Colvin, November 3, 2002, The Sunday Times)
THE youngest wife of Osama Bin Laden has been arrested after a gun battle at her father's compound in Yemen, writes Marie Colvin.

Amal al-Sadah, the Al-Qaeda leader's fifth and favourite wife, who is in her early twenties, has been placed under house arrest and questioned by the Yemeni authorities. Her father has also been
detained.


Bin Laden's doctor held by FBI agents (Christina Lamb, 03/11/2002, Daily Telegraph)
American investigators are questioning a prominent Pakistani surgeon whom they believe gave Osama bin Laden medical treatment after he escaped from his hiding place in the Tora Bora mountains of Afghanistan.

They suspect that Dr Amir Aziz, 46, a British-trained orthopaedic surgeon, can help solve the mystery of whether the world's most wanted man is dead or alive.

Dr Aziz was arrested in Lahore two weeks ago by Pakistani military intelligence and FBI agents after al Qa'eda prisoners held in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, revealed his name.


Remember how shifting attention to the war with Iraq was supposed to cripple the effort to round up al-Qaeda? Turns out we can do both military operations and law enforcement...at the same time even.
Posted by Orrin Judd at November 3, 2002 12:40 PM
Comments

5th wife? Isn't that uncanonical?

Posted by: Harry at November 3, 2002 2:42 PM

I tend to believe the report in the Australian paper that quoted a Taliban guy who said a very large missile obliterated Osama's cave on Tora Bora. I believe this because --- I have not reason, but I just do.

Posted by: mmmmmm at November 3, 2002 3:18 PM

Good catch there. I'd read on the wires about BL's son, but not about the other two. verrrry interesting.

Posted by: Bill Peschel at November 3, 2002 3:53 PM

Hey, want to know my prediction? Yes you do! I think Osama wasn't killed at Tora Bora, he escaped with a small band of loyalists and went for the Paki border. However, ailing and exhausted by the brutal Afghan mountins he died somewhere on the way without much fanfare. His boys buried him and swore secrecy, if no one knew he was dead for sure he could still be a mystical figure for the movement.



Hey, that's what I think.

Posted by: amos at November 3, 2002 4:14 PM

So the Iranians say they caught Osama's punk kid. Okay. Then they turn him over to either the Paki's or the Saudi's. Well, which is it? Whose got the punk? Sorry, but I won't be assured unless or until I know the punk is in US custody.

Posted by: Mark at November 3, 2002 4:45 PM

Well, when they whack him the Sauds and Pakistan Military aren't likely to announce it to the Arab world are they? But I bet they turn a vital organ over to W for DNA comparison.

Posted by: oj at November 3, 2002 5:13 PM

If he got turned over to the Saudis he's probably living in a luxury hotel room waiting for them to give him the green light to 'escape.' If the Pakis have him maybe our guys can interrogate him.

Posted by: pj at November 3, 2002 9:40 PM

The ultimate aims of al Qaeda would seem to be antithetical to the continuance of the Saud family and the Pakistani military in power.

Posted by: oj at November 3, 2002 10:00 PM
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