who really is osama bin laden?

[barbarosa]

1979(correct me if im wrong) Russia invades Afganistan, for internal reasons unknown to me.

America plans to interverne, The CIA counter-acts the Soviet movement by secretly creating one of the best gorrila-warfare tactcians ever. His name, Osama bin laden. This is a smart move on America's part. Why? America itches for direct confrontation with Russia, but that would be like Bush recently said the wrong war at the wong time at the wrong place. So they take an indirect approach.

After the soviets fall, what happens to the CIA's star pupil? Did he turn into a "radical Islamist"? did he go awol because of instegation when America entered the 1st Persian Gulf War? or is it all horridly twisted plot intertwined with 9/11?

I would like your opinions on the matter & and remind you to always keep an open mind.

So what is the deal wit Osama bin Laden

[August1991]

1979(correct me if im wrong) Russia invades Afganistan, for internal reasons unknown to me.

The Soviets orchestrated a coup in Afghanistan which brought to power a Soviet/Marxist government. This government was not popular and it immediately faced internal dissension. The government then "invited" the Soviet army in to quell dissent.

Afghanistan ressembles a wild-west version of the "stans" of Central Asia - all were republics of the Soviet Union and are now independent countries.

By invading Afghanistan, there is little doubt the Soviets were taking advantage of US weakness under Carter, after Watergate and the loss of Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia.

The long term strategy was to have access to the Indian Ocean through a Soviet proxy. This strategy was typical of Brezhnev. The use of Soviet troops was perhaps a tactical error.

On a separate point, I have always felt that the collapse of the Soviet Union started with the death of Yuri Andropov. If he had not died, the Soviet Union would have lasted much longer. I am also surprised at how the Cold War has been so quickly forgotten. I suspect that another generation will discover it and appreciate its importance.

----

Ossama bin Laden is the scion of a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia. The family made its money in construction - large civil works. (In Canada, we have Don Ellis, SNC Lavalin. In the US, there is Halliburton.) Bin Laden's family comes from south western Saudi Arabia near the Yemeni border. The people in this part of Saudi Arabia are different from elsewhere. They are neither nomads nor traders like in Jeddah.

While old now, The Kingdom is entertaining and informative.

[barbarosa]

I didn't forget the cold war It was just not the topic of my conversation

I was trying to get some opinoins& info

[maplesyrup]

Well if this information about bin Laden is accurate the US had better start taking him a lot more seriously. Why the US didn't pull out all the stops to get him is truly bizarre:

FORMER HEAD OF CIA'S OSAMA BIN LADEN UNIT SAYS THE QAEDA LEADER HAS SECURED RELIGIOUS APPROVAL TO USE A NUCLEAR BOMB AGAINST AMERICANS

[Cartman]

I am also surprised at how the Cold War has been so quickly forgotten. I suspect that another generation will discover it and appreciate its importance.

This is an extremely good point (the former) for so many reasons. I am curious though, why do you think another generation will appreciate its importance?

(I don't think August was specifically referring to you barbarosa).

[Big Blue Machine]

He's a little old man who has diabties and lives in a cave.

[caesar]

Another former friend of the USA; and family friend of the Bush's (at least the rest of his family is) Just like Saddam.

Maybe one should not befriend the USA government especially if they want you to help them out with their enemies hmmmm. Sooner or later they will turn on you. Pakistan better be prepared.

[maplesyrup]

He's a little old man who has diabties and lives in a cave.

He looked pretty good in that video the other day, just before the election. No cave man, he!

[maplesyrup]

Deputy Chief Resigns From CIA

If the US aspire to capturing him, this is not a very good sign.

[Big Blue Machine]

He is hiding very well.

[caesar]

If the US aspire to capturing him, this is not a very good sign.

Why would they want to capture him??? His family is very good friends of the Bush family. While Americans couldn't land on American soil after the WTC attack; Several planes were arranged to quickly whisk his family out of the USA

[Cartman]

As August has said, people forget the Cold War. The US needs a M. East boogeyman esp. since the USSR fell apart. They are not hard to find.

Taliban

Qadhafi

Khomeini (or anyone since the Shah)

Saddam

Osama

Not sure why the Saudi's/Pakistani's are exempt.

Why are they are all tyrants? If they catch Osama and everyone in Al Qaeda, will this be the end of M. Eastern boogeyman concept?

[caesar]

Not sure why the Saudi's/Pakistani's are exempt.

Me either; most of the terrorists were from Saudi Arabia. The al qeda trained and haung out in Pakistan. Pakistan sold nuclear technologies and parts on the black market to Iran, Syria, N Korea.

Osama bin laden is a Saudi. Oil

[Guest eureka]

I suppose that I should not post names but don't see harm in this case.

A couple of years ago, I had a client who was an Afghani. He was an engineer and British educated and specialized in bridges. He went back to Afghanistan for a time to help in the reconstruction under UN auspices.

The only point to this, is that his name was Osman Bin Loden.

[caesar]

The only point to this, is that his name was Osman Bin Loden.

Hope he doesn't look like the original Osama bin laden. The similarity in names would probably cause him lots of problems in the USA; even the well known Ted Kennedy had problems boarding a plane as someone using the same name was a "terrorist suspect"

I have a customer called Laura Bush; I kept my big mouth shut.

[maplesyrup]

Apparently CBS is hosting a show tonight with, I presume, a former CIA agent. Maybe he will be talking about bin Laden. It is all very bizarre, apart from the fact they wanted the oil, that the US focused on Saddam after 9/11, when he had nothing to do with it.

The US is still there, tied down there, and bin Laden is, it seems, still free to make videos etc., as we saw just before the US election. Is this split between Bush and the CIA for real? If it is, it is obviously not a good sign, and perhaps the reason he has not been captured yet. Where or where could he be? The last I heard he might be in the area of China, which may well be a ruse. All the world needs is for bin Laden to team up with China.

Could Bin Laden possibly be in China?

Former Chief of CIA's Bin Laden Unit Leaves

[caesar]

that the US focused on Saddam after 9/11

Not really, that invasion of Iraq was planned well before the WTC attack; they were just waiting for an excuse. This has been documented; shortly after Bush took office.

As for OBL location; he is believed to be in Pakistan or Afghanistan near the Pakistan border. Where did China come from? I saw him in the lineup at Burger King right behind Elvis.

[maplesyrup]

Tracking bin Laden like `needle in a haystack'

So much for the idea that France and the US don't work together. Sure they have differences, who doesn't!

[maplesyrup]

Bin Laden Said Unble to Run Operations

Fact or just more US hype?

Or are we going to hear shortly that bin Laden has been captured or is dead?

[comdt]

He is hiding very well.

Or somebody or group is looking after his welfare

[maplesyrup]

If Bush did win the election legitimately, there is one issue that won it for him - "the bin Laden video" played to the US people a few days before the election. Think about it.

[KrustyKidd]

If the US aspire to capturing him, this is not a very good sign.

Why would they want to capture him??? His family is very good friends of the Bush family. While Americans couldn't land on American soil after the WTC attack; Several planes were arranged to quickly whisk his family out of the USA

Actually, his family is made up of thousands. He is a non Saudi now as he had been scince the early ninties. Wahhabism is the religion of SA but radical Wahhabism views the Saudis as apostlates and therefore, are enemies of the state. Even though the state supports it in a way like Canada gives out free needles to drug addicts.

The Saudis (wish you would check your facts, Michael Moore is not a good source) did not land and fly while planes were grounded, they were however some of the first to fly once the ban was lifted.

Sooner or later they will turn on you. Pakistan better be prepared.

Yes, just as Germany turned on Russia, France on America, Spain on England, Jordan on Israel, Italy on France and how Japan became friends with America and on and on and on and on. Like how Osama was a buddy and is now an enemy, same as Saddam. Things change, people and nations do not remain static, just like the forest moves and the mountains crunble, to thing politics and alliegences remain the same forever is a wonderous feat of ignorence.

[maplesyrup]

Bin Laden seeks bomb, ex-CIA analyst warns

Two things stand out for me in this article - location of Quebec & that the CIA notified the US administration 10 times of bin Laden's whereabouts. One would think the US would want to get this fella before he gets them. All very strange.

[Black Dog]

Bin Laden seeks bomb, ex-CIA analyst warns

Two things stand out for me in this article - location of Quebec & that the CIA notified the US administration 10 times of bin Laden's whereabouts. One would think the US would want to get this fella before he gets them. All very strange.

Not strange at all. Oceania needs its Emmanuel Goldstein.

[Guest eureka]

I spent much of this afternoon with a friend, BD, and we made the same observations about the world divisions.

Goldstein is becoming real.