zimv20
Feb 28, 2004, 12:01 PM
link (http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&e=2&u=/ap/20040228/ap_on_re_mi_ea/bin_laden)
TEHRAN, Iran - Pentagon (news - web sites) and Pakistani officials on Saturday denied an Iranian state radio report that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) was captured in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan (news - web sites) "a long time ago."
The claim came as Pakistan's army hunted terror suspects in a remote tribal region along the border, believed to be a possible hiding place for the al-Qaida's leader.
The director of Iran radio's Pashtun language service, Asheq Hossein, said the report was based on two sources — one of whom later told The Associated Press he was misquoted.
The report said bin Laden had been in custody for a period of time, but that President Bush (news - web sites) was withholding any announcement until closer to November elections.
"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," the radio report said.
Pakistani officials have denied knowing bin Laden's exact whereabouts, although there have been reports that military forces believe they know his general location and had him encircled.
The state radio report, quoting an unidentified source, said U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with bin Laden's arrest.
Larry Di Rita, the chief Pentagon spokesman who traveled with Rumsfeld this week to Afghanistan, denied the report. "I don't have any reason to think it's true," he said Saturday.
Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, also said he had no information to suggest bin Laden had been caught.
The Iranian news agency IRNA was first to report the capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). IRNA also carried the state radio report about bin Laden's capture and said it had contacted a radio announcer at the Pashtun service who confirmed the news.
i don't necessarily believe it, but there was some speculation of this in another thread and i thought it was worth mentioning.
w/ this much speculation, i think bush should hope UBL isn't found between sept and november. too many people would question the timing, even if legitimate.
TEHRAN, Iran - Pentagon (news - web sites) and Pakistani officials on Saturday denied an Iranian state radio report that Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) was captured in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan (news - web sites) "a long time ago."
The claim came as Pakistan's army hunted terror suspects in a remote tribal region along the border, believed to be a possible hiding place for the al-Qaida's leader.
The director of Iran radio's Pashtun language service, Asheq Hossein, said the report was based on two sources — one of whom later told The Associated Press he was misquoted.
The report said bin Laden had been in custody for a period of time, but that President Bush (news - web sites) was withholding any announcement until closer to November elections.
"Osama bin Laden has been arrested a long time ago, but Bush is intending to use it for propaganda maneuvering in the presidential election," the radio report said.
Pakistani officials have denied knowing bin Laden's exact whereabouts, although there have been reports that military forces believe they know his general location and had him encircled.
The state radio report, quoting an unidentified source, said U.S. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld's visit to the region this week was in connection with bin Laden's arrest.
Larry Di Rita, the chief Pentagon spokesman who traveled with Rumsfeld this week to Afghanistan, denied the report. "I don't have any reason to think it's true," he said Saturday.
Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Afghanistan, also said he had no information to suggest bin Laden had been caught.
The Iranian news agency IRNA was first to report the capture of ousted Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein (news - web sites). IRNA also carried the state radio report about bin Laden's capture and said it had contacted a radio announcer at the Pashtun service who confirmed the news.
i don't necessarily believe it, but there was some speculation of this in another thread and i thought it was worth mentioning.
w/ this much speculation, i think bush should hope UBL isn't found between sept and november. too many people would question the timing, even if legitimate.
