Bin Laden Nearly Caught in Afghanistan

Reuters: France: Bin Laden Nearly Caught in Afghanistan

Osama bin Laden has escaped capture in Afghanistan several times and may be linked in some way to the Madrid train attacks that killed 200 people, France’s chief of defense staff said Monday.

Gen. Henri Bentegeat said about 200 French troops were operating with U.S. forces in southeastern Afghanistan against the Taliban and bin Laden’s al Qaeda. The Saudi-born militant is thought to be there or just across the border in Pakistan.

“Our men were not very far. On several occasions, I even think he slipped out of a net that was quite well closed,” he told Europe 1 radio. He did not specify a time frame.

I’m nearly quite pleased.

Presuming that these reports are accurate–and the combination of Reuters and the French military renders me skeptical–it would confirm that bin Laden is in fact alive.

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James Joyner
About James Joyner
James Joyner is Professor and Department Head of Security Studies at Marine Corps University's Command and Staff College. He's a former Army officer and Desert Storm veteran. Views expressed here are his own. Follow James on Twitter @DrJJoyner.

Comments

  1. Zygote says:

    I want the guy to be caught and brought to justice.

    But, please, for the love of God, anyone but the French.

  2. moghedien says:

    The French are only there to tip off bin laden, so he can avoid capture, reprising their role in the Balkans….

  3. why are we allowing the french to help hunt him? didn’t we learn anything from the balkans? the last thing Chirac wants is for us to catch OBL.

  4. McGehee says:

    Who brought that damn accordion on our hunting trip?