(original link, no longer active – http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/1221/dailyUpdate.html) Christian Science Monitor, 12/21/2005:
US Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said Wednesday that he doubts Osama bin Laden is in any position to command the worldwide operations of Al Qaeda. The BBC reports that Mr. Rumsfeld told reporters on a flight to Pakistan that bin Laden could still be hiding along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, but it was hard to know since the terrorist leader had not been heard from in more than a year…
And the (original link, no longer active – http://www.nationalreview.com/ledeen/ledeen200601090808.asp) National Review, January 9, 2006:
And, according to Iranians I trust, Osama bin Laden finally departed this world in mid-December. The al Qaeda leader died of kidney failure and was buried in Iran, where he had spent most of his time since the destruction of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.
Nice attempt to tie bin Laden to Iran so we can invade there, huh?
Some news people, though, seemed to think it was less important to talk about what it means that bin Laden’s alive, and more important to play politics, thus prompting outrage. Chris Matthews on Hardball: “I mean he sounds like an over the top Michael Moore here, if not a Michael Moore. You think that sells…”
And Chris Matthews sounds a lot like Joseph Stalin. I’m just saying.
John Kerry responds to Chris Matthews:
“You’d think the only focus tonight would be on destroying Osama Bin Laden, not comparing him to an American who opposes the war whether you like him or not. You want a real debate that America needs? Here goes: If the administration had done the job right in Tora Bora we might not be having discussions on Hardball about a new Bin Laden tape. How dare Scott McClellan tell America that this Administration puts terrorists out of business when had they put Osama Bin Laden out of business in Afghanistan when our troops wanted to, we wouldn’t have to hear this barbarian’s voice on tape. That’s what we should be talking about in America.” — John Kerry
Osama bin Laden, the founder and first leader of the Islamist militant group al-Qaeda, was killed in Pakistan on May 2, 2011, shortly after 1:00 a.m. PKT. Chris Matthews denied ever saying he was dead prior to that date.