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Bin Laden's Son Reportedly Killed in U.S. Airstrike

By Jeralyn, Section War on Terror
Posted on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 10:44:57 PM EST
Tags: Osama bin Laden (all tags)
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NPR and other news outlets are reporting that the U.S. believes Osama bin Laden's 20-something year old son, Saad bin Laden, was killed in a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan.

It's believed he was killed by Hellfire missiles fired from a U.S. Predator drone sometime this year. A senior U.S. counterterrorism official tells NPR that without a body to conduct DNA tests on, it's hard to be completely sure. But he characterized U.S. spy agencies as being "80 to 85 percent" certain that Saad bin Laden is dead.

The airstrike was months ago. Why are we just hearing this now? Also,

The U.S. counterterrorism official says Saad bin Laden wasn't important enough to target personally — that he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time."

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    Bin Laden's Son Reportedly Killed in U.S. Airstrike | 45 comments (45 topical)

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    They probably received (5.00 / 1) (#1)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:02:47 PM EST
    a confirmation recently that they feel very confident about.  You wouldn't want to claim having killed him and then have him show up in a  video.  I think that militarily under this President we are done with looking like cowboy bufoons. We hear rumors that things are improving for our forces in Afghanistan, and as always it looks like a last minute slot opened up for my husband to deploy to Afghanistan.  It is how he wanted to finish his active duty deployment career up, by serving where the people who DID hit us on 911 actually are.  We will probably know tomorrow if it is definite.  He is happier about this deployment than he was about Korea.  We won't be vacationing with him though next summer like we would have if he were being deployed to Korea.

    Pakistan (5.00 / 2) (#10)
    by Inspector Gadget on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 12:39:56 AM EST
    was stated as where the people who masterminded 9/11 are hiding according to Hillary's speech a day or so ago, I thought.

    If your husband is deployed to Afghanistan, I sincerely hope his tour of duty sees improvement in conditions over there, and he returns uninjured.

    [ Parent ]

    Point taken, but I dunno... (5.00 / 1) (#12)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 02:35:17 AM EST
    Our government can't effectively manage the names and identities of the one million people who are on the domestic No Fly List.

    I seriously doubt they're any better at keeping track of untold millions of so-called bad guys in the caves, mountains, and deserts of Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Syria - and most especially not Saudi Arabia, our good ally who gave us Osama bin Laden and, evidently, 15 of the 19 9/11 hijackers.

    [ Parent ]

    If they are all hiding in Pakistan, (none / 0) (#25)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 10:32:27 AM EST
    which is something that can change every day considering the mountain range they hide in so it's pretty lofty to insist they are all in Pakistan, we have a working relationship with Pakistan about going after them, and we do that. Al Qaeda doesn't run Pakistan, but has the ability to become part of the forces running Afghanistan without our current presence there as they were doing before.  It is a lucrative position for a terrorist group to feed from.

    [ Parent ]
    Peace either way, Tracy (none / 0) (#5)
    by Dadler on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:20:37 PM EST
    And I hope, with Afghanistan, we can simply do on a larger scale what guy like Greg "Three Cups of Tea" Mortenson has gotten done.  Just offer massive, never before seen or heard of acts of generosity.  And respectful compassion.

    Wish you all the best in your husband's last journey.  

    I'm going to listen to some Brian Jonestown Massacre and have bottle of something.  I mean a glass.  I think.  Hope.

    [ Parent ]

    I have mixed feelings too (5.00 / 1) (#6)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:27:20 PM EST
    I can be fully supportive as a spouse and family member, but I have mixed feelings about how much "good" we can or will accomplish now.  I dislike the track record of the current leadership running the Afghanistan mission too but that's life I suppose.  We are very spoiled  in that my husband will not be in harms way daily as so many other soldiers are.

    [ Parent ]
    Site VIOLATOR - Spam n/t (5.00 / 2) (#16)
    by MO Blue on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 07:40:34 AM EST


    I was always suspicious... (none / 0) (#2)
    by EL seattle on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:11:28 PM EST
    ...of the way the Bush administration seemed to be able to trot out stories like this whenever the polls were lagging of a vote was pending.  

    Maybe the timing on stories like this operates as a sort of political inverse to the Friday afternoon document dump?  If something is downbeat news, release it on Friday afternoon befoere a holiday.  If it's positive news, capitalize on the good will.

    Of course, that's just speculation on my part, that assumes that politics plays a role in the timing of things like this.

    unfortunately (none / 0) (#3)
    by coigue on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:13:33 PM EST
    he still has about 27 more.

    Perhaps all 27 aren't members of (none / 0) (#4)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:16:30 PM EST
    Al Qaeda though

    [ Parent ]
    allow me to remove my tongue (1.00 / 1) (#7)
    by coigue on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:32:30 PM EST
    from my cheek before responding.

    [ Parent ]
    You would think I could have spotted that (5.00 / 2) (#8)
    by Militarytracy on Wed Jul 22, 2009 at 11:34:22 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    I just don't feel at all good about (none / 0) (#9)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 12:21:49 AM EST
    the news that US "Hellfire" missiles killed a 20 something year old man under these circumstances:

    Saad bin Laden wasn't important enough to target personally --  he was "in the wrong place at the wrong time." A U.S. official points out that Saad "had a marquee name" but was not actively considered a successor to his father [Osama bin Laden]. "We make a big deal out of him because of his last name," NPR quoted a source as saying.

    Aside from the questionable ethics and motives for the killing, it's not as if a development like this could have BLOWBACK or anything. I tell ya, it often looks like some of the people in the corporate/military/industrial/congressional complex don't ever want to see stability in the Middle East.

    20 years old (5.00 / 2) (#17)
    by Steve M on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 08:11:46 AM EST
    is still old enough, in my book, to understand the risks of joining al-Qaeda.

    I actually find it somewhat refreshing that our military had the candor to admit that Junior was just some regular member of al-Qaeda, as opposed to acting like he's a huge trophy.  Not sure this portends a whole new era of truth-telling from the Pentagon, but honesty is nice wherever you can find it.

    [ Parent ]

    I find it refreshing too (none / 0) (#26)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 10:37:55 AM EST
    Remember how many times the Bush administration killed or captured the number two man in Iraq and Afghanistan?  What a joke

    [ Parent ]
    My understanding is (none / 0) (#11)
    by weltec2 on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 02:16:46 AM EST
    that Osama bin Laden has several sons... from several women... none of whom he knows very well...

    What's your drift? (none / 0) (#13)
    by FoxholeAtheist on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 03:29:39 AM EST
     

    [ Parent ]
    I Wish The Predator Operators (none / 0) (#14)
    by bob h on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 05:27:00 AM EST
    more such success.  If they can kill bin Laden himself and enough of the remaining Al Qaeda leadership, then there is a rationale for saying Afghanistan/Pakistan is no longer a direct threat to us, and letting the Afghans sort things out themselves via an American withdrawal.

    From my view... (none / 0) (#19)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 08:24:28 AM EST
    Afghanistan and Pakistan are not threats to us today, and they weren't threats yesterday, and they won;t be tomorrow...we're a threat to them.  The only threats to us are terrorist madmen, and they can be straight outta Pakistan or Park Slope.

    I wish the Predator Drone was scrapped...if you're gonna kill people at least have the decency to send people to do the work...this Terminator sh*t is downright creepy, air strikes from high altitude is pikerish enough, never mind the drones.

    [ Parent ]

    No, the countries (2.00 / 1) (#23)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 09:23:58 AM EST
    themselves are not.

    The loosely organized groups they allow to exist in their countries are.

    At some point you have to say to your neighbor...

    Your overgrown and trashy yard is allowing rats, mosquitoes and other vermin to breed and and then come over into my yard spreading disease and harming me and my family.

    Since you have not heeded by request that you clean up your mess, I am coming over to do it for you.

    That sound you hear is a cruise missile yard rake.

    Have a nice day.

    [ Parent ]

    Funny... (none / 0) (#24)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 09:38:30 AM EST
    thats probably how they justify their butchery too...the American neighbor encroaching on their yard.

    [ Parent ]
    kdog..... (2.00 / 1) (#28)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 01:53:44 PM EST
    You really need to think about all the terrorist attacks that are associated with the various radical Muslim groups. If we made a mistake at all it was trying to get a peace settlement between the various parties.... These folks do not want peace, they want to spread Islam, which is a expansionist religion...

    As you say... We should get them a "room" and let them work things out.

    [ Parent ]

    Can we also think about all the terrorist (5.00 / 1) (#29)
    by Militarytracy on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 03:00:37 PM EST
    attacks associated with various Conservative groups?  It isn't as if extremist terrorism is a new thing to the U.S. until those jihadists hit us.  And then you have people like Glenn Beck claiming that the murder rampage that recently happened near me was due to a person of Conservative views feeling left out. Like that is a reason to snap and go on a murder spree.

    [ Parent ]
    Think Timothy McVeigh (5.00 / 1) (#30)
    by jbindc on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 03:14:52 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    It is possible (1.50 / 2) (#34)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:12:50 PM EST
    to recognize and condemn the terrible acts of some nut cases, McVeigh, Tiller, etc. without thinking that they represent a movement that kills like al Qaeda, Hamas, Hezbollah, etc.

    They don't.

    It is like comparing a broken arm to cancer.  The equivalency is not there and those who use it should be asked why they think it the same.

    [ Parent ]

    There was the Tyler, TX, plot (5.00 / 1) (#32)
    by Dark Avenger on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:10:36 PM EST
    which was much more dangerous than any "Islamicist" plot that has exposed since 9/11:

    The Tyler poison gas plot was an American attempt at domestic terrorism thwarted in April 2003 with the arrest of three individuals in Tyler, Texas and the seizure of a cyanide gas bomb along with a large arsenal that included at least 100 other conventional bombs, machine guns, an assault rifle, an unregistered silencer, and 500,000 rounds of ammunition.[1][2] The chemical stockpile seized included sodium cyanide, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid and acetic acid.[1]

    The three individuals were linked to white supremacist and anti-government groups. They were:[1]

        * William J. Krar, originally from New Hampshire
        * Judith Bruey, Krar's common-law wife
        * Edward Feltus of Old Bridge, New Jersey

    Feltus was a member of the New Jersey Militia. Krar was suspected of making his living travelling across the country selling bomb components and other weapons to violent underground anti-government groups.[1] Federal authorities had their eye on Krar since at least 1995 when ATF agents investigated a possible plot to bomb government buildings, but Krar was not charged.[2] Since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks their attention was focused on middle-eastern terrorist activities and were only alerted to Krar's recent activities by accident when he mailed Feltus a package of counterfeit birth certificates from North Dakota, Vermont and West Virginia, and United Nations Multinational Force and Defence Intelligence Agency IDs.[2] The package was mistakenly delivered to a Staten Island man who alerted police.[1]

    On May 4, 2004 Krar was sentenced to 135 months in prison after he pled guilty to building and possessing chemical weapons. Ms. Bruey was sentenced to 57 months after pleading to "conspiracy to possess illegal weapons". [3]

    bin Laden relies on people looking for Islamicist terrorists under their bed at night as part of his terrorism campaign, to believe that they pose a threat now is something he'd like all Americans to believe, IMHO.

    [ Parent ]

    Ah yes, the defenders rise... (2.00 / 1) (#36)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:14:15 PM EST
    Go ahead and define yourselves.....

    [ Parent ]
    Sorry if the fact that the most dangerous (5.00 / 1) (#41)
    by Dark Avenger on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:27:32 PM EST
    terrorist plot uncovered so far wasn't Islamcist(I'm glad it wasn't, aren't you, PPJ?)  gets some people defensive enough to start making accusations of others being defenders, but then you define yourself by your own snarky comments and remarks here and on your blog, as in this typical example of discourse on your part:

    DA - You got a concession on one point. Be happy. The sun don't shine on the same dog's butt every day.

    Frankly, I don't think you have the gravitas in the area of dogs rear ends to make such a statement, but then I don't want you to get all huffy and defensive about it, as that would be unfair.  :-)

    [ Parent ]

    Is this guy a "good ol' boy" or not? (5.00 / 1) (#42)
    by Dark Avenger on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:47:27 PM EST
    Link

    Republican U.S. Senate candidate Conrad Reynolds warned Wednesday that Americans need to speak out against what he described as domestic enemies.

    "When I joined the military I took an oath to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic," Reynolds said. "I never thought it would be domestic, but in today's world I do believe we have enemies here. It's time for people to stand up. It's time for us to speak out."

    Reynolds, 49, of Conway is a retired U.S. Army colonel, having served in South Korea, Afghanistan and Iraq, among other countries....

    "We need to change if we want to stop the way America is going toward socialism," Reynolds said. "We need someone to stand up to Barack Obama and his policies. We must protect our culture, our Christian identity."



    [ Parent ]
    And who said we were speaking (2.00 / 1) (#43)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 05:35:51 PM EST
    of isolated domestic things??

    I seem to remember airliners in the ME, embassies in Africa, wedding parties in Syria, etc., etc.

    Your denial matches the Repubs in the late 30's, early 40's when ever Hitler's name came up.

    [ Parent ]

    I dunno, PPJ, you're the one who (5.00 / 1) (#44)
    by Dark Avenger on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 07:01:46 PM EST
    wants to see all Islamicists as terrorist threats to this country.

    I seem to remember airliners in the ME, embassies in Africa, wedding parties in Syria, etc., etc

    Good remembering, but again you move the goalposts to the world at large when it suits you, and it does your credibility, not to mention your back muscles, little good when you attempt such an approach.

    Your denial matches the Repubs in the late 30's, early 40's when ever Hitler's name came up.

    Except that I'm not denying anything.

    The truth is that Hitler had a First World industrialized nation with what was then advanced military technology and millions of soldiers at his command, something that isn't true of bin Laden, however you attempt to spin the size of the resources at the latter's command.  

    Keep shaking at the thought of bin Laden taking over this country, he likes folks like you on our side, if he knew your real name, he'd be remembering you in his 5 daily prayers to Allah that you be kept safe and shivering as a good example to all of us infidels.

    TTFN

    [ Parent ]

    Can't focus, eh?? (2.00 / 1) (#45)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 10:04:14 PM EST


    [ Parent ]
    Can't insist that OBL equals Hitler (5.00 / 1) (#46)
    by Dark Avenger on Fri Jul 24, 2009 at 06:39:55 AM EST
    when someone calls you on it?

    [ Parent ]
    In general........Why does the Left (2.00 / 1) (#31)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:07:21 PM EST
    always feel it necessary to defend the actions of the radical Muslims??

    Isn't it amazing how the Left, the very group that claims to be for gay and female rights, is always in the forefront of pimping for the radical Muslims and Sharia law. People that stone females and hang gays...

    Why is that??

    My theory is simple.

    First, the radical Muslims hate America. The Left, while claiming to love America, finds nothing but fault and is always for change they can believe in. Thus they have common ground. The radical Muslims also think America is evil and must be changed.

    Secondly, the radical Muslims hate Israel. So do many on the Left, demanding that Israel give up their rights for self defense, and when attacked, demand that Israel only respond in a proportionate manner.

    Thirdly, the radical Muslims believe in a theocratic type of government that dictates every action of their citizens. So does the typical member of the Left.

    Think about it.
     

    [ Parent ]

    lol (5.00 / 2) (#33)
    by squeaky on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:10:42 PM EST
    But the radical right are just good ole boys havin a little fun.

    [ Parent ]
    Just curious (none / 0) (#38)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:15:57 PM EST
    Can you describe what you consider to be a "good ole boy?"

    (My good manners won't let me describe how I view you.)

    [ Parent ]

    There are good good ole boys (5.00 / 2) (#40)
    by jondee on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:27:00 PM EST
    and then there are the mean spirited bigots who go around telling people that that feller O-bama's really a Muslim.

    [ Parent ]
    You go first (5.00 / 1) (#35)
    by Dark Avenger on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:13:27 PM EST
    as your typical demonization of the Left has no basis in reality, showing a great lack of thinking, IMHO.

    [ Parent ]
    How are these views any different (none / 0) (#37)
    by vml68 on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:14:29 PM EST
    than the radical Christians?

    The radical Muslims also think America is evil and must be changed.

    People that stone females and hang gays...


    [ Parent ]
    I wasn't aware (2.00 / 1) (#39)
    by jimakaPPJ on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 04:20:38 PM EST
    that we had radical Christian groups blowing up each other churches, practicing honor killings, stonings, etc.

    Oh, you said VIEWS...

    Ask Nick Berg about the difference.

    [ Parent ]

    I dunno (none / 0) (#21)
    by jbindc on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 09:12:34 AM EST
    July deadliest month ever in Afghanistan

    Britain has some 9,000 soldiers in Afghanistan -- the second biggest contingent after the United States -- and so far this month alone has lost 19 soldiers to bring the total since 2001 to 188 -- higher than the British death toll in the Iraq war. The latest fatalities came Wednesday when bombs killed two United States service members and one Briton in southern Afghanistan.

    SNIP

    The deaths coincide with a major American offensive, supported by British and other troops, in Southern Helmand Province, a Taliban stronghold, in advance of presidential elections next month.

    On Monday, four American soldiers were killed by a roadside explosion in eastern Afghanistan, making July the deadliest month for American service members in the country since the 2001 invasion and underscoring the frightening rise in the sophistication and accuracy of roadside bombs.

    With the newest fatalities, more than 30 Americans have died in the first three weeks of July, surpassing the highest previous monthly toll, 28, reached in June 2008.



    [ Parent ]
    By "threat to us"... (none / 0) (#22)
    by kdog on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 09:22:22 AM EST
    I meant a threat to the 50 states, of course our occupying forces are under threat...they're occupying a foreign country, kinda goes without saying pal:)

    [ Parent ]
    Osama Bin Laden sons (none / 0) (#18)
    by joze46 on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 08:20:08 AM EST
    For me the deep relationships of the Bin Laden family and its associations with American political families, especially the Bush family, have always been under reported in this War. It places the current system of our mass media as a center piece of what one could call a pendulous chaos of mockery. It is the responsibility of Mainstream Media licensed in the public domain to have the advantage to teach and educate the public. Yet, with in your face sweet optimism abuse is subtle to extreme, they the corporate leadership uses the medium to exploit the electorate.

    Mainstream Media's guilt is typified by the constant glorified television and radio journalism persons, manager, and corrupt corporate structure that are in panic mode and with lingering knowledge of its own deceit continue to paying tribute, when crime tribunals are ignored. Especially connections to the enemy are simply cast aside.

    For forty or fifty years many of these anchor people appear to be goodie two shoes that never have been outside of the law...But they have obviously  brought America to be we are at now? Obviously a contradiction and no wonder the refreshing transport of open threads by Blogs such as this is alarming to the status queue. We all find the news is here rather than there.

    Open sedition and speech treachery, fear mongering, is rampant in national news over cable and radio that keep secret their sources but require every citizen to be wire tapped, IRS audited, tell your mom and dad about credit dot com. Like where in hell did this television roller coaster add with Pirates of commercials entities get your informational back ground? And worse a banking secret society "The Federal Reserve" that gives away our tax dollars for the last ninety seven years but blame the last six months of economic calamity to the six month of the Obama administration is insane.  

    Excellent examples are the hate radio operations that out right deliver hate mongering over the air waves. Or shows like, Seven Colbert that can hide under the rule of free speech and use entertainment as a version of it to mix chaos within. Colbert or Sean Hannity has Sophist missiles of intellectual destruction. Now Michael Savage announced late braking news that he and perhaps others of his kind on hate radio is also band from the British spectrum.      

    More over, as history should reveal the truth for all parts and all time and from my perspective this era will always be "Bush's War".  

    It can never be transformed to Obama's War. Worse a total reflection of irresponsibility that is coupled with Mainstream Media developed the corrosive culture of corruption that is presented to America right now. The Bin Laden family is part and parcel of our domestic problem that was woven from way back into the thirties. Big oil also reflected in secret meeting by Cheney that obviously are a collective of today's economy. Arab money has been and is an integral American economic catastrophe; here America may very well be in a secret war right here at home. Osama Bin Laden sons are plenty, America has only wasted a few trillion to kill one son, of course the Wahabbi know it takes a lot of gas to develop a weapon like that, and there are likely hundreds of Osama Bin Laden sons. Go figure.    


    How do you prove it? (none / 0) (#20)
    by Saul on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 09:00:01 AM EST
    Curious how they come to these conclusions.  A drone hits a target and later they know for certain the identity of all those they killed.

    Seems you would have to have DNA of Bin Laden to prove it.

    I have always had a gut feeling that Bin Laden died some time ago.   Of course nothing like seeing him alive or dead to fully settle that.

    Easy question (none / 0) (#27)
    by Abdul Abulbul Amir on Thu Jul 23, 2009 at 01:42:22 PM EST

    The airstrike was months ago. Why are we just hearing this now?

    Good news travels slower than bad news.

    Bin Laden's Son Reportedly Killed in U.S. Airstrike | 45 comments (45 topical)

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