"Rumsfeld Doubts Bin Laden in Full Command"

[GreenPartyVoter]

CHAKLALA AIR BASE, Pakistan (AP) - Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said he doubts that Osama bin Laden is in position to assert full command over the al-Qaida terror network.

Rumsfeld, who arrived Wednesday morning local time for an unannounced visit to Pakistan, said he found it interesting that bin Laden has not been heard from publicly in nearly a year.

"I don't know what it means," Rumsfeld told a group of reporters traveling with him. "I suspect that in any event, if he's alive and functioning that he's probably spending a major fraction of his time trying to avoid getting caught. I have trouble believing that he's able to operate sufficiently to be in a position of major command over a worldwide al-Qaida operation, but I could be wrong. We just don't know."

The defense chief also discussed a Pentagon announcement that U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan will drop by about 3,500 to roughly 16,500 next spring. He said the cancellation of a planned deployment there by a Louisiana-based brigade was an example of the way the Pentagon is likely to reduce the American troop presence in Iraq next year.

http://apnews1.iwon.com/article/20051221/D8EKD4PG0.html

[ogradda]

1. He's probably spending a major fraction of his time

planning his next attack.

[billybob537]

2. But then

Dumbsfeld really has no way of knowing.

[sojourner]

3. thing is, Rumsfeld has been so wrong so much of the time that i

wonder why anyone would listen to ANYTHING the creep says...except of course to keep track of the lies.

[GreenPartyVoter]

4. I can't take him seriously. Anyone who says that the wmds are

"to the north, south, east, and west of Baghdad and Tikrit".....

Well sheesh!

[sojourner]

8. exactly!

[Bob3]

5. going by Rummy's track record

I would guess its' closer to the truth that Ossma gets a daily briefing of such depth and detail that it would make *'s head explode.

In a side note - Rummy has just told the the Afghan government that we are going to leave them hanging out to dry and leaving the countryside in the hands of the taliban. 16,5000 is barely enough to keep the us embassy, command center, and Kabul secure never mind the rest of the country.

[CJCRANE]

6. Just catch him already! nt

[Parche]

7. osama

He only comes out during crucial elections and when terra alerts are needed to scare the people.

I was talking about Dick Cheney, and you thought I was talking about Osama Bin Laden....