Bin Laden dead?

Jesus-Egg · 23-09-2006, 02:24 PM

Is Osama Bin Laden Dead?

Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has died of typhoid in Pakistan, according to reports in a regional French newspaper.

The paper quoted one of the country's secret service reports, saying that Saudi Arabia is convinced that Bin Laden died a month ago.

L'Est Republicain also said a copy of the report was shown to President Jacques Chirac and the French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin.

"According to a usually reliable source, the Saudi services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead," the document said.

"The information gathered by the Saudis indicates that the head of al Qaeda was a victim while he was in Pakistan on August 23, 2006, of a very serious case of typhoid which led to a partial paralysis of his internal organs."

The report, which was stamped with a "confidential defence" label and the initials of the French secret service, said Saudi Arabia first heard the information on September 4.

President Chirac says France is investigating the intelligence reports.

A senior official in Pakistan's interior ministry said: "We have no information about Osama's death."

The US government also says it is unable to confirm the report.

A spokesman said: "It's quite possible there was some talk of this, but in terms of being able to confirm this, that I can't do."

Saudi-born Bin Laden was based in Afghanistan until the Taliban government was overthrown by US-backed forces in 2001.

Since then, US and Pakistani officials have regularly said they believe he is hiding somewhere on the remote border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/...234892,00.html