A Little More bin Laden

I have more and more trouble trying to come to grips with the news that we are fed through the media about Osama bin Laden. I really wonder how much is truth and how much is fabricated to serve another purpose.

First of all, we know that bin Laden is a man who is personally wealthy and is well funded by sympathizers. He does not have to live in poverty and struggle to make ends meet. He's intelligent, cunning and financially solvent

One of the things that bothers me is that the authenticity of his videos and audiotapes that are released are always subject to question. We are shown a video or listen to an audio and told that the validity of the tapes is still being confirmed. With all of the sophisticated technology that we possess, an easily verifiable voiceprint of bin Laden must be on file with most intelligence agencies. Likewise, it is fairly easy for today’s scientists to determine if a video is authentic, tampered with or fabricated. Have you ever read that a supposed bin Laden audio was a fraud fabricated by a DJ from Montreal? So why do we always have to include this little charade every time a tape is released?

My other regular question has to do with the location of bin Laden. The American media is forever intimating that Osama lives in some kind of underground fortress or a cave that was once inhabited by wild animals. I find this a little hard to swallow. With the financial resources at his disposal and the support of the Taliban and hill tribes of Afghanistan and Pakistan I would think that his living accommodations would be a little more upscale than a Fred Flintstone bomb shelter. If he does live underground, I would imagine that some very modern amenities would be included like a flat screen television, a hydro-spa and air conditioning. I could also be completely wrong!

Given the large Muslin populations in so many parts of the world, perhaps he is really living in Indonesia, Bangladesh or Nigeria. Since there has been no confirmation of an actual sighting of bin Laden for several years, he might be living in a safe house in Jakarta, with a different hairstyle, a shorter beard and wearing an Indonesian sarong. His money would provide for first-rate protection and security and he might prefer the warmth and sun of Southeast Asia to the snow and freezing winter temperatures of Afghanistan or Pakistan. My wealth has allowed me to flee the winters of Alberta for the tropical climate of the Caribbean and I am not even trying to hide!

Come to think of it, I saw a tall slim, elderly gentleman with a beard who looked remarkably like a Saudi at the casino the other night! Hmmm. This merits investigation!