This Arab upheaval - Anyone notice a missing voice?

[Police State]

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

dead?

[pokethepope]

Wheres Bliar, I thought he was the 'Peace Envoy'?

[dudleybloke]

i'm assuming bin liner died a few years back now.
his needs for dialasis treatment and life on the run doesn't mix.

[EDLT]

dudleybloke said:

i'm assuming bin liner died a few years back now.
his needs for dialasis treatment and life on the run doesn't mix.

Maybe, maybe not:
http://www.snopes.com/rumors/kidney.asp

He has gone a bit quiet recently. Terrorism (reports) in general seem to have gone down too.

[Victor McDade]

I think he's dead too but it suits all sides to pretend he's alive. For his supporters they still have their ideological hero and figurehead alive who they can use to radicalise more youngsters, and for us we have an identifiable enemy, the face of AQ and someone whom we can continually associate with evil/the atrocities he's committed.

[Police State]

pokethepope said:

Wheres Bliar, I thought he was the 'Peace Envoy'?

he's just popped out for a paper, and may be gone for some time...

[Police State]

Victor McDade said:

I think he's dead too but it suits all sides to pretend he's alive. For his supporters they still have their ideological hero and figurehead alive who they can use to radicalise more youngsters, and for us we have an identifiable enemy, the face of AQ and someone whom we can continually associate with evil/the atrocities he's committed.

I think in both examples, it no longer matters if he's alive or dead. The Islamists now have a defined cause; and consequently we have an enemy to be wary of. Bin Lahden has finished his work, just as Colonel Sanders did.

[Jimbeaux]

Police State said:

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

dead?

There's not really much difference in the two, so it doesn't matter.

[Tadite]

Jimbeaux said:

Police State said:

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

dead?

There's not really much difference in the two, so it doesn't matter.

Looking a little fanatically there Jim-Bo.

[Jimbeaux]

Tadite said:

Jimbeaux said:

Police State said:

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

dead?

There's not really much difference in the two, so it doesn't matter.

Looking a little fanatically there Jim-Bo.

Nah, just exaggerating my distaste for our Pennsylvania Avenue Messiah.

[Tadite]

Jimbeaux said:

Tadite said:

Jimbeaux said:

Police State said:

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

dead?

There's not really much difference in the two, so it doesn't matter.

Looking a little fanatically there Jim-Bo.

Nah, just exaggerating my distaste for our Pennsylvania Avenue Messiah.

Friends don't let friends sound like Glen Beck. I think they have councilors available.

[Muntu]

Tadite said:

Friends don't let friends sound like Glen Beck. I think they have councilors available.

Freinds shouldn't sound like Michael Moore

I think "counsellor" was the word you were looking for, rather than recommending some low level British elected representative

[just me]

He may or may not be dead, but Osama never needed dialysis equipment as his kidneys were never failing. That was a rumor floated by Western gov't agencies.

Source: Osama bin Laden, by Michael Scheuer.

[Jasandjules]

pokethepope said:

Wheres Bliar, I thought he was the 'Peace Envoy'?

He is, why do you think it's all gone to rat s**t......

[V8mate]

Police State said:

We have now heard (something) from Obama, but where's Ohsama?

If he's alive, he doesn't need to say anything; just sit back and watch. The Al-Qaeda-types relish upheaval in Islamic countries as much as they do in Western states, as chaos always offers them better opportunities to gain popular support and, thereby, power.

[V88Dicky]

Syria?

I bet that moustachio'd Ba'athist who runs the place is getting a bit worried.

[danger mouse]

There was an audio tape release attributed to OBL a month or so ago which referenced recent events, but not a video, I'll see if I can find it again and link it up.

Could have been anyone really though...

[Countdown]

Have I missed something or have most of the places where it's kicked off had pro-western rulers in place ? Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain vs Libya ? Off the top of my head I'm sure the majority of arab rulers are pro-western, (whereas their citizens may not be)

[tinman0]

Countdown said:

Have I missed something or have most of the places where it's kicked off had pro-western rulers in place ? Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain vs Libya ? Off the top of my head I'm sure the majority of arab rulers are pro-western, (whereas their citizens may not be)

What is the definition of a "pro Western" ruler?

[Victor McDade]

Countdown said:

Have I missed something or have most of the places where it's kicked off had pro-western rulers in place ? Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain vs Libya ? Off the top of my head I'm sure the majority of arab rulers are pro-western, (whereas their citizens may not be)

I would not call them 'pro-western' but more so pro money/power/influence and they ally, rightly so from their pov, with whoever can help them meet these objectives.