Talk:Osama bin Laden/Archive 3

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Name

Is there is reason why we have this as "Usama Bin Laden" rather than the far more common "Osama Bin Laden"? (Google registers more than 10 times the number of hits with the latter spelling.) I was going to just move it, but I thought maybe I should ask first. --Zundark

The FBI has it "Usama." And yes, "Osama bin Laden" (or "Bin," capped) is far more common. I have not moved it b/c I didn't want to start another silly debate that distracts from writing articles. --KQ

I created the initial entry, and I chose to use the FBI spelling because that's where I got the text for the original article. <>< tbc

Since there are redirects from at least all four (O/U)sama (B/b)in Laden spellings, I think that's enough. --Pinkunicorn

Fair enough. It's all an approximation anyway.  :-)

So, feel free to move it. --LMS

There IS an official standard for translation from the arab alphabet to the latin I believe, at least there is such a standard for cyrillic. That should resolve these issues once and for all, if anyone can find it.

Dated April 28, 2002 by User: 217.70.229.44

I think there are several such standards, or conventions. That's the problem.

Dated April 28, 2002 by User: 195.149.37.68

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Reorganisation

This article could use some reorganization. The stuff about the world trade centers should be before the nairobi bombings I think, as its more topical right now. The fact that he's not considered a terrorist by a lot fo people needs to be extensively addressed. The article is kind of clumsy to read as well. --Alan D

Well, be bold in updating pages! AxelBoldt (Dated April 28, 2002)

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Is he a terrorist?

I reverted the changes somebody made to indicate for a fact the Bin Laden is a terrorist. I figured that if Bin Laden had indeed admitted to that, it would be easy to find on cnn.com, but it wasn't. If somebody can point me to reliable sources that say he is a terrorist, I'll of course revert my changes.--User:Branko (Dated August 18, 2002)

The question is not whether he admits to being a terrorist. The question is whether he is a terrorist. And he is. user:TimShell (Dated October 18, 2002)

Terrorist. Guerilla. Freedom Fighter. When you find a difference outside of your own narrow persepctive, then we will consensus on what you are saying. --Mymunkee 18:40, 31 May 2004 (UTC)

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According to Ronald Reagan, Osama is a Freedom Fighter. Unlike most terrorists who stake their claim on attacks, Osama disavowed involvement with Sept 11. Moreover, in the Africa-Yemen attacks, one or more FBI agents (John O'Neill, Robert Wright) claimed that their efforts to track the money trail were being thwarted by superiors "at the highest level". O'Neill was basically kicked out of Yemen by our Ambassador Barbara Bodine. user:GaryG December 28, 2005

CIA theory, Mujahideen

See previous archives

The Mujahedin were basically a creation of American weapons, training, and intelligenence with a finance network set up across the Muslim world. Bin Laden fought as a Muj but according to the information we have, he wasn't personally backed by the CIA. Mind you, they may be telling a selective truth because even if he never met with the CIA, all the Muj were CIA backed to some extent. Actually, I've heard it said that the al Qaeda financial network is basically a revival of some parts of the old Mujahedin network set up by the CIA, and to a degree the active recruiting and operations operations too. --wji

Dated September 9, 2002 by User: 209.226.107.167

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Google "Osamagate". Apparently US covert collaboration with "Al-Qaeda" continued through 1999, according a Republican Party report, and possibly even through part of 2001 there were reports from outside-the-US sources of Pentagon ops seen with Al-Qaeda contingents, including someone 2nd-in-command. Then again, why do you think they call it covert ops. user:Gary G December 28, 2005

Saudi-Arabian/Saudi-Arabia born

Changed Saudi-Arabian to Saudi-Arabia born; according to the Guardian Style Guide (http://www.guardian.co.uk/styleguide/page/0,5817,184840,00.html) he has been stripped of his Saudi citizenship, thus should not be referred to as Saudi Arabian -- AdamW (Dated October 8, 2002)