<i>Questions for Osama bin Laden October 16, 2001 Posted: 6:10 PM EDT (2210 GMT) (CNN) -- As you probably know by now, Al Jazeera is the Arabic-language news channel that has played such a prominent role in reporting on the U.S.-led attack on Afghanistan. Based in the Persian Gulf state of Qatar, Al Jazeera has been reporting live from inside Taliban-controlled Afghanistan throughout the past week. It has provided most of the video you have seen from inside Afghanistan. And it has been the outlet for the three video statements released last week by Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network. Now, someone claiming to represent al Qaeda has asked Al Jazeera and CNN to submit written questions for Osama bin Laden -- questions they say bin Laden will answer on videotape and send back to Al Jazeera. This proposal came in to Al Jazeera, which then notified CNN. CNN has some questions we would like to put to Osama bin Laden, but first we want to be absolutely clear about this process: -- We want to stress that CNN has no information about where bin Laden is or whether he is alive or dead. -- We do not know how al Qaeda communicates with Al Jazeera or how Al Jazeera plans to get the questions to bin Laden. -- We agree to no prohibitions or preconditions from Osama bin Laden's organization or from the Al Jazeera television channel. -- By submitting our questions, we are making no commitment to air bin Laden's response. We will look at the tape, if there is a tape, and decide how much or how little to run. If we believe his comments are not newsworthy, we will not run any of them. -- We claim no exclusivity over this tape, and we will allow other news organizations to make their own judgments on how to use bin Laden's answers. We have submitted six questions to Al Jazeera. They are: 1. Your spokesman has praised the September 11 terrorist attacks that killed thousands of innocent people and threatened to carry out more attacks involving planes and tall buildings. How can you and your followers advocate the killing of innocent people? 2. What was your role and the role of the al Qaeda organization in the September 11 attacks? 3. What was your role and the role of your organization in the subsequent anthrax attacks in the United States? 4. Did any of the September 11 hijackers or their accomplices receive al Qaeda financial support or training at al Qaeda bases in Afghanistan, and was any other government or organization involved? 5. In the past, you called on your followers to acquire weapons of mass destruction -- nuclear, chemical and biological weapons. Do you or your followers have any such weapons and, if so, will those weapons be used? 6. The vast majority of Muslim and Arab leaders, including Muslim clerics and Palestinian Authority leader Yasser Arafat, say there is no justification in Islam for the terrorist attacks you advocate. They have denounced you, your followers, and your self-declared holy war. How do you respond to their criticism? We have no idea if bin Laden will answer these questions, and we intend to run only what we think is newsworthy. We will report back to you as this process unfolds. </i> http://www.cnn.com/2001/WORLD/asiapcf/central/10/16/ret.binladen.questions/
I could have thought of better questions. Like, "What do you think hell will be like when you get there?" and "Any last words?"
How about "How does it feel to have an entire planet hunting you down like a dog" or "Are those caves roomy?" Or my favorite, asking him "was it worth it?" while a Special Ops trooper is holding a gun to his head.
My 10 questions: 1) What is your exact location (lattitude and longitude coordinates preferred)? 2) How many others are with you? 3a) Let's say we used bunker-busting bombs on you. Would they have any effect? 3b) If not, what weapon would most likely kill you? 4) What kind of artillery do you have stashed? 5) Would airplanes and U.S. ground troops be vulnerable from any counter-attack by you? 6a) Can you wear something bright so we can see you? 6b) If not, can you have one of your followers paint a red target on your back? 7a) If you're planning another U.S. attack, what is it? 7b) If so, what is the best way to foil that attack? 8) Can you please explain the organizational hierarchy of Al-Qaeda, complete with names, addresses, and phone numbers of your officers and members? 9a) Do you still have cells operating in the U.S.? 9b) If so, where are they and what are they doing right now? 9c) How can we contact/find them in case we need to kill them? 10a) Is Iraq involved in your sick, twisted madness (you evil f***)? 10b) If so, can you please confirm this with evidence (documents and taped communicaton preferred)?
