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Afghanistan-Pak-India
Osama Bin Laden Sighting Possible - US British Soldiers Search Balakot
2005-10-20
Security officers in London and Washington are anxious not to discuss whether Bin Laden is dead or has escaped the devastation from the 7.6-magnitude earthquake. But days before it struck, an American satellite had spotted an Al Qaeda training camp in a remote area and obtained high-resolution close-ups. A senior intelligence officer in Washington told the Sunday Express: “One of those photos bore a remarkable resemblance to Bin Laden. His face looked thinner, which is in keeping with our reports that his kidney condition has worsened.” In recent weeks, both MI6 and the CIA have established that Bin Laden has received a portable kidney dialysis machine from China but it requires electricity to power it. Drones, unmanned aircraft that US Special Forces launched from Afghanistan last week, have reported that the area along the border has lost all power supplies. President Bush, who has said he wants Bin Laden ‘dead or alive’, is closely monitoring the operation.
Posted by:RG

#20  If you could get a EMP in the area of the dialysis machine, you could fry its circuits, which would put a damper on Binny's blood purity. Just an off-the-wall idea in the universe of ideas.
Posted by: Alaska Paul   2005-10-20 21:52  

#19  Time for these guys


Posted by: Cleter Grort8386   2005-10-20 17:49  

#18  ALso if human intel spotted Binnie I would expect the report to say satellites to protect our people on the ground.
Posted by: rjschwarz (no T!)   2005-10-20 13:03  

#17  Wow!!! I suppose that is why USAID is concentrating its relief in the area of suspected Al Qaeda camps and why Pakistan wants them to concentrate on rescuing the children.
Posted by: Danielle   2005-10-20 12:32  

#16  Indian Airforce Intellagence were the last to see him wern't they about a year or 2 ago now? correct me if im wrong - anyway maybe they have relocated him??
Posted by: Shep UK   2005-10-20 12:17  

#15  In others words, a head shows up as a pixel or two.

Which is pretty damn good, but not good enough to cloclude:

His face looked thinner

So, something is fishy here. Like the whole thing.
Posted by: Crineger Omomoque9485   2005-10-20 12:11  

#14  If they do find bin Gayden dirtnapping in the rubble then Karl Roves Earthquake-Tsunami/Hurricane machine will get more publicity from the conspiracy challenged.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2005-10-20 12:05  

#13  'Son of Darkstar' lurking over binny??
Posted by: Shep UK   2005-10-20 12:01  

#12  Oh muslims, FEAR the Great Satan's Synthethic Aperture Optics!

Doing a non sci-fi mode quick calculation using the Hubble (reputed to be an advanced version of the KH-12):
Hubble main mirror: 2.4 meters.
Estimated KH-12 perigee: 200 km.
Visible wavelenth: .5 um (green).
gives a diffraction limited resolution of 4.2 cm. Then there is atmospheric refraction, chromatic aberration and higher average orbits to take into account which probably limits real resolution to about 10 cm. In others words, a head shows up as a pixel or two.
Posted by: ed   2005-10-20 11:57  

#11  I recall one claim that, given the correct angle, a US spy sat could look into a person's breast pocket and see what brand of cigarettes you smoke. Not sure if it's true, but I would not be surprised.
Posted by: Tibor   2005-10-20 11:31  

#10  I would assume that it probably isn't a sat at all, but either a drone or a spyplane flying somewhere we'd rather not admit they are flying because it gives Uncle Sam a sort of invincibility if people think we can watch them any time we want and there is nothing they can do about it.
Posted by: rjscwharz   2005-10-20 10:50  

#9  er... one cm per pixel couldn't read a headline, nor distiguish one face from another, it would need to be nearer 1mm. I'm sceptical, I don't think there is a satellite big enough to do this. I'd like to be proved wrong, however.
Posted by: Jake-the-Peg   2005-10-20 10:37  

#8  #2... WOW! I didn't know there was a satellite up there powerful enough to resolve faces of the people below...

Jake, the US has spy satellites capable of one centimeter per pixel resolution! That is tantamount to a Hubble size platform turned to the Earth for observation! Such resolution can 'read' a paper's headline if laid on the ground. Ohh, can see through clouds and rain also!
Posted by: smn   2005-10-20 10:20  

#7  I received a Sunbeam Tiger from the UK, but the royals don't know me from Adams housecat.
Posted by: Shipman   2005-10-20 08:07  

#6  lotp -
That should be no suprise. Isn't it a Chinese saying that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?
Don't doubt that's how China views the US.
Posted by: JerseyMike   2005-10-20 07:05  

#5  key line in this story:

Bin Laden has received a portable kidney dialysis machine from China
Posted by: lotp   2005-10-20 06:47  

#4  

President Bush, who has said he wants Bin Laden ‘dead or alive’, is closely monitoring the operation.

GW: ROUND'EM UP, BOYS!
Posted by: Angeremble Phavirong9848   2005-10-20 06:12  

#3  Piece of good news -- the Daily Times didn't compromise this surveillance by releasing the news too early. :D

(I see it is an "okay" now only because of the quake changing the situation so dramatically.)
Posted by: Edward Yee   2005-10-20 05:44  

#2  WOW! I didn't know there was a satellite up there powerful enough to resolve faces of the people below.
Posted by: Jake-the-Peg   2005-10-20 04:31  

#1  Worm came out of his hole!
Posted by: Chegum Sneatch9157   2005-10-20 03:54  

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