October 29, 2009
No, This Isn't Osama bin Laden
Two pictures. At the top is a vidcap of the recent al Qaeda/as Sahab video showing a person that some are speculating is Osama bin Laden. Click it for slighly larger image. This vidcap and others were posted over at Wired's Danger Room.
Below that are several vidcaps from al Qaeda/as Sahab videos showing Osama bin Laden.
Notice in the alleged image of bin Laden that his grey beard has a dark streak down the middle of it. Look closely.
Now look at all of these images of bin Laden below. Notice that it is a dark beard with a grey streak down the middle of it.
Okay, so is it possible that this is Osama bin Laden? Yes, but only if he has died his beard to make it appear to be colored in the exact opposite of its natural color. It would be kind of like Mr. T trying to disguise himself by shaving the middle of his head!
Also, I think that this would entail dying his beard twice. First, dark dye to cover up what is presumably an increasingly grey beard. And then a second layer to cover up the dark parts of the beard with grey! (Or reverse the order)
Possible? Sure. Likely? I don't think so.
We do have one video showing a person claiming to be bin Laden in which the beard is obviously died. But a lot of people are skeptical that this is even him, and if it is him you'll notice his pretty pathetic die job.
If bin Laden isn't dead then he's nowhere near Abu Yahya al-Libi, the star of the video on which he allegedly secretly appears. Al Libi is way too public and high value of a target for bin Laden to appear with him out of doors and risk his precious life in a Predator strike.
I don't know who Roggio's source is, but I think he's wrong. The super-reverse-dye-job theory seems to be nothing more than grasping at straws.
Verdict: Not Osama bin Laden.
