French newspaper suggests Osama bin Laden may be dead
{{date|September 23, 2006}}
{{Al-Qaeda}}
[[Image:Laden.jpg|thumb|left|Image of Osama bin Laden, from the FBI's Most Wanted List]]
The [[France|French]] daily newspaper ''L'Est Republicain'' reported today that Al-Qaeda's [[w:Osama bin Laden|Osama bin Laden]] may have died of [[w:Typhoid fever|Typhoid Fever]] in [[Pakistan]] on August 23, citing what it said was a leaked French secret service report dated September 21. The newspaper reported that unnamed [[Saudi Arabia|Saudi]] secret services sources passed this information to the [[w:Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure|Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure]] (DGSE, the French external secret service). 

"According to a source that is usually reliable, Saudi secret services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead," said the French intelligence report. The report states that Saudi Arabia first heard the information on September 4 and are searching for more details, more specifically Osama's burial place, before making an official announcement. Bin Laden is alleged to have succumbed to a serious bout of typhoid fever, which caused a partial paralysis of his lower limbs. Due to his remote hideout, the report claims, medical assistance was out of the question.

A spokesperson of the Pakistani home office said that he had no information about the possible death of Osama bin Laden. U.S. intelligence services and spokespeople at the [[w:White House|White House]] also say they have no confirmation of the report.

French President [[w:Jacques Chirac|Jacques Chirac]] reacted: "I was rather surprised to see that a confidential note from the DGSE was published and I have asked the minister of defense to start an investigation immediately and to reach whatever conclusions are necessary." He too stressed the information was not confirmed.

Meanwhile, a Saudi source told [[w:CNN|CNN]] and [[w:Time|Time]] that bin Laden has a water-borne illness, but is still alive.

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington D.C. has issued a statement saying: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no evidence to support recent media reports that Osama bin Laden is dead. Information that has been reported otherwise is purely speculative and cannot be independently verified."

It's not the first time bin Laden's death has been announced. CNN terrorism analyst [[w:Peter Bergen|Peter Bergen]] pointed out that rumours of bin Laden's death circulate every few months.

== Related news ==

*{{wikinews|title=Terrorism expert says Osama Bin Laden could be dead|date=January 17, 2006}}

==Sources==
*{{source|url=http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1538569,00.html
|title=Is Bin Laden Dead?
|author= Scott Macleod/Cairo and Tala Skari/Paris 
|pub=TIME
|date=September 23, 2006}} 

*{{source|url=http://www.estrepublicain.fr/zoom/2006092300222348.html
|title=Oussama Ben Laden serait mort
|author= Laïd Sammari
|pub=L'Est Républicain
|date=September 23, 2006
|lang=French}}

*{{source|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5374160.stm
|title=Probe into 'Bin Laden death' leak 
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-23T075358Z_01_L23801953_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BINLADEN-FRANCE.xml
|title=French paper says bin Laden died in Pakistan
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-09-23T105002Z_01_L23801953_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BINLADEN-FRANCE.xml
|title=France to probe bin Laden death report leak
|author=
|pub=Reuters
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/23/terror/main2035760.shtml
|title=Report: Bin Laden Dead
|author=
|pub=CBS News
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20465563-1702,00.html
|title=France checks bin Laden death claim
|author=
|pub=news.com.au
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/europe/09/23/france.binladen/index.html
|title=Conflicting reports: Bin Laden could be dead or ill
|author=Katie Turner, Pam Benson
|pub=CNN
|date=September 23, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5374998.stm
|title='No evidence' of Bin Laden death
|author=
|pub=BBC News Online
|date=September 24, 2006}}

*{{source
|url=http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/articlenews.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-09-24T045832Z_01_L23793153_RTRUKOC_0_UK-SECURITY-BINLADEN.xml
|title=No evidence bin Laden is dead - Saudi Arabia
|author=David Morgan
|pub=Reuters
|date=September 24, 2006}}

*{{source|url=http://edition.cnn.com/2002/WORLD/asiapcf/south/01/18/gen.musharraf.binladen/
|title=Pakistan's Musharraf: Bin Laden probably dead]
|author=
|pub=CNN
|date=January 18, 2002}}

*{{source|url=http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/23/1090464867798.html
|title=Web users tricked over bin Laden 'death'
|author=
|pub=Sydney Morning Herald
|date=July 24, 2004}}

{{publish}}
{{Archive-unreviewed}}

[[Category:Al-Qaeda]]
[[Category:Politics and conflicts]]
[[Category:France]]
[[Category:Europe]]
[[Category:United States]]
[[Category:Pakistan]]
[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Jacques Chirac]]
[[Category:Osama bin Laden]]
[[Category:Typhoid]]

[[de:Französischer Geheimdienst: Saudi-Arabien hält Osama bin Laden für tot]]
[[fr:Nouvelle annonce du décès d'Oussama Ben Laden]]
[[nl:Osama bin Laden mogelijk overleden]]
[[ja:フランス紙、オサーマ・ビンラーディン容疑者死亡説を報道]]
[[pl:L'Est Republicain: Być może Bin Laden nie żyje]]
Image of Osama bin Laden, from the FBI's Most Wanted List
The French daily newspaper L'Est Republicain reported today that Al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden may have died of Typhoid Fever in Pakistan on August 23, citing what it said was a leaked French secret service report dated September 21. The newspaper reported that unnamed Saudi secret services sources passed this information to the Direction générale de la sécurité extérieure (DGSE, the French external secret service). 

"According to a source that is usually reliable, Saudi secret services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead," said the French intelligence report. The report states that Saudi Arabia first heard the information on September 4 and are searching for more details, more specifically Osama's burial place, before making an official announcement. Bin Laden is alleged to have succumbed to a serious bout of typhoid fever, which caused a partial paralysis of his lower limbs. Due to his remote hideout, the report claims, medical assistance was out of the question.

A spokesperson of the Pakistani home office said that he had no information about the possible death of Osama bin Laden. U.S. intelligence services and spokespeople at the White House also say they have no confirmation of the report.

French President Jacques Chirac reacted: "I was rather surprised to see that a confidential note from the DGSE was published and I have asked the minister of defense to start an investigation immediately and to reach whatever conclusions are necessary." He too stressed the information was not confirmed.

Meanwhile, a Saudi source told CNN and Time that bin Laden has a water-borne illness, but is still alive.

Saudi Arabia's embassy in Washington D.C. has issued a statement saying: "The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has no evidence to support recent media reports that Osama bin Laden is dead. Information that has been reported otherwise is purely speculative and cannot be independently verified."

It's not the first time bin Laden's death has been announced. CNN terrorism analyst Peter Bergen pointed out that rumours of bin Laden's death circulate every few months.

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de:Französischer Geheimdienst: Saudi-Arabien hält Osama bin Laden für tot
fr:Nouvelle annonce du décès d'Oussama Ben Laden
nl:Osama bin Laden mogelijk overleden
ja:フランス紙、オサーマ・ビンラーディン容疑者死亡説を報道
pl:L'Est Republicain: Być może Bin Laden nie żyje
Al-Qaeda Politics and conflicts France Europe United States Pakistan World Jacques Chirac Osama bin Laden Typhoid