I agree. I think OBL was spattered over the rocks long ago. But it’s in both sides’ interest not to confirm it, even presuming that they could.

For AQ, it would be a tremendous loss of face to admit that the US long ago got their man, now made even worse by their refusal to admit it all this time.

For the US, well, AQ is not, IMHO, a “decentralized” organization, as the popular phraseology goes, and that’s key.

Dispersed geographically? Sure. But real decentralization refers to decision-making and the dispersal of authority, not location, and in that respect AQ is the complete opposite: it’s about as centralized as possible. Cell members generally don’t even know who all their “co-workers” are; usually, they know only a few others at best.

If any of us worked for a company like that, would we be bragging about how decentralized it was? Or would it be more like, “can’t even take a goddamn piss around here without checking with head office first!”

AQ cell members take orders from above. And as long as they think OBL is alive, they will sit obediently and wait to hear from him. [The recent exceptions, in Toronto and Miami, were wannabes who weren't really a part of AQ yet.]

All of which suits the US, of course. Current AQ cells won’t even try to regroup and re-form, cuz they might expose themselves in the process. All they can do is sit tight and wait for orders that will never come. That would change if Bin Laden were either captured or confirmed dead. I doubt that he’ll ever be found. Who wants to?

Ask any member of the Democratic National Committee. I’m sure they either know or know who knows.

On a side note, it appears that another Saddam official has been caught working with al Qaeda
here is the link http://markeichenlaub.blogspot.com/2006/06/haitham-al-badri.html