Saturday, September 23, 2006

French Paper Reports Osama Bin Laden Dead

Regional French newspaper L'Est Republicain, quoting a confidential source in French intelligence reports that Osama bin Laden has died of typhoid. The source notes an email circulated among French officials based on information from the Saudis.

CBS reports that the account in the French newspaper stems from an actual secret document and that the French are investigating the leak.

The information comes from a brief to French president Jacques Chirac based on Saudi intelligence sources. The Saudis seem to have confidence in the report but will not confirm without further corroboration, like locating bin Laden's burial site.