Stardate 20011025.1022 (On Screen): Tamim provides a link to an article published in Japan which claims that both Mullah Omar and bin Laden were murdered on October 16. This is completely unsubstantiated and until there is further information about it then it has to be treated as no better than a rumor. The report is that both were murdered at close range by someone using an assault rifle. This is not totally inconceivable. About a month ago the leader of the Northern Alliance was assassinated by Taliban operatives. It's barely possible that someone from the Northern Alliance decided to return the favor.
A couple of days ago Ambassador Zaeef made a claim that bin Laden was still alive. That struck me as odd, since he seemed to be answering a question no-one had asked. No-one had claimed that he was dead. I took it at the time as a feeble attempt to claim that the bombing had been a failure (with the unspoken assumption that the purpose of the bombing was to kill bin Laden). Now I'm no longer certain. (discuss)
National Review picks up the story; no further confirmation but some interesting back details. He points out that the 
hundred arrests might have been related to a power struggle.
