Michael Ledeen has egg on his face

In addition to his perennually amusing "Trusted Lieutenant Watch", The Cunning Realist has now started a "Trusted Sources Watch". Stay tuned:

And, according to Iranians I trust, Osama bin Laden finally departed this world in mid-December. The al Qaeda leader died of kidney failure and was buried in Iran, where he had spent most of his time since the destruction of al Qaeda in Afghanistan.

Michael Ledeen, 1/9/2006


A new audiotaped message purported to be from al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden warned Americans that plans for attacks in the United States were already under way.

"We have seen explosions in many European countries. As for similar operations taking place in America, it's only a question of time. They are under way, and you will hear about them soon," said the message, which was aired on Arabic-language network Al-Jazeera Thursday.

CNN, 1/19/2006

So much for the power of positive thinking.