http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/362/nation/Bin_Laden_looks_to_be_ill_specialists_say+.shtml

Bin Laden looks to be ill, specialists say

By Seth Borenstein and Jodi Enda Knight Ridder, 12/28/2001

WASHINGTON - The latest videotape of Osama bin Laden, denounced yesterday as ''terrorist propaganda'' by the White House, contains hints that the Saudi-born fugitive may be gravely ill, according to specialists in terrorism, medicine, and politics.

Analysts said they were struck more by how bin Laden looked, spoke, and moved on the tape than by his vitriolic, anti-American words.

''It looks to me like a significant weight loss. Moreover, he just looks - although it is hard to tell with the lighting - he just looks sick,'' said Dr. Jerrold Post, who directs the political psychology program at George Washington University in Washington. Post has developed psychological profiles of terrorists for the US government.

The 34-minute videotape was shown in its entirety yesterday on the Arabic Al-Jazeera network, based in Qatar, but only in snippets on US networks. Bin Laden appeared to call for further acts against the United States, particularly targeting the economy.

''We say that the end of the United States is imminent, whether bin Laden or his followers are alive or dead, for the awakening of the Muslim nation has occurred,'' he said. ''It is important to hit the economy [of the United States], which is the base of its military power.''

Bin Laden's appearance has changed dramatically in the few weeks since the Pentagon released an earlier videotape of him, specialists said.

''He seems to have lost a tremendous amount of weight; he's clearly sick,'' said a congressional staff specialist on Middle Eastern terrorism who spoke on condition of anonymity. ''Maybe this is validating the reports that he had kidney trouble, which I and others had chalked up to disinformation over the years.''

For years, some international media have reported that bin Laden has kidney problems and even had his own dialysis machine in Kandahar, Afghanistan. If true it could explain his rapid weight loss and possible health deterioration, said Dr. Joyce Gonin, director of dialysis at Georgetown University Medical Center.

If he were undergoing dialysis and had to stop, ''he'd become very sick, very fast,'' Gonin said.

Specialists also noticed that bin Laden, who is left-handed, did not use his left hand in the video and favored his right hand. He even had his weapon by his right side - suggesting the possibility that he might have an injury or neurological illness that weakened his left side.

Analysts also said that bin Laden's somewhat fatalistic comments - ''America's end is near. It doesn't depend on my continuing existence. The attack goes on'' - were telling.

''That clearly suggests that he expects to die,'' said the congressional terror expert.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Answers

I wondered if the video's bad lighting was deliberately engineered to hide the distinctively jaundiced pallor that would result from late-stage renal disease.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

Yep, OG. I concur.

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

could be that the makeup was used as a sign for some sort of attack plan to be implemented since the western world won't show the tapes but will talk about them endlessly.

doesn't he look like a representation for Father Time? And the New Year is represented by a baby...

hmmm

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001

someone asked on my IC board, if he could be doing sign language! anyone know????

-- Anonymous, December 28, 2001