I can't prove bin Laden is dead. My assumption that he is is based solely on logic and common sense.

Much of the world perceives "getting" bin Laden as a core requirement of a Bush victory against al-Quaeda and the Taliban, although Bush himself has never said so. Conversely, if Bush fails in this, many will perceive it as indicating the failure of the Bush campaign against the al-Quaeda terrorism branch. Heck, in many posts you have said as much.

Given this, there is a huge political incentive for al-Quaeda to produce unimpeachable proof that bin Laden is alive, with the obvious corollary being that there would also be a huge incentive to conceal his death.

And given that, why has no unimpeachable proof surfaced? Anyone here could think of five ways for bin Laden to show without the shadow of a doubt that he is still kicking. Nothing like this has come forth in almost a year, just vague letters and tapes with nothing to indicate authenticity or dates.

The obvious conclusion, however circumstantial, is that bin Laden is dead, and the terrorists are trying to conceal it.