Osama:2, USA:0

[Stapes]

U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan had Osama bin Laden 'within reach' on at least two occasions, but were unable to prevent him slipping away, France's top general said Wednesday. French chief of staff Gen. Henri Bentegeat, said the al-Qaida leader had evaded capture several times since 2002, but not recently. He didn't say where bin Laden had been tracked down, and refused to comment on whether French special forces operating in southern Afghanistan were involved. 'Several times the coalition has had Osama bin Laden directly within reach,' Bentegeat told reporters during a visit to the Afghan capital... 'I'm not saying there was an incident of this kind recently,' he added. 'To my knowledge, that's not the case.'"

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