-----Original Message-----
From: Denise James  [mailto:drjames@worldnet.att.net]
Sent: Monday, November 19, 2001 9:22  AM
To: Love, Dianne
Subject: FW:  Terrorists
Subject: Ollie  North
You know, it's funny. I remember very vividly the Oliver North  hearings, but did not recall the name of Osama bin Laden as the terrorist that  North was threatened by. Has this slimeball been around that long?. It's pretty  evident, in hindsight that we should have listened to Ollie!
I was at a  UNC lecture the other day where they played a video of Oliver North testifying  at theIran-Contra hearings during the Reagan administration.
There was  Colonel North in front of God and Country getting the third degree. But what he  said a stunner. He was being grilled by some senator who asked him: "Did you not  recently spend close to $60,000 for a home security system?"  Oliver  replied, "Yes I did sir."
The senator continued, trying to get a laugh  out of the audience, "Isn't this just a little excessive?" 
"No sir,"  continued Oliver.  
"No. And why not?"
"Because the lives of  my family and I were threatened."
"Threatened? By who."
"By a  terrorist, sir."
"Terrorist? What terrorist could possibly scare you that  much?"
"His name is Osama bin Laden."
At this point the senator  tried to repeat the name, but couldn't pronounce it, which most people back then  probably couldn't. A couple of people laughed at the attempt. Then the senator  continued. "Why are you so afraid of this man?"
"Because sir, he is the  most evil person alive that I know of."
"And what do you recommend we do  about him?"
"If it were up to me, I'd recommend an assassin team be  formed to eliminate him and his men from the face of the earth."
The  senator disagreed with this approach and that was all they showed of the  clip.
It's scary when you think 15 years ago the government was aware of  Osama bin Laden and his potential threat to the security of the world. I guess  like all great tyrants they start small but if left untended spread like the  virus they truly are.