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thedrifter
02-19-09, 09:12 AM
Researchers: Bin Laden is in Pakistan
Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Thursday, February 19, 2009

A group of geography researchers believes Osama bin Laden is hiding in the Pakistani border town of Parachinar based on new search models they developed, according to a report in USA Today.

The newspaper reports that the team, led by geographer Thomas Gillespie of the University of California-Los Angeles, has used similar geographic analytical tools to locate urban criminals and endangered species. The results were published in the upcoming edition of the MIT International Review.

Gillespie told USA Today he believes bin Laden is in one of three walled compounds in Parachinar, which sits 12 miles from the Afghanistan/Pakistan border.

The research combines bin Laden’s last-known public whereabouts, his behavioral trends and knowledge of typical human movements, relative security of the area and regional proximity to medical care, the report said.

"Of course, it all depends on the accuracy of the information on most recent whereabouts," Gillespie told the newspaper. "I assume that the military has more recent information that would change the hiding place probabilities.

Outside geography experts told USA Today they’re skeptical of the team’s findings, but officials from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency said they are interested in reviewing techniques used in the report.

Ellie