Osama Bin Laden

[billroper]

According to reports, Osama Bin Laden is dead. We killed him in a ground raid into Pakistan last week. DNA testing has confirmed that we got him.

Good.

Comments

[madfilkentist]

That's definitely good news!

But its significance is basically symbolic. He hasn't been important for some time, and I don't think his death will make a difference either way in the long run.

Instant DNA ??

[hvideo.livejournal.com]

Unless the science of DNA testing has suddenly jumped to the levels of TV Dramas, it's WAY too early for DNA matching to have happened. Last I heard that still takes weeks.

They said that Facial Recognition Software confirms it, that some people in the compound have confirmed it (though they might easily have reason to lie), and perhaps we've comfirmed that his BLOOD TYPE matches, but with DNA all I've heard is that SAMPLES have been taken for LATER matching against familiy members.

I'll agree that the odds are quite high that we did get him.

Instant DNA - Follow

[hvideo.livejournal.com]

OK, they gave a bit more information on what DNA testing was done. They did not do a full DNA sequencing, which takes more time. They were doing some quick-and-dirty comparison tests to known relatives. They didn't give exact figures, but I got an overall impression that each test might give something like "There is a darn good chance that this DNA is a sibling of this other sample, taken from the sister of OBL." If you have several relatives to compare it to, and the relationship to each one can be quantified to that extent, then you get pretty sure it's "either OBL or his previously unknown brother". But they're not giving figures on just how sure that "pretty sure" really is. 95%? 99%? Probably in that general area. But not QUITE 100%.