(2003-12-19) -- Just days after U.S. troops pulled a dishevelled Saddam Hussein from a 'spider hole' near Tikrit, U.S. Special Forces today captured al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden in a palace in remote Waziristan.

Mr. Bin Laden who typically appears in videos with a long, shaggy graying beard was described by his captors as looking "totally shevelled."

"There he was, sitting on a gold throne, clean-shaven, with close-cropped hair and manicured fingernails," said an unnamed Pentagon spokesman. "He was surrounded by luxury, watching a football game on satellite TV, eating the finest foods, attended by a bevy of servants."

Mr. Bin Laden is currently being held along with Mr. Hussein and U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, in an undisclosed location.