OSAMA BIN LADEN, Cable Guy

(From The New York Daily News -- By Rush And Malloy)

Maybe it's his suspenders. Or maybe it's his seven wives.
Or guests like TAMMY FAYNE MESSNER and psychic
JAMES VAN PRAAGH.

Whatever it is about LARRY KING, OSAMA BIN LADEN apparently digs him.

That's right, the terrormaster "is a Larry King fan," according to PETER BERGEN, author of the new book THE OSAMA BIN LADEN I KNOW.

True, Bergen is an analyst for CNN, but he says there's no question that the AL QAEDA leader is a "news junkie."

"He's not living in a cave -- he's living somewhere with more amenities," Bergen told us Monday at a CORE CLUB party for his book. "His most recent statements show a Talmudic attention to the news."

Well, maybe "Talmudic" isn't the best adjective for the Israel-hater, but Bergen's point is that Bin Laden is "parsing
the news. He mentioned a story in THE LONDON DAILY MIRROR, about allegations that Bush was going to bomb
AL JAZEERA. And this was not a big story!"

Bergen interviewed Bin Laden pre-9/11. He's also spoken with many around him.

"He's in Pakistan," says Bergen. "There is no evidence that he's dead. If Osama were dead, Al Qaeda would get up on the rooftops and say -- 'At last, he finally got his wish.'"

"The guy is not gonna die of natural causes. He never had kidney disease. If you want to kill him, you'll have to find him."

Anything else we should know about Bin Laden?

"He apparently likes feta cheese."