Following the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, journalist Fareed Zakaria said: ” ‘…a number of people are saying that this does not mean that al Qaeda has been destroyed. Some argue that the organization may, in fact, be thriving. …I understand why officials have to say this. They want to be […]
5/2/2011
Following the death of Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011, “A rash of statements from world leaders and the international media held the Pakistan Army either totally culpable in hiding Bin Laden or totally incompetent in not discovering his whereabouts, leading to further public outrage and despair. For years, President Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan […]
5/2/2011
“Leon Panetta, the CIA chief, said that Pakistan had not been prewarned of the raid [that killed Osama bin Laden on May 2, 2011] because ‘it was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission–they might alert the targets.’ ” – Ahmed Rashid, Pakistan on the Brink, Page 8 […]
5/2/2011
“Asked if harsh interrogation techniques at Guantanamo Bay played a role in obtaining intelligence on bin Laden’s whereabouts, [Former Defense Secretary Donald] Rumsfeld declares: ‘First of all, no one was waterboarded at Guantanamo Bay. That’s a myth that’s been perpetrated around the country by critics. The United States Department of Defense did not do waterboarding […]
5/2/2011
“As intelligence officials disclosed the trail of evidence that led to the compound in Pakistan where Bin Laden was hiding, a chorus of Bush administration officials claimed vindication for their policy of ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’ like waterboarding. Among them was John Yoo, a former Justice Department official who wrote secret legal memorandums justifying brutal interrogations. […]
5/2/2011
In the hunt for bin Laden, “A new lead emerged when post-9/11 detainees gave investigators a glimpse into the al Qaeda chief’s inner circle, the [senior Obama Administration] official said. During questioning, detainees repeatedly mentioned the nickname of a man they said was one of the few couriers bin Laden trusted. …Investigators knew the courier–a […]
5/2/2011
“Osama bin Laden was buried at sea from the deck of a U.S. aircraft carrier because there was no alternative to bury him on land within the 24 hours required by Islamic law, President Barack Obama’s homeland security and counterterrorism adviser said Monday [May 2, 2011]. ‘The disposal of–the burial of bin Laden’s remains was […]
5/2/2011
“In a secret CIA prison in Eastern Europe years ago, al-Qaida’s No. 3 leader, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, gave authorities the nicknames of several of bin Laden’s couriers, four former U.S. intelligence officials said. Those names were among thousands of leads the CIA was pursuing. One man became a particular interest for the agency when another […]
5/2/2011
“Osama bin Laden, the elusive terror mastermind killed by Navy SEALs in an intense firefight [at a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan], was hunted down based on information first gleaned years ago from detainees at secret CIA prison sites in Eastern Europe, officials disclosed Monday [May 2, 2011].” – Adam Goldman and Chris Brummitt, “Bin Laden’s […]
5/2/2011
“Officials say CIA interrogators in secret overseas prisons developed the first strands of information that ultimately led to the killing of bin Laden [on May 2, 2011]. 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed provided the nom de guerre of one of bin Laden’s most trusted aides. The CIA got similar information from Mohammed’s successor, Abu Faraj […]