Stratfor disputes OBL killing in Abbottabad

The Nation on the Web of Pakistan! ^ | August 19, 2011 | Azhar Masood

[hamboy]

ISLAMABAD - Globally recognised intelligence and forecast STRATFOR has rejected the US Central Intelligence Agency claim that the man killed in Abbottabad’s compound by US Naval SEALs was al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden. This was one of the reasons the CIA kept Pakistan’s premier intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in dark.

The STRATFOR says: “The possibility that bin Laden was already dead and in terms of his impact on terrorist operations, he effectively was. That does not mean, however, that he was not an important ideological leader or that he was not someone the United States sought to capture or kill for his role in carrying out the most devastating terrorist attack in the US history.” In its latest intelligence gathering, the STRATFOR claims that aggressive US intelligence collection efforts have come to fruition, as killing of Osama bin Laden was perhaps the top symbolic goal for the CIA and all those involved in the US covert operations. Indeed, President Obama said during his speech on May 1 that upon entering the office, he had personally instructed CIA Director Leon Panetta that killing the al-Qaeda leader was his top priority. The logistical challenges of catching a single wanted individual with Bin Laden level of resources were substantial and while 10 years, the United States was able to accomplish the objective it set out to do in October 2001.

[firebrand]

If this can be proved, it will kill the Obama propaganda movie.

[Wayne07]

The Paki press is as unreliable as the Paki ISI. The Stratfor article never says OBL wasn't killed in Abbottabad, just that it was tactically irrelevant. Yu can read the actual source article at Stratfor:

http://www.stratfor.com/print/193267

[Robert A Cook PE]

Very convenient (for Obama) that Seal Team Six were all killed very recently, wasn’t it .......

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

This is a fairly intriguing thought experiment. In general, I have regarded Stratfor as very “non-tinfoil” in terms of of its prognostications. Of course, not everything they say comes true and not everything is perfectly accurate, but this is pretty much a binary affair: Either our dudes offed him or they didn’t......and if they didn’t, then of course that whole can of conspiratorial worms opens up.

Anyone have an opinion as to left or rightedness of Stratfor that I’ve skipped over?

[Wayne07]

The precise number is classified, but there are reportedly 300 men in Seal Team 6 (officially now knows as Devgru). So not all were killed!!

[firebrand]

Stratfor suggests that it was done. Sounds demonic, which makes it likely.

[firebrand]

I see that someone in the Comments section calls Stratfor a Mossad asset and wonders where they are going with this.

[de.rm]

Anyone not drunk on kool aid knows it wasn't him, the info is out there, just have to scratch beneath the coating of Gov. lies.

[AnotherUnixGeek]

We have DNA tests and Navy SEAL eyewitnesses confirming Bin Laden's identity, and Al-Qaida and Ayman al-Zawahiri admit he was killed in the raid. Against that, we have Stratfor, whose credibility is about the same as Debka's - in other words, not very good.

Theorizing about government conspiracies can be fun and can add some spice to otherwise boring lives, but it's childish fun. Large government conspiraces are pretty much impossible in the US - there are far too many potential whistle-blowers. Bin Laden was in that compound and the SEALs killed him.

[freekitty]

This is so sick especially the Navy Seals being murdered.

[freekitty]

Is this another POS deal like the Obama birth certificate orchestrated by Obama and Co. to distract us?

[BradyLS]

For the interested:

Summary

The killing of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden represents possibly the biggest clandestine operations success for the United States since the capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2003. The confirmation of his death is an emotional victory for the United States and could have wider effects on the geopolitics of the region, but bin Laden’s death is irrelevant for al Qaeda and the wider jihadist movement from an operational perspective.

Goldstein is dead. Time to pick a new one...

[MestaMachine]

bin laden died in July of 2005 and was smuggled from Iran to the saudis’ royal vacation spot, Marbella. by yacht. then to Saudi Arabia by the saudi royal family on their personal airplane. He is buried in an unmarked grave in saudi arabia where his very wealthy family lives.
zawahiri announced his death to the leaders of al qaeda in August, 2005 after the required 30 day mourning period.

[Wayne07]

The article is a lie, stratfor never said bin laden wasn't killed. Read it yourself:

http://www.stratfor.com/print/193267

[firebrand]

You’ve selected this passage, but in fairness the article does speculate that the facts are fishy.

[Hoplite]

Stratfor, whose credibility is about the same as Debka's

And to think they once positioned themselves as a serious news analysis operation - I guess the National Enquirer model they've evolved into is more profitable for them.

[Texas Fossil]

Seal Team Six all killed? NOPE.

Dufus AP got it wrong.

August 6th, 2011

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2011/08/06/seal-team-6-marines-who-killed-osama-bin-laden-died-in-helicopter-crash-ap/

“UPDATE: CNN is reporting that none of the SEALs in the crash were members of the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.”

[Aria]

Well that’s interesting....I’ve seen Bill O’Reilly personally vouch for Stratfor - claimed he used them for research. HA!

[Hardraade]

Osama died in 2004. There’s detail right here on FR.