Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Let Bin Laden stay free, says CIA man
Times OnLine (UK) ^ | January 09, 2005 | Tony Allen-Mills

Posted on 01/08/2005 5:36:28 PM PST by Jim Robinson

THE world may be better off if Osama Bin Laden remains at large, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s recently departed executive director. If the world’s most wanted terrorist is captured or killed, a power struggle among his Al-Qaeda subordinates may trigger a wave of terror attacks, said AB “Buzzy” Krongard, who stepped down six weeks ago as the CIA’s third most senior executive.

“You can make the argument that we’re better off with him (at large),” Krongard said. “Because if something happens to Bin Laden, you might find a lot of people vying for his position and demonstrating how macho they are by unleashing a stream of terror.”

Krongard, a former investment banker who joined the CIA in 1998, said Bin Laden’s role among Islamic militants was changing.

“He’s turning into more of a charismatic leader than a terrorist mastermind,” he said. “Some of his lieutenants are the ones to worry about.”

Krongard, 68, said he viewed Bin Laden “not as a chief executive but more like a venture capitalist”.

(Excerpt) Read more at timesonline.co.uk ...


TOPICS: News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 1998; binladen; cia; clintonholdovers; clintonistas; geopolitics; globaljihad; krongard
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-126 next last

1 posted on 01/08/2005 5:36:29 PM PST by Jim Robinson
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
This is a joke right?!

They need to put this guy on trial for treason!

2 posted on 01/08/2005 5:37:58 PM PST by wagglebee (Memo to sKerry: the only thing Bush F'ed up was your career)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Speaks volumes about the current level of incompetence that abides on the farm.


3 posted on 01/08/2005 5:38:21 PM PST by VaBthang4 ("He Who Watches Over Israel Will Neither Slumber Nor Sleep")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Unbelievable!


4 posted on 01/08/2005 5:38:21 PM PST by monkeywrench
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Well, you beat me to it.


5 posted on 01/08/2005 5:38:25 PM PST by Cindy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Cindy

In one word, idiocy


6 posted on 01/08/2005 5:39:36 PM PST by fortcollins
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Little wonder why the CIA dropped the ball before 911. Unbelievable.


7 posted on 01/08/2005 5:40:18 PM PST by MisterRepublican ("I must go. I must be elusive.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Hmmmm, while I may want Bin Laden to achieve room temperature; this is an intriguing train of thought.

Alive, Al Quaeda is a 'known' quantity; but with Bin Laden out of the picture, there will be chaos. So which is truly worse; a man with a demonstrated capability to wield financial planning, terrorism and gov't corruption to his will to achieve his goals; or a staff of semi-competitent terrorist-leader wannabes each tring to out do their peers.


8 posted on 01/08/2005 5:40:48 PM PST by Hodar (With Rights, comes Responsibilities. Don't assume one, without assuming the other.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

WHAT ???????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


9 posted on 01/08/2005 5:41:00 PM PST by Coleus (Let us pray for the 147,000 + victims of the tsunami and the 126,000 aborted Children killed daily)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
I'm glad that idiot is gone. The CIA is in big trouble if there are guys like that within the organization.
10 posted on 01/08/2005 5:41:24 PM PST by ThermoNuclearWarrior (PRESSURE BUSH TO CLOSE THE BORDERS!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

'Buzzy' ? .. I should say so.


11 posted on 01/08/2005 5:41:41 PM PST by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi ...... The War on Terrorism is the ultimate 'faith-based' initiative.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

It might be a pre-cleared planted "information" to confuse those who really need to be confused. Thus a treason trial seems a bit premature.


12 posted on 01/08/2005 5:42:08 PM PST by GSlob
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

The trick would then be to get Bin Laden and his his lieutenants at the same get together.


13 posted on 01/08/2005 5:42:54 PM PST by Mark was here (My tag line was about to be censored.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: GSlob

More than likely it is an insight into the incompetent mindset that Goss is busily ridding the CIA of.


14 posted on 01/08/2005 5:43:44 PM PST by wagglebee (Memo to sKerry: the only thing Bush F'ed up was your career)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

This guy sounds like he was one of the leakers to the NY Slimes .


15 posted on 01/08/2005 5:44:18 PM PST by demlosers
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Arrest this guy for treason!


16 posted on 01/08/2005 5:46:00 PM PST by Paul_Denton
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

There are two lines of thought here....

One, this man is assuming that any of Bin Laden's lieutenants would be more capable of arranging, coordinating and executing a terrorist attack better than UBL himself. I am not so sure about that one...

Two, this is assuming that we also don't keep bagging the senior LTs that do have the skills and capabilities to do so.

Decapitating Al Qaeda won't kill it, but if you take enough of the neck with the head, they are no more than any other regional terrorist organization like Ansar Al Islam or Hamas...UBL is able to project his terror unlike any other terrorista since well, I am not sure who....

There are points to the positive in either suggestion. I think a treason trial is over-reacting though....


17 posted on 01/08/2005 5:46:47 PM PST by MikefromOhio (Out of Baghdad!!!! But still boycotting boycotts)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson
Krongard, 68, said he viewed Bin Laden “not as a chief executive but more like a venture capitalist”.

And as we all know, Venture Capitalists are parasites.

18 posted on 01/08/2005 5:47:34 PM PST by Cowboy Bob (Fraud is the lifeblood of the Democratic Party)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: wagglebee

He's sort of right. One such power struggle has already taken place between Zarqawi and Bin Laden. The tapes that were released of Bin Laden were intended to stall the inner squabbling in Al Qaeda.

I suspect that Bin Laden is being held by Iran or by a group in Iran that is trying to get a grip on Al Qaeda, or if they decide that Al Qaeda is organizationally defunct, they will use him as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the U.S. or other terrorist organizations.

Al Zarqawi's coup attempt failed. Bin Laden remains the nominal head of the terrorist network. The network is scattered, its communication and funds disrupted. Operation has almost entirely fallen to local cell leaders.

This guy is only sort of right because killing bin Laden now won't trigger too much infighting in AQ because... frankly there just isn't much to fight over. There would be demonstration attacks, but very few, and almost entirely in the Middle East because there's no chance cell leaders in the more developed countries are going to risk martyrdom for someone less charismatic than Osama.

So this guy is doing the usual CIA blustering to undermine this administration, and to fan the flames of militant extremism, which is all this story is going to do.

I'm all for tossing him the brig for treason, and having a party to draw and quarter him... but we could just turn him loose in Baghdad and see who he leads us to.


19 posted on 01/08/2005 5:50:45 PM PST by coconutt2000 (NO MORE PEACE FOR OIL!!! DOWN WITH TYRANTS, TERRORISTS, AND TIMIDCRATS!!!! (3-T's For World Peace))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Jim Robinson

Fake news from 1969


THE world may be better off if Charles Manson remains at large, according to the LAPD's recently departed director. If the US’s most wanted terrorist is captured or killed, a power struggle among his Family subordinates may trigger a wave of terror attacks, said “Buzzy” who stepped down six weeks ago as the LAPD's third most senior executive.

“You can make the argument that we’re better off with him (at large),” he said. “Because if something happens to Charlie, you might find a lot of people vying for his position and demonstrating how loyal they are by unleashing a stream of terror.”

end of sarcasm news>


20 posted on 01/08/2005 5:51:36 PM PST by freeforall
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-126 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson