Secretary Powell swearing in Nancy Powell, left, as Ambassador to Pakistan at the Department of State, August 9, 2002
Posted on 03/28/2005 3:46:19 AM PST by Straight Vermonter
WASHINGTON - A lone U.S. ambassador compromised America's hunt for Osama bin Laden in Pakistan for more than two years, The New York Sun has learned.
Ambassador Nancy Powell, America's representative in Pakistan, refused to allow the distribution in Pakistan of wanted posters, matchbooks, and other items advertising America's $25 million reward for information leading to the capture of Mr. bin Laden and other Al Qaeda leaders.
Instead, thousands of matchbooks, posters, and other material - printed at taxpayer expense and translated into Urdu, Pashto, and other local languages - remained "impounded" on American Embassy grounds from 2002 to 2004, according to Rep. Mark Kirk, Republican of Illinois.
While the American government was engaged in a number of "black" or covert intelligence activities to locate Al Qaeda leaders, Mr. Kirk said, the "white" or public efforts - which have succeeded in the past in leading to the capture of wanted terrorists - were effectively shut down in the months following the September 11 attacks.
Mr. Kirk discovered Ms. Powell's unusual order in January 2004 and, over the past year, launched a series of behind-the-scenes moves that culminated in a blunt conversation with President Bush aboard Air Force One, the removal of the ambassador, and congressional approval for reinvigorating the hunt for Mr. bin Laden.
(Excerpt) Read more at nysun.com ...
Shocking.
Secretary Powell swearing in Nancy Powell, left, as Ambassador to Pakistan at the Department of State, August 9, 2002
Geez. Sounds like the POTUS waited until after the election to make this move. I'm really kinda surprised, given State Department involvement, that this news didn't hit the media full force in Sep/Oct 04 as a "Bush intelligence failure."
Great career move!
1. she joined the State Dept during the Carter administration
2. a former Social Studied teacher
3. She obviously hasn't read "Dress for Success"
4. Is that her sister, or perhaps her "domestic partner" in the pic...
5. URDU my ass..
Geee, I wonder who is holding the Bible.
Do ya think?
>Is that her sister, or perhaps her "domestic partner" in the pic...
Do you think?
6. What's her DUmmie Screen Name?
Fire her for disobeying an order and violating U. S. Government policy, take away her pension and put her in the stockade without her loverly partner (maybe have Big Bubba in with her, Bubba not be too discriminating.)
Where is her plaid shirt?
And hopefully some kind of Federal Obstruction of Justice charge...
I'm still wondering WHY she didn't distribute the material. Was it incompetence or a chip on her shoulder? You can't tell me "she was just too busy with other things on the agenda". This was done deliberately to compromise someone else's plan.
Somebody at Foggy Bottom must have a thing for Al Lewis look-alikes.
Good list, but you missed the above. Of course the dress-for-success part I find troubling in the extreme ;).
More seriously, why did she hold back on the program? The article is short on that. She cites other priorities, how much time does it take to say:" "Distribute them matchbooks"?
She must be required to explain why she chose to do this and she should be charged with something. This is an outrage.
Sounds to me like somebody ought to be doing some jail time.
Of course, what "ought to be" and "what is" are two different things. The worst thing she will experience is losing her job.
This makes me so mad I want to . . . . . . . do something!!
Geeeez - what a marooooon! That's gotta be one of the daffiest things I ever heard, and believe me, I've heard a lot of daffy things!
... Hmmm..I think I'll wear that $3 shirt I got at WalMart.
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