Posted on 06/19/2005 10:20:43 AM PDT by areafiftyone
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - CIA Director Porter Goss said he has an "excellent" idea where Osama bin Laden is hiding, but the al Qaeda leader will not be brought to justice until weak links in counterterrorism efforts are strengthened, Time magazine reported on Sunday. In his first interview since becoming head of the CIA last year, Goss also told the magazine the insurgency in Iraq was not quite in its last throes, but close to it.
Goss did not say where he believed bin Laden was hiding, but intelligence experts have said the al Qaeda leader who has evaded an extensive U.S.-led manhunt is probably in the border region of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
"I have an excellent idea of where he is. What's the next question?" Goss said in the interview.
"In the chain that you need to successfully wrap up the war on terror, we have some weak links. And I find that until we strengthen all the links, we're probably not going to be able to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice," Goss said. "We are making very good progress on it."
He cited some of the difficulties as "dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states, you're dealing with a problem of our sense of international obligation, fair play."
Goss added, "We have to find a way to work in a conventional world in unconventional ways that are acceptable to the international community."
Al Qaeda could strike the United States again, he said. "Certainly the intent is very high. And we are trying to stay ahead of their capability. And so far, I think we have done pretty well carrying the war to them, as it were," Goss said.
Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, sporadically release taped messages that have been broadcast on Arab television or on the Internet since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Intelligence experts say the messages are partly to reassure followers that the leaders are still alive.
In the most recent message, a videotape broadcast by Arabic television Al Jazeera on Friday, Zawahri said reform in Muslim countries and "expelling the invaders" could not be accomplished except by fighting.
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, a key figure behind the insurgency in Iraq, is aligned with al Qaeda.
Vice President Dick Cheney has said the insurgency was in the "last throes." President Bush says it would be wrong to set a timetable for withdrawing U.S. forces from Iraq and that they will stay until local security forces are trained to take over
Goss said, "I think they're not quite in the last throes, but I think they are very close to it. And I think that every day that goes by in Iraq where they have their own government and it's moving forward reinforces just how radical (the insurgents) are and how unwanted they are."
Sen. John McCain, an Arizona Republican, said on Sunday that he did not believe that the insurgency was in the last throes.
"I don't think Americans believe that we should cut and run out of Iraq by any stretch of the imagination. But I think they also would like to be told, in reality, what's going on," McCain said on NBC's "Meet The Press."
"I think part of that is it's going to be at least a couple more years," he said.
Goss expressed relief the new director of national intelligence, John Negroponte, was taking over what previously had been some of the key functions of the CIA director. "I would almost equate it to getting rid of a 60-pound back sack, climbing up a big, steep trail," Goss said.
He said he planned to stay as CIA chief for a while.
"We've got a lot to do. We're in the process of rebuilding here. I think this is our moment. I'm going to be here as long as the moment lasts. And I think it is going to last a while because we have the opportunity to build," he said.
It's time for the CIA to actually ACCOMPLISH something important to justify all the money it gets. This is the outfit that picked ONE and only one target to bomb during the Serbian air war- the Chinese embassy.
I know where Bin Laden is. He is in Dick Cheney's basement. THey were going to trot him out before the election but decided they didn't need him. Osama and the nefarious Cheney have become good friends. Dick takes him out on his shooting expeditions at the FBI shooting range at Quantico on weekends.
If it were true that they only were allowed one target choice they used their choice well.
PAKISTAN
He's much more likly to run as her VP choice than against her.
If you were saying this for effect, better to have said, "I know where he is today, I knew where he was yesterday. And I've got a pretty good idea of where he'll be tomorrow and the day after that, too."
Eventually, more and more Muslims will start to believe that Allah is not with UBL or Al-Quaida after all. When that starts to happen, watch for the warlords to be amenable to bribes to turn him over. It'll be very quick after that.
Not in the Pakistan Border region he won't - And Director Goss knows this -
"dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states, you're dealing with a problem of our sense of international obligation, fair play."
Kind of says it all.
Funny and I agree (especially for our involvement in Kosovo, that was probably our best target available)
I agree. If we are able to get the warlords to betray UBL and hand him over, that will be a trifecta (after Iraq and Zarquawi [still in the works]).
Eventually, more and more Muslims will start to believe that Allah is not with UBL or Al-Quaida after all. When that starts to happen, watch for the warlords to be amenable to bribes to turn him over. It'll be very quick after that.
Agree with most of your overall sentiment here - Though, the warlords of the Pakistan border region are much more devoted to ideology than money (money is a distant second, in that they already have the money they need for their continued lifestyles).
But I do agree with you as freedom and self-worth spread throughout the Middle East this will begin to touch home in Pakistan as well - Once this begins to happen if UBL is still on the loose his days will be even that much more numbered.
It will definitely be interesting to see how his capture / killing plays out - An American Op based off "gathered Intel" or does one of the Pakistan warlords finally turn over on him?
Though, I do not suspect UBL is hiding under the house protection of one of these warlords (unless it is from a long time past associate / friend) - I more suspect he is simply ekking out a survival within this border region and the warlords are giving him a free pass (and of course providing assistance when he calls for it via human mules)
Would not surprise me in the least.
I know where Bin Laden is, he's hiding out at Gitmo,
but he hasn't learned how to set the air conditioning yet.
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