Posted on 03/15/2007 11:17:28 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) -
0314dv-terrorist-confession 0315dv-mohammed-confession Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's capture four years ago didn't shut down al-Qaida or bring the Americans to Osama bin Laden. But if his mega-confession is to be believed, his arrest was a crushing blow to bin Laden's plans for even more deadly attacks in the wake of 9/11.
His expertise was never replaced and his absence has contributed to the group's transition from a fear-inspiring attack force to a hate-filled voice on the Internet, urging others to wage terror against the West.
"In terms of competence for managing, planning and executing terrorist attacks, KSM was the best in al-Qaida," said Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert and author of a book on al-Qaida. "That's why Osama bin Laden and other important al-Qaida leaders entrusted him with so many operations."
In his testimony to a military tribunal at Guantanamo Bay, released in redacted form by the Pentagon on Wednesday, Mohammed claimed involvement in 31 attacks and plots. Some are almost surely true.
He was the mastermind of the 9/11 jetliner attacks and, in their wake, certified his bloodthirst by personally beheading Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl - bragging about it on the Internet then and in the testimony transcript of last Saturday.
"I decapitated with my blessed right hand the head of the American Jew, Daniel Pearl, in the city of Karachi, Pakistan," he said. "For those who would like to confirm, there are pictures of me on the Internet holding his head."
His operations ranged from his admitted involvement in the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center, as well as a failed scheme known as Bojinka to bring down 12 Western airliners in Asia - claims that are well documented.
Less certain is his claimed role in the October 2002 bombings that killed 202 people in Bali, Indonesia, and aborted plots to assassinate former U.S. presidents and Pope John Paul II.
"He's a boastful character. I think after four years of silence, he'd probably like to be up there with the likes of bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri as a major figure and ideologue, and impress people with everything he's done," said Ahmed Rashid, a Pakistan-based author on Islamic militancy.
He "sang" to interrogators almost from the start, after his March 2003 arrest at a house outside the Pakistani capital. Much of the information in the 26 pages of released testimony has been long known.
But even if his self-proclaimed status is somewhat exaggerated, he "gave the Americans lots of information about what kind of ideas al-Qaida had, and how they put their plots together," said Magnus Ranstorp, a terrorism expert at the Swedish National Defense College.
"Mohammed's information gives us a glimpse into the group's imagination. On an operational level, I don't think they have ever been able to replace his experience," he said.
Experts agree the arrest was a major setback for bin Laden's terror network, and one from which the group has never quite recovered.
Along with the arrests of other top bin Laden lieutenants, such as Abu Zubaydah and 9/11 coordinator Ramzi Binalshibh, Mohammed's capture forced the group - evicted by a U.S.-led invasion from its sanctuary inside Afghanistan - to evolve.
Many of the world's recent terror attacks - such as the March 11, 2004 train bombings in Madrid and the July 2005 attacks in London, were carried out by local groups with no proven links to bin Laden's inner circle. Although undoubtedly inspired by bin Laden's call for global jihad, al-Qaida no longer could lend the kind of direct support it offered the 9/11 hijackers.
"The role of al-Qaida has changed a lot," said Talat Masood, a former Pakistani general and security analyst. "It has become devolved and amorphous. It's a more ideological and inspirational force and does not have a centralized command anymore."
Gunaratna said the loss of Mohammed, a naturalized Pakistani born in Kuwait, as its top operational commander, combined with increased counterterrorism cooperation worldwide, has left al-Qaida unable to mount attacks on the scale of the 9/11 strikes on America.
One thing his arrest didn't accomplish was the arrest of bin Laden or his top deputy, al-Zawahri.
Pakistani intelligence agents say Mohammed was carrying a letter from bin Laden at the time of his arrest, but there is no evidence he knew bin Laden's exact whereabouts. By this point, any information Mohammed had would have been years out of date.
The two top al-Qaida leaders are still believed to be hiding along the Pakistan-Afghan border.
And while experts say al-Qaida lost much of its operational capacity following Mohammed's arrest, there are signs that it is getting it back.
Outgoing U.S. National Intelligence Director John Negroponte warned in January that al-Qaida and the Taliban have found a "sanctuary" in Pakistan. U.S. intelligence officials told The New York Times the group was even reopening terror training camps in Pakistan's tribal regions, albeit smaller and less sophisticated than the ones that dotted Afghanistan when al-Qaida enjoyed protection under the hardline Taliban.
A senior Western diplomat in Islamabad, who requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the issue, said the Taliban resurgence had not necessarily led to the re-emergence of al-Qaida training camps in Pakistan - a key ally in the war on terror - but had "created the environment for whatever is left of al-Qaida to feel more comfortable."
But nobody knows for sure. Mohammed's knowledge now is dated. And clouding the picture further is the view, widely held especially in the Islamic world, that his confessions are not entirely credible - either coerced by American captors or exaggerated by Mohammed himself, in the hope of carving out a place in the pantheon of terror.
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Matthew Pennington reported from Islamabad, Pakistan; Paul Haven from Sevilla, Spain.
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Wuss.
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The Defense Department has posted transcripts of the "enemy combatant" hearings of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad, Abu Faraj al-Libi and Ramzi Bin al-Shib here. These are, I believe, the three highest-ranking al Qaeda members in custody. So far, I have only had time to read the transcript of Khalid Shaykh Muhammad's hearing. Of most interest, I think, is the list of actual and attempted terrorist acts for which Khalid proudly claims credit; click to enlarge:
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Go to link .....
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I'm not sure whether there is much new information in Khalid's confession. What is noteworthy is the sheer volume of terrorist plots in which Khalid claims to have been involved. It's impossible to say from the information here how many of the schemes he describes may have been foiled as a result of his capture, or that of other al Qaeda leaders.
Beyond that, what is most striking about the hearing is the elaborate courtesy and respect with which Khalid is treated by the presiding officer. It is somewhat galling to see this sadistic mass murderer chatting amiably with the President of the tribunal, complaining that his name is misspelled in one of the pleadings, and comparing himself to George Washington. I can only wonder what those who howl endlessly about America's allegedly barbaric treatment of terrorist detainees would make of it. Khalid obviously saw no reason to fear for his own well-being. Personally, I would have preferred it if the government had released a video of Khalid being waterboarded.
Blog of the Week Jules Crittenden has more.
To comment on this post, go here.
Well, discount it a bit, but not too much. BTW, how to reconcile "he "sang" to interrogators almost from the start," with the reports that he had to be waterboarded for much longer than anyone else? Such refractoriness would not indicate a "singer".
9-11 Mastermind Confesses, But What Impact On Jihad?
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We need to understand what took place last Saturday when Khalid submitted his formal confession. He was following our legal process for determining his credentials relative to being an enemy combatant. In other words, someone we are at war with. Those who say we have no legal protections or processes need to understand how ridiculous they now look as this animal is brought through a process that simply culminates all his confessions to date which came from his interrogations. For those wondering if we know we are holding enemy combatants, Khalid is the “duh!” example. He helped kill 3000 people on American soil as part of an Islamo Fascist Jihad against the West and America. So says he.
And the Murtha’s and other liberals who want to bring this bloodthirsty lunatic to America (as the Dems close down GITMO) are now exposed as totally naive and foolish. Why would we convey onto this man the rights of ‘alleged criminal’ and give him the constitutional right of being innocent until proven guilty? We do not prove in court what are legitimate military targets during war for the very reason we cannot respond and win wars, while minimizing our own casualties, by proving who is and is not an enemy in courts full of ACLU bloodsucking lawyers (yes folks, they are in practice for the money). Anyone who confuses the two situations is just not worth paying attention to. But Khalid is now getting the formal process where he could fight his designation, but he took the Jihadi high road and admitted to his crimes (transcript here).
I might extend this post if I have time to read it, but what I am really interested in seeing is the impact this will have on the Jihad in Iraq and elsewhere. While Khalid Sheik Mohammed is admitting his deeds, he is doing it shackled and bowed in an American tribunal. The mythos surrounding a 9-11 hero is being rapidly torn away. Khalid did not martyr himself, and if it is learned he turned evidence on others, as I suspect he did, the hero will become the traitor.
I doubt it. Such scum would need to be maltreated anyway.
See post #5 for some good comments ...
Key 9/11 figure 'beheaded Pearl'
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Alleged al-Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed has confessed to the killing of US journalist Daniel Pearl in Pakistan in 2002, the Pentagon says.
KSM gives meaning to the phrase "evil genius".
That's in post #9.
Rudolph Hess (vice-furher, I believe) parachuted into Britain during WWII. He was arrested and imprisoned. I don't think he "sang" about what he knew. I am certainly not an expert on detention of enemy soldiers or the enemy hierarchy, but hearing occasional reports of captures of Jihadi and al-Queda hierarchy one often hears that they seem to be ready to spill their knowledge. Sure, torture might explain that, but I think not. I think many of these fellows get kid glove treatment *when in US custody.* I think this indicates something about the real strength of their belief in their cause and themselves as representatives of that cause. Perhaps they ain't all they'z cracked up to be (in terms of actually holding to what they believe).
I would imagine that Al Gore will be apologising to the President for what he had said to his father back in 1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0h6gehCPvpk
"Alleged". Let me repeat your sentiments. The bastards are snakes. Gotta head off to work soon. Have a great day.
Bush's fault.
The Murtha's, Durbans, Mad Maxine, Kennedys, Kerry, Pelosi and other rats seem to have deep love for these crazed serial killers.
"And the Murtha’s and other liberals who want to bring this bloodthirsty lunatic to America (as the Dems close down GITMO) are now exposed as totally naive and foolish. Why would we convey onto this man the rights of ‘alleged criminal’ and give him the constitutional right of being innocent until proven guilty? We do not prove in court what are legitimate military targets during war for the very reason we cannot respond and win wars, while minimizing our own casualties, by proving who is and is not an enemy in courts full of ACLU bloodsucking lawyers (yes folks, they are in practice for the money). Anyone who confuses the two situations is just not worth paying attention to. But Khalid is now getting the formal process where he could fight his designation, but he took the Jihadi high road and admitted to his crimes."
Bump!
ROFL!
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