CIA Told to Do 'Whatever Necessary' to Kill Bin Laden (2001)

Post ^ | Octomer 21, 2001 | Bob Woodward

[Shermy]

President Bush last month signed an intelligence order directing the CIA to undertake its most sweeping and lethal covert action since the founding of the agency in 1947, explicitly calling for the destruction of Osama bin Laden and his worldwide al Qaeda network, according to senior government officials.

Bush's order, called an intelligence "finding," instructs the agency to attack bin Laden's communications, security apparatus and infrastructure, senior government officials said. U.S. intelligence has identified new and important specific weaknesses in the bin Laden organization that are not publicly known, and these vulnerabilities will be the focus of the lethal covert action, sources said.

"The gloves are off," one senior official said. "The president has given the agency the green light to do whatever is necessary. Lethal operations that were unthinkable pre-September 11 are now underway."

[Shermy]

This is the article the Oct. 28 article refers too.

It was scrubbed from the Post’s normal place, but found here at a strange dated url.

[Kartographer]

They would of had to read him his rights before they killed him or otherwise ‘Queen’ Nancy would convene and war crimes trial and send them all to prison!

[Shermy]

P.S. Grab it before it is gone!

[Sacajaweau]

I believe the asassination talk was about the legality of killing heads of state. Bin Laden was not head of any state.

[romanesq]

But Congress wasn’t told. Only the whole country via Woodward. :(
“I hate when that happens.” Signed, Nancy Pelousy

[tobyhill]

Yep! Sounds like congress was informed.

[Grampa Dave]

How horrible, GW gave the green light to kill the serial killer scumbags who helped to mastermind or fund the mass killing of 2000 innocent Americans on 9/11/2001.

Why do the hard core rats side with serial killers as in this case or make them heros like Fidel and Che?

[Buckeye McFrog]

if they had done what is necessary he’d be dead now. They did what they thought the lawyers, pinheaded Congressional overseers and the NY Times would let them get away with.

[Shermy]

Anyone got the names of the congressmen who signed the did not know letter?

I’m guessing Pelosi lined up a bunch of newbies to take the fall, or some who were not in the loop on purpose.

[angkor]

Search of Washington Post articles Jan 1, 1996 - Current

Advanced Search (ke (cia and kill)) And (ke (”Washington Post”))

1. CIA TRYING TO TAKE OUT HUSSEIN ALLIES - NEWSPAPER.Europe Intelligence Wire (March 29, 2003)(234 words)

2. Report: CIA considers assassinations.United Press International (Oct 29, 2001): p1008301u2706. (766 words)

3. Report: CIA preparing to kill certain terrorists.(NATIONAL).The St. Petersburg Times (St. Petersburg, FL) (Oct 28, 2001): p5A. (509 words)

4. Attack on Afghanistan: Covert action: CIA given licence to kill: ‘Gloves are off’ as agency gets extra $1bn.(Guardian Home Pages).The Guardian (London, England) (Oct 22, 2001): p2. (482 words)

5. Report: CIA told to kill bin Laden.United Press International (Oct 20, 2001): p1008294u5038. (61 words)

6. US `failed in 2 plots to snare bin Laden’.South China Morning Post (Oct 4, 2001): pSCMP19133755. (510 words)

[Shermy]

Got the names.

Just a bunch of low-visibility pols.

[marron]

I’m guessing Pelosi lined up a bunch of newbies to take the fall, or some who were not in the loop on purpose.

Really. I wouldn't want to be a senator claiming I didn't know we were trying to kill Bin Ladin. "I knew we voted to go to war, but thats as far as it went. I really didn't keep up with the details."

"I remember we had some meetings, but there is nothing in my notes about killing Bin Ladin. I'm pretty sure I would have remembered it. Or maybe not, there was a lot going on."

[cubreporter]

and so what is their problem????

[angkor]

3. CIA Paid Afghans To Track Bin Laden; Team of 15 Recruits Operated Since 1998.(A Section).Bob Woodward. The Washington Post (Dec 23, 2001): pA01. (1330 words)

4. CIA Told to Do ‘Whatever Necessary’ to Kill Bin Laden; Agency and Military Collaborating at ‘Unprecedented’ Level; Cheney Says War Against Terror ‘May Never End’.(A Section)(Central Intelligence Agency, Osama bin Laden, Dick Cheney).Bob Woodward. The Washington Post (Oct 21, 2001): pA01. (2719 words)

[Texas Songwriter]

Recall the past 3 to 4 years. Rather than demand taking down a program to kill Bin Ladin they used the "not killing" of Osama as a tool with which to bludgeon President Bush. Now they alledge he had a program to kill bin Laden (a demand they repeated hundreds of times of Bush) and they bludgeon Bush. In the words of C.S.Lewis, "....they geld the stallion, and bid him go, be fruitful. They remove the organ and demand function. We make men without chests and expect of them virture and enterprise. We laugh at honor and are shocked to find traitors in our midst.

The democrats are absolutely devoid of virtue and substance. The next election will be bought at the endangerment of our entire population.

[willgolfforfood]

Pretty disconcerting, actually. The CIA, with untold billions of $$$ of resources, is given carte blanche to do and spend "whatever necessary" to kill Bin Laden. By Bush, who would have backed any effort they made, with time, with manpower, with technology, you name it...just ask.

And they STILL weren't able to get the job done, in most of an entire decade.

I guess, to their credit, he didn't strike the US again.

[The Magical Mischief Tour]

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

Thanks....got a number of threads and articles...linked via keyword

pelositerroristsgate

NOW ...

I wonder if the DemonicRATS might change their minds on hearings?

Trying to be pretty specific with the keyword.

[marron]

So here’s what it boils down to.

“I want to investigate CIA’s torture of Al Qaeda”.

It wasn’t torture, and anyway, you knew what we were doing.

“I never knew. You’re lying”.

Uh, here it is. Minutes of the meetings.

“I knew what you ‘might’ do. I didn’t know ‘who’ you might do it to. I never knew that.”

Right, in other words, we told you what tactics we might use.

“And there were other things CIA didn’t tell me about”.

Like?

“Like, they were trying to kill Bin Ladin, and they kept if from me”.

You didn’t know CIA was going after Bin Ladin? Really?

“I was never briefed”.

You seriously didn’t know they were going after Bin Ladin?

“It was Cheney. He had a secret team who was whacking Bin Ladin’s people, and they didn’t tell me”.

You sent us to war and you didn’t know we were going after Bin Ladin? Really? It was in all the papers, as I recall.