Posted on 12/07/2001 2:57:53 AM PST by Israel
Friday, December 7, 2001
FROM DEBKA INTELLIGENCE FILES
Two pieces of fresh and definitive nuclear intelligence have U.S. Special Forces frantically searching the Tora Bora cave complex of east Afghanistan and triggered a major terror alert inside the United States, the third since the attack on New York and the Pentagon. In Afghanistan, the U.S. military -- combing through the Tora Bora mountain cave complex 300 miles northeast of Kandahar for Osama bin Laden, his top lieutenant, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and 1,000 al-Qaida fighters -- were ordered to switch their priorities around. Their top objective now is to locate al-Qaida's weapons of mass destruction -- including nuclear devices -- in a desperate race against the clock. According to intelligence sources, some 3,000 special forces commandos from the United States, Britain, Germany and Russia are currently scouring the cave warren of Tora Bora -- which means black dust -- for suspected weapons stores. The special forces personnel operating in the region are attired in protective suits and carry equipment to counter threats from radiation and biological or chemical agents. It has been declared a no-go zone for journalists -- even those attached to the U.S. military. A senior U.S. intelligence source familiar with the Tora Bora operation said the target area from Jalalabad to the Marines' Reno base south of Kandahar, has been cleansed of all cameras and media correspondents. The images appearing on television screens of summer-like conditions at Tora Bora come from archived footage. At present, the edges of the area north of Kandahar are dusted with snow, and winter is raging in north, northwest and western Afghanistan, encumbering U.S. intelligence-gathering and air operations. The latest intelligence reports in U.S. hands claim that al-Qaida chiefs removed their nuclear, biological and chemical weapons arsenal from secret hideouts in Kabul to Tora Bora six days in advance of the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington. That information persuaded Russian, Pakistani and Northern Alliance intelligence that bin Laden and al-Zawahiri went somewhere else, anxious to remove themselves from harm's way anywhere near a site where weapons of mass-destruction might explode. Military sources report that because of the bad weather, sorties by drones and B-52 bombers and F-18 warplanes over Tora Bora and territory south of Jalalabad are intermittent. U.S. air operations are also disrupted in such areas as Paktia and Lugar in the southeast. A further downturn is forecast by meteorologists in the days to come, with heavy snowstorms threatening Jalalabad in the east. Those forecasts persuaded President Bush, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and U.S. military chiefs that no time must be lost in the search for al-Qaida's nuclear weapons -- particularly in view of the second piece of alarming intelligence reaching Washington Nov. 27, primarily from Pakistan. Bin Laden and his partner, al-Zawahiri, are now reported to be planning to take advantage of the slowdown in U.S. air activity forced by the inclement weather to complete their preparations for massive pre-Christmas terrorist strikes in the United States, including a possible nuclear or radiological weapon attack. The target period referred to was between Dec. 5 and Dec. 20. Al-Qaida's operational teams were described as standing by at the various departure points, some waiting only for the delivery of explosives, others just for their last order to go. Bush dispatched CIA Chief George Tenet urgently to Islamabad to establish the credibility of this intelligence data with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and the heads of Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence service. According to sources, Musharraf showed Tenet documents and first-hand witness accounts collected in the past two weeks by Pakistani military intelligence officers who had discovered and entered underground stores around Kabul, in which high levels of nuclear radiation were detected. The Pakistani agents also spent large sums of money to buy from Kabul locals descriptions of the men in charge of the stores and anything they may have picked up about the type of goods cached there. They came up with a description of dark-colored, cone-shaped, ultra-heavy containers, about 4 feet long, which they were given to understand were radioactive. The guards, identified as a special al-Qaida unit of foreigners, Egyptians, Saudis and Chechens, spoke to no one. Their commanders communicated directly with bin Laden and al-Zawahiri. According to sources in Islamabad, Musharraf advised the CIA director to go to Kabul himself and verify the information firsthand. They report that Tenet took this advice and paid a secret visit to the Afghan capital Sunday, Dec. 2, under the protection of U.S. and Russian special forces units. With the help of interpreters, he and his assistants interrogated the Pakistani agents' sources directly. After six hours in Kabul, Tenet called the White House to confirm the Pakistan report, adding that it tied in with previous intelligence attesting to nuclear activity in the Tora Bora complex. Washington's order to switch the objectives of the Tora Bora offensive went out accordingly at the beginning of the week. A nuclear terror alert was declared in the United States Dec. 4. American armed forces in Afghanistan are in a race against the weather, too. The heavy snows expected around Dec. 10 to 12 will make their task almost impossible, forcing them to wait for the spring thaw. If Tora Bora is left in Taliban and al-Qaida hands, it would serve as a forward base for guerrilla forays to harass U.S. forces at Kandahar and Jalalabad and loosen their grip. Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri would win a breather of five long months safe from large-scale U.S. assault.
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A true oxymoron if there ever was one.
Good morning Jade. Jade, if you have an extra moment, please give us your thoughts about how and when the Communist Chinese supported the Taliban. Thanks.
That's fine with me. But Bush and crew won't do that.
(unfortunately, America always has to wait till we get hit first! - before we would respond in kind!! - - hope this scenairo you depict, never happens to Israel or our United States)
Stranger things have happened.
Where would Osama have gotten one of those??
You're talking biiiig hummer, right?
If this is true, osama will probably set off one or more nukes prior to his upcoming death.
Or after.
Now forming: FreepAlert
Rummy confirms Chinese had troops supporting the Taliban as debka cited. I think their articles have proven to be reasonably accurate. On Israel they are on target. Pakistani planes did fly in and pull their men from Konduz as debka cited. It is an embarrassment to the USA which we cover up but many others have confirmed. Maybe they upgraded their commodores to a gateway 1000 mgz.
Wish our CIA had as good a record. Maybe the CIA and FBI who failed us miserably before 9/11 should upgrade their 286 computers. Be fair folks. Intelligence is data and leaks received, some good and some bad. Don't expect 100% accuracy. 50% is good and 10% in the right area, which prevents disaster is also good.
I wonder where all these detracters and self proclaimed intelligence experts got their intelligence training? And how many of the blood-thirsty couch-bound warriors we see on free republic, ever served a lick in the armed forces. If you cite your opinions maybe you ought to cite your background and what makes you an expert.
I and my generation served in WW2. We have the experience and scars to give us some legitimacy. 30% of my college classmates died in WW2. We sure have a lot of armchair quarterbacks among freepers.
Generally I find most of the comments quite refreshing and intelligent. Then there are the others. It must be wonderful to be so smart and right on everything.
And I may not have fought in WW2, but at least I know how to turn off the "Caps Lock" button.
Thus far, I haven't seen any evidence of the Chinese directly supporting bin Landen or the Taliban with military technology/know-how. Nevertheless, it is worthy to keep on eye on them as they were uneasy about the US getting into the area. Further, I wouldn't classify them as very supportive on the war on terrorism. They say they are but really haven't done anything about it, other than asking for quid pro quo deals (such as we lay off Taiwan and/or support them taking out whoever they deem to be a terrorist - such as those in their Xinjiang province).
Finally, the Chinese have been heavy supporters of Pakistan. Their support has ranged from looking into setting up a deap sea port at Anwar (sp?) to providing missile technology (probably also assisting them in their nuke program). There is still friction between the US and China over China's proliferation of missile technology to rogue states. Just recently, the CATO institute classified China as a terror sponsor. Several non-proliferation talks have also been held between the US and China.
"Nevertheless, it is worthy to keep on eye on them as they were uneasy about the US getting into the area."
Bttt
Wrong, wrong, wrong. Debka claimed that China had sent 3,000 troops. The Chinese fighting for the Taliban were muslim volunteers, not Chinese troops. Maybe for you that is a nitpicking detail, but for the rest of us...
Pakistani planes did fly in and pull their men from Konduz as debka cited.
That is still up in the air - and, once again, Debka had many, many facts of that story wrong.
"Finally, the Chinese have been heavy supporters of Pakistan. Their support has ranged from looking into setting up a deap sea port at Anwar (sp?) to providing missile technology (probably also assisting them in their nuke program).
Of course, on this second point ("providing...tech.") - let's all remember to:
THANK Bill Clinton ie; "The Clinton National Security Scandal and Coverup"
One doesn't need intelligence training to recognize B.S.
And how many of the blood-thirsty couch-bound warriors we see on free republic, ever served a lick in the armed forces.
A truly despicable attempt to disparage critics of Debka, but we've grown used to that, just as some claim we are anti-Semetic because we criticize a site from Israel.
If you cite your opinions maybe you ought to cite your background and what makes you an expert.
Common sense and a modest grasp of the facts are the only qualifications needed.
but don't forget the role of the democRATS in his TREASON!
for dixie,sw
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