Posted on 01/14/2002 7:30:05 PM PST by notyourregularhandle
In a major setback to the war on terrorism, CIA analysts have concluded bin Laden escaped from the Tora Bora cave complex in eastern Afghanistan around the first week of December, intelligence officials said.
The officials also told ABCNEWS that one captured al Qaeda fighter claims to have witnessed, in one of the Tora Bora hiding places, bin Laden turning over operational control to one of his deputies
"I think that most intelligence analysts are absolutely convinced at this point that bin Laden has slipped the noose and has left Afghanistan and Pakistan," said Vince Cannistraro, an ABCNEWS analyst and former CIA counterterrorism chief.
To fool U.S. forces in the area, the CIA believes, bin Laden left behind a tape-recorded message that was transmitted only after he was long gone.
Search Has Spread Beyond Afghanistan
Today, the Pentagon acknowledged the search for bin Laden and top al Qaeda leaders has spread well beyond Afghanistan.
"It would not be unfair to say that every one of us has this as a mission and that all the forces that are currently in Afghanistan or in any other country where we are pursuing the war on terrorism are focused on doing just that," said Adm. John Stufflebeen, deputy director of operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Asked about bin Laden's whereabouts, Secretary of State Colin Powell told ABCNEWS he did not know where bin Laden was but said U.S. forces were in "hot pursuit" of him. "I can't say he is out of that immediate region. I have seen nothing that suggests we know where he is, whether it's in Afghanistan, Pakistan or somewhere else," Powell said today.
U.S., German, British and French forces have been searching dozens of ships in the Arabian Sea for the last two months and last week's CIA report concludes bin Laden most likely fled by sea to Pakistan.
"That is not good news for the U.S.," Cannistraro said. "Bin Laden and his top assistant [Ayman] Al-Zawahiri can reconstitute now in places where they have known bases, Southeast Asia or the east coast of Africa."
American intelligence authorities say that while al Qaeda has been disrupted, and a few leaders have been captured and killed, bin Laden himself remains one step ahead of the United States, with the central nervous system of his terror network still intact.
Let's say, just for argument's sake, that Osama is dead -- and that the CIA, White House knows it. By not revealing that fact, the U.S.:
a/ has a "reason" to go into Somalia, Iraq, wherever in "hot pursuit" of him.
b/ If his cells are trying to reorganize, reach out to each other and get in touch with their main man, the increased signal activity might well give them away.
c/ and on the homefront, Osama's existence helps to justify further erosions of liberties in the name of security.
There is precedent of a sort: When the Bolsheviks came to power, their spymaster Felix Drzynski (sp?) was the puppetmaster of an allegedly anti-Bolshevik group called The Trust, which actually sent money to Lenin's boys in the misaken belief that it was being used against the communists. Operating The Trust also gave the KGB's forerunner names, dates and plots of those working against them.
Wouldn't it be neat if Osama's corpse was the center of such a deception. "Come to me, oh my brothers in Allah!" gets broadcast, the rats come out of their holes, and ... there you go, son, off to meet the virgins -- with a little U.S. help.
Geraldo may well know more than we do.
Saudis provide an Old Tall Terrorist's home there...... When I was in Saudi I saw Idi get out of a limo and let me tell ya that murderer is one huge animal. I suspect Usama Bin laden height got him in to that safe haven or one like it.
Stay Safe, BTW .....Kewl Moniker !
Oh? What intelligence "authorities", ABC? Tell us who specifically says this. (answer: likely no official, but probably the "authorities" the press speak about here are other members of the press. Yawn.)
We'll catch Useless never-bin-Laiden, ABC, despite your apparent attempt to see defeat in this victory.
The report in Post #3 from The Times of India phrases it: "Central Intelligence Agency analysts have concluded that suspected terror mastermind Osama Bin Laden has eluded US troops searching for him in Afghanistan and has fled from Pakistan by sea, ABC News reported on Monday."
Over 17,000. Fourth largest population in the world, and the country is 90% Muslim. You see the problem, unlike too many simpletons on this thread who imagine OBL is easy pickings."
Australia is sure getting pretty motivated -- not that they haven't been right there with us (pretty much as is usual for our allies, the Aussies). Australia is very close to Indonesia. Did you happen to catch the press conference the other day with Rumsfeld and his Australian counterpart? Wonder what's shakin' down under that we haven't heard about yet. Any speculation?
I think Bin Laden is one of many such Terrorist strategists. And I don't think he's the worst of the lot.
I still think he is possibly in the sudan or in yemen. Maybe the CIA should send some agents to scout around a bit.
Maybe they should ask Geraldo a few questions.He seems to know more than they do.
please take a second to read post 21 by ex-Texan
Aw, common, stand in line. One nightmare at a time, puhleez!
;-)
I know, I know.......but what are ya gonna do? Talk about a grim reality on the horizon, Freeper ex-Texan has bummed me out but thoroughly.
The temptation to poke Bush in the eye by proving that he has escaped would raise his reputation to a mystical level.
I still think he's dead, because he looked like crap in his last tape in early December and it's already been a relatively long time since we last saw him.
I don't think we can pretend he's alive indefinitely. It might work in the short term, but the absence of continued proof of his existence would be very telling.
Anyone who claims Bin Ladan is still on the lamb.
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