Cottage industry terror-trackers have warned for months Al Qaeda would be out for revenge for the death of Osama Bin Laden, but what scares President Obama and the FBI the most is a "lone wolf" attacker like the right-wing extremist car-bomber and gunman who killed 69 people in Norway.
Just hours after Obama revealed in an interview his fears of a lone wolf attacks, the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security began circulating a warning to local authorities to be on the lookout for individual terrorists capable of the carnage like Anders Brevik admitted to when he car-bombed government buildings and gunned-down unsuspecting patrons at a youth camp in Norway.
The problem, says one government source, is they could be anywhere among us waiting to strike with the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists attacks approaching and it may be impossible to know it until that person strikes.
A lone wolf could simply take it upon himself top carry out an attack without orders the Al Qaeda or any another terror organization, making it nearly impossible for federal authorities or private-industry terrorist trackers to get even a whiff of such a plot.
"The biggest concern we have right now is not the launching of a major terrorist operation, although that risk is always there," Obama said in a widely-cited interview with CNN"s Wolf Blitzer.
"The risk that we're especially concerned over right now is the lone wolf terrorist, somebody with a single weapon being able to carry out wide-scale massacres of the sort that we saw in Norway recently," Obama said. "You know, when you've got one person who is deranged or driven by a hateful ideology, they can do a lot of damage, and it's a lot harder to trace those lone wolf operators."
There will be stepped security surrounded memorial events for the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, remembering the fate full day that saw Al Qaeda hijack airliners and crash them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington and a field in Shanksville, Pa.
Showing posts with label Osama Bin Laden. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Osama Bin Laden. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Monday, July 11, 2011
Pakistan Defiant Over U.S. Aid Cuts
The Pakistani army contends it is committed to fighting terrorists and is surprised the U.S. is suspending $800 million in aid, but a spokesman insists today the cut in military aid during these strained times will have "no significant effect" on anti-terror efforts.
"We will continue our operations as in the past," Gen. Athar Abbas tells the BBC after a top Obama administration official said the U.S. was pulling the purse strings.
Frustrated by duplicitous behavior on the part of Pakistan amid evidence that some officials may have helped hide deceased Al Qaeda boss Osama bin Laden, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley told ABC"s "This Week" program yesterday that Islamabad had "taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid."
"Obviously, there's still lot of pain that the political system in Pakistan is feeling by virtue of the raid that we did to get Osama Bin Laden, something that the President felt strongly about and we have no regrets over," Daley explained.
The U.S. hands Pakistan $2 billion a year in aid, but amid the decline of the American economy, combined with suspect Pakistani activities, some in Congress say it is time to end that foreign aid.
"Until we get through these difficulties, we will hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers have committed to give them," Daley added.
At the heart of the deteriorating relationship is Pakistan's spy agency, the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, which has ties to militants groups and is believed to have been infiltrated by anti-American terrorist sympathizers.
The U.S. also nbelieves the ISI assassinated Saleem Shahzad, 40, to muzzle his reports that the ISI had been corrupted by Al Qaeda operatives or allies.
"We will continue our operations as in the past," Gen. Athar Abbas tells the BBC after a top Obama administration official said the U.S. was pulling the purse strings.
Frustrated by duplicitous behavior on the part of Pakistan amid evidence that some officials may have helped hide deceased Al Qaeda boss Osama bin Laden, White House Chief of Staff Bill Daley told ABC"s "This Week" program yesterday that Islamabad had "taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid."
"Obviously, there's still lot of pain that the political system in Pakistan is feeling by virtue of the raid that we did to get Osama Bin Laden, something that the President felt strongly about and we have no regrets over," Daley explained.
The U.S. hands Pakistan $2 billion a year in aid, but amid the decline of the American economy, combined with suspect Pakistani activities, some in Congress say it is time to end that foreign aid.
"Until we get through these difficulties, we will hold back some of the money that the American taxpayers have committed to give them," Daley added.
At the heart of the deteriorating relationship is Pakistan's spy agency, the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence, which has ties to militants groups and is believed to have been infiltrated by anti-American terrorist sympathizers.
The U.S. also nbelieves the ISI assassinated Saleem Shahzad, 40, to muzzle his reports that the ISI had been corrupted by Al Qaeda operatives or allies.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Official: Limping Al Qaeda Actually Moved Quickly on Zawahiri
While swift succession of power is crucial to democratic market societies don't be fooled by the length of time it took for the world's most notorious terror syndicate to name a new boss, a senior U.S. counterterrorism official tells me this morning.
Al Qaeda named Egyptian Amman al-Zawahiri as the next leader yesterday of the fractured terrorist organization nearly seven weeks after Seal Team 6 flew into Pakistan aboard (formerly) secret stealthy helicopters piloted by the Night Stalkers and eliminated Osama Bin Laden.
"Zawahiri in his fifth tape on the revolution in Egypt acknowledged for the first time that Al Qaeda's fight with the Americans meant that he could not react quickly to fast-moving events with speeches offering jihadists his enlightened guidance," the career official explained.
"It was a rare admission of weakness and the successful impact of CIA's drones campaign in Pakistan by Al Qaeda's leadership. Zawahiri actually was able to take the reins of Al Qaeda in six weeks -- much more quickly than I would have expected under the circumstances," the official added, agreeing to discuss the terror organization on the condition of anonymity.
The CIA's eye in the sky has been hunting Al Qaeda operatives from Pakistan to Yemen, two countries that have seen a stepped up drone attacks on known operatives in the terrorist organization. Zawahiri is a prime target.
Another Egyptian, Saif al-Adel, was a name that surfaced as a possible replacement for Bin Laden, but many U.S. officials were skeptical about that from the start.
Al Qaeda named Egyptian Amman al-Zawahiri as the next leader yesterday of the fractured terrorist organization nearly seven weeks after Seal Team 6 flew into Pakistan aboard (formerly) secret stealthy helicopters piloted by the Night Stalkers and eliminated Osama Bin Laden.
"Zawahiri in his fifth tape on the revolution in Egypt acknowledged for the first time that Al Qaeda's fight with the Americans meant that he could not react quickly to fast-moving events with speeches offering jihadists his enlightened guidance," the career official explained.
"It was a rare admission of weakness and the successful impact of CIA's drones campaign in Pakistan by Al Qaeda's leadership. Zawahiri actually was able to take the reins of Al Qaeda in six weeks -- much more quickly than I would have expected under the circumstances," the official added, agreeing to discuss the terror organization on the condition of anonymity.
The CIA's eye in the sky has been hunting Al Qaeda operatives from Pakistan to Yemen, two countries that have seen a stepped up drone attacks on known operatives in the terrorist organization. Zawahiri is a prime target.
Another Egyptian, Saif al-Adel, was a name that surfaced as a possible replacement for Bin Laden, but many U.S. officials were skeptical about that from the start.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Bin Laden Had History of Jumping on Bandwagon Late
The late Yasser Arafat, after years of work as a peacemaker, was unimpressed when Osama bin Laden began citing the plight of the Palestinians in his recorded rants. Arafat questioned where bin Laden had been during years of fighting for Palestinian freedom? The PLO leader was insulted by bin Laden's opportunistic overtures.
It was a taste of how Arab freedom fighters were not in tune with bin Laden. It was a sign Al Qaeda would not flourish as a movement.
Now, in his first recorded message since his death, bin Laden has embraced the Arab revolts, once again a late-comer to a wave that is bigger than he ever was. Did anyone remember freedom-seeking pro-democracy demonstrators in Tunisia, Egypt or Libya talking about bin Laden? Was his name chanted at Tahrir Square? No.
The 12-minute recorded audio message had obviously been in the works before bin Laden's demise, the BBC reports.
There is more high level speculation, meanwhile, in Washington that bin Laden had help from within the Pakistani military or security forces.
"Somebody knew," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. “We don’t know whether it was retired people, whether it was low level — pure supposition on our part,” Mr. Gates said. “It’s hard to go to them with an accusation when we have no proof that anybody knew.”
U.S. authorities are combing through the evidence from the Abbottabad raid and are chasing down the leads, ABC News reports.
But spymaster Leon Panetta reminded company staff in Langley that loose lips sink ships, noting the bevy of leaks sprouting in the press, according to CNN.
A U.S. envoy has arrived in Islamabad, as questions remain over the $20.7 billion in U.S. aid to Pakistan over the past decade.
An update from Peter Bergen on the succession of power in Al Qaeda.
Some red meat regarding the aftermath of the Abbottabad raid. "When that day was over and they got up the next morning and said, '(Ayman) al-Zawahiri is No. 2. We have a special forces unit just for you,'" said Rep. Mike Rodgers (R-Mich), according to The Detroit News.
The looming threat from Islamic extremists and bin Laden followers.
The Associated Press appeals for reconsideration of its request for records regarding the bin Laden raid.
It was a taste of how Arab freedom fighters were not in tune with bin Laden. It was a sign Al Qaeda would not flourish as a movement.
Now, in his first recorded message since his death, bin Laden has embraced the Arab revolts, once again a late-comer to a wave that is bigger than he ever was. Did anyone remember freedom-seeking pro-democracy demonstrators in Tunisia, Egypt or Libya talking about bin Laden? Was his name chanted at Tahrir Square? No.
The 12-minute recorded audio message had obviously been in the works before bin Laden's demise, the BBC reports.
There is more high level speculation, meanwhile, in Washington that bin Laden had help from within the Pakistani military or security forces.
"Somebody knew," said Defense Secretary Robert Gates. “We don’t know whether it was retired people, whether it was low level — pure supposition on our part,” Mr. Gates said. “It’s hard to go to them with an accusation when we have no proof that anybody knew.”
U.S. authorities are combing through the evidence from the Abbottabad raid and are chasing down the leads, ABC News reports.
But spymaster Leon Panetta reminded company staff in Langley that loose lips sink ships, noting the bevy of leaks sprouting in the press, according to CNN.
A U.S. envoy has arrived in Islamabad, as questions remain over the $20.7 billion in U.S. aid to Pakistan over the past decade.
An update from Peter Bergen on the succession of power in Al Qaeda.
Some red meat regarding the aftermath of the Abbottabad raid. "When that day was over and they got up the next morning and said, '(Ayman) al-Zawahiri is No. 2. We have a special forces unit just for you,'" said Rep. Mike Rodgers (R-Mich), according to The Detroit News.
The looming threat from Islamic extremists and bin Laden followers.
The Associated Press appeals for reconsideration of its request for records regarding the bin Laden raid.
Monday, May 16, 2011
Kerry: Pakistan Will Return Stealth Helicopter
Sen. John Kerry announced Pakistan will return the tail-section wreckage from the U.S. stealth helicopter used in the raid on Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in a sign that Islambad wants to repair its soiled image with the United States.
Playing the role of "God cop," the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee disclosed the offer after a day of meetings with Pakistan's military and civilian leaders, The Guardian reported.
The U.S. and Pakistan had “agreed on a specific series of steps that will be implemented in order to get the relationship on track," Kerry said, according to The Washington Post.
Relations have soured since the U.S. stormed bin Laden's lair. Pakistan says the U.S. action ignored its sovereignty, while the U.S. wants to know how bin Laden was hiding out under the noses of the Pakistani military and intelligence service.
“I’ll say again and again: The make or break is real,” Kerry said. “There are members of Congress who aren’t confident that [the relationship] can be patched back together again. That is why actions, not words, are going to be critical to earning their votes.”
One in five Americans think bin Laden is still alive. Los Angeles Times blogger Andrew Malcolm asks, Ah, what?
Playing the role of "God cop," the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee disclosed the offer after a day of meetings with Pakistan's military and civilian leaders, The Guardian reported.
The U.S. and Pakistan had “agreed on a specific series of steps that will be implemented in order to get the relationship on track," Kerry said, according to The Washington Post.
Relations have soured since the U.S. stormed bin Laden's lair. Pakistan says the U.S. action ignored its sovereignty, while the U.S. wants to know how bin Laden was hiding out under the noses of the Pakistani military and intelligence service.
“I’ll say again and again: The make or break is real,” Kerry said. “There are members of Congress who aren’t confident that [the relationship] can be patched back together again. That is why actions, not words, are going to be critical to earning their votes.”
One in five Americans think bin Laden is still alive. Los Angeles Times blogger Andrew Malcolm asks, Ah, what?
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Osama's Journal, Other Docs Show He Was Still Terror Kingpin
More evidence that Osama Bin Laden remained active atop the Al Qaeda terror syndicate is trickling out in what increasingly looks like a concerted effort to play mind games with the fractured Islamist militant group.
Bin Laden's handwritten journal and other documents show the deceased terror leader was in contact with Al Qaeda cells or individuals not only in Middle East, but as far away as London, calling on them to strike at U.S. railroads on key dates and add Los Angeles to their list of targets.
No specific plots have been discovered, according to reports, but there is still renewed concern.
"The latest trove of intelligence should be a wake-up call to Americans that this threat has always been real," Michael Downing, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, told The Los Angeles Times.
Bin Laden saved his communications on small, easy-to-circulate flash drives that couriers would get in the hands of Al Qaeda members. The Navy Seals who raided his Abbottabad compound snatched handfuls of the thumb-sized drives. Arab language experts and intelligence officials are now combing over the information cache.
"In one particularly macabre bit of mathematics, bin Laden’s writings show him musing over just how many Americans he must kill to force the U.S. to withdraw from the Arab world," the Associated Press reported.
"He concludes that the smaller, scattered attacks since the 9/11 attacks had not been enough. He tells his disciples that only a body count of thousands, something on the scale of 9/11, would shift U.S. policy," AP reported.
The unprecedented leak of what routinely would be considered classified information is part of what has become an almost daily distribution of information meant to inform the free world of Bin Laden's thoughts and plans and the potential threats they posed.
There is also a degree of psychological warfare at play. The leaks might be getting into the heads of Al Qaeda operatives, some of whom have to be wondering if bin Laden included enough details in his records to put terrorist-hunters on their trail. Counterterrorism experts think it could cause Al Qaeda to slip up.
Bin Laden's handwritten journal and other documents show the deceased terror leader was in contact with Al Qaeda cells or individuals not only in Middle East, but as far away as London, calling on them to strike at U.S. railroads on key dates and add Los Angeles to their list of targets.
No specific plots have been discovered, according to reports, but there is still renewed concern.
"The latest trove of intelligence should be a wake-up call to Americans that this threat has always been real," Michael Downing, commanding officer of the Los Angeles Police Department's counter-terrorism and special operations bureau, told The Los Angeles Times.
Bin Laden saved his communications on small, easy-to-circulate flash drives that couriers would get in the hands of Al Qaeda members. The Navy Seals who raided his Abbottabad compound snatched handfuls of the thumb-sized drives. Arab language experts and intelligence officials are now combing over the information cache.
"In one particularly macabre bit of mathematics, bin Laden’s writings show him musing over just how many Americans he must kill to force the U.S. to withdraw from the Arab world," the Associated Press reported.
"He concludes that the smaller, scattered attacks since the 9/11 attacks had not been enough. He tells his disciples that only a body count of thousands, something on the scale of 9/11, would shift U.S. policy," AP reported.
The unprecedented leak of what routinely would be considered classified information is part of what has become an almost daily distribution of information meant to inform the free world of Bin Laden's thoughts and plans and the potential threats they posed.
There is also a degree of psychological warfare at play. The leaks might be getting into the heads of Al Qaeda operatives, some of whom have to be wondering if bin Laden included enough details in his records to put terrorist-hunters on their trail. Counterterrorism experts think it could cause Al Qaeda to slip up.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Pakistan Media Outs CIA's Top Agent in Islamabad
The White House declined to comment today specifically on a Pakistani TV station and newspaper identifying the CIA station chief for Islamabad, but in general said the U.S. intends to continue to pursue a working relationship with Pakistan.
The Pakistani spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, is believed to be the culprit that leaked the name of the top U.S. CIA agent as payback for the U.S. hit on Osama bin Laden.
"The cooperation that we've had with Pakistan has been important for years now in our fight against terrorism and terrorists, and more terrorists have been killed on Pakistani soil, because of that cooperation, than anywhere else in the world. And that's important to note; which is not to say we don't have our differences, because we do. We obviously do. And those differences are frequently aired," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"But the fact of the matter is that that relationship important. The cooperation continues to be important for the United States in order to pursue Al Qaeda and other terrorists as the war continues after the death of bin Laden," Carney added.
It was the second time in five months that Pakistani authorities have outed the CIA station chief in Islamabad to Pakistani news media. The name was mention on Pakistani TV station ARY, and was then picked up by the right-wing newspaper, Nation, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied today that the ISI helped hide bin Laden or was incompetent in tracking him to the compound in Abbottabad where he lived for an estimated five years before Navy SEALS killed him a week ago yesterday.
The Pakistani spy agency, the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate, is believed to be the culprit that leaked the name of the top U.S. CIA agent as payback for the U.S. hit on Osama bin Laden.
"The cooperation that we've had with Pakistan has been important for years now in our fight against terrorism and terrorists, and more terrorists have been killed on Pakistani soil, because of that cooperation, than anywhere else in the world. And that's important to note; which is not to say we don't have our differences, because we do. We obviously do. And those differences are frequently aired," said White House spokesman Jay Carney.
"But the fact of the matter is that that relationship important. The cooperation continues to be important for the United States in order to pursue Al Qaeda and other terrorists as the war continues after the death of bin Laden," Carney added.
It was the second time in five months that Pakistani authorities have outed the CIA station chief in Islamabad to Pakistani news media. The name was mention on Pakistani TV station ARY, and was then picked up by the right-wing newspaper, Nation, The Wall Street Journal reported.
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani denied today that the ISI helped hide bin Laden or was incompetent in tracking him to the compound in Abbottabad where he lived for an estimated five years before Navy SEALS killed him a week ago yesterday.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Night Stalkers Share Spotlight With SEALS
SEAL Team Six earned most of the post-Osama bin Laden attention this week, but as the days wore on most of the world also discovered the existence of the "Night Stalkers," the black ops pilots who flew the super-secret stealth helicopters into Abbottabad without detection (sort of).
President Obama met up yesterday with the crews of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at their base at Fort Campbell, Ky., thanking them "for their extraordinary service."
If you take to heart Obama's off-handed comment after the mission was completed last Sunday quoted by Bob Woodward of The Washington Post, the stealthy Black Hawk helicopters that the Night Stalkers flew run about $60 million apiece.
Those stealth helicopters are said to contain technology that reduces noise and deflects radar and heat detection. They either fooled the Pakistanis or the Pakistanis were indeed on board with the mission, contrary to what both Washington and Islamabad has since said.
Though not known as well as some of the black ops units of the U.S. military, the Night Stalkers have been around for a while, according to the U.S. Army. They were born out of the failed 1980 raid to rescue the hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
One of the lessons learned from that mission was a need for pilots who were trained and focused on night flying and were special operators in their own right, similar to the SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets and Marine reconnaissance teams.
Originally culled from the 101st Airborne Division, known as The Screaming Eagles and based at Fort Campbell, the unit's unofficial motto is, "Death Waits in the Dark." That pretty much says it all. The official and more family-friendly motto is, "Night Stalkers Don't Quit."
One of the Night Stalkers' best-known and most-devastating missions came in 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia, which inspired the book and film "Black Hawk Down." Two Black Hawks flown by the Night Stalkers, Super 6-1 and Super 6-4, were lost in the battle of Mogadishu along with five members of the 160th.
Like the failed mission in Iran that created the Night Stalkers, many lessons were learned from the Black Hawk Down episode, shoring up the unit's capability and ensuring that no lives were lost in vain.
President Obama met up yesterday with the crews of the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment at their base at Fort Campbell, Ky., thanking them "for their extraordinary service."
If you take to heart Obama's off-handed comment after the mission was completed last Sunday quoted by Bob Woodward of The Washington Post, the stealthy Black Hawk helicopters that the Night Stalkers flew run about $60 million apiece.
Those stealth helicopters are said to contain technology that reduces noise and deflects radar and heat detection. They either fooled the Pakistanis or the Pakistanis were indeed on board with the mission, contrary to what both Washington and Islamabad has since said.
Though not known as well as some of the black ops units of the U.S. military, the Night Stalkers have been around for a while, according to the U.S. Army. They were born out of the failed 1980 raid to rescue the hostages at the U.S. embassy in Tehran.
One of the lessons learned from that mission was a need for pilots who were trained and focused on night flying and were special operators in their own right, similar to the SEALS, Delta Force, Green Berets and Marine reconnaissance teams.
Originally culled from the 101st Airborne Division, known as The Screaming Eagles and based at Fort Campbell, the unit's unofficial motto is, "Death Waits in the Dark." That pretty much says it all. The official and more family-friendly motto is, "Night Stalkers Don't Quit."
One of the Night Stalkers' best-known and most-devastating missions came in 1993 in Mogadishu, Somalia, which inspired the book and film "Black Hawk Down." Two Black Hawks flown by the Night Stalkers, Super 6-1 and Super 6-4, were lost in the battle of Mogadishu along with five members of the 160th.
Like the failed mission in Iran that created the Night Stalkers, many lessons were learned from the Black Hawk Down episode, shoring up the unit's capability and ensuring that no lives were lost in vain.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
White House: 'No Question' Osama's Death Was Lawful
The White House said today that it "acted in the nation's self-defense" and insisted Osama Bin Laden would have been taken into custody if it had been "feasible," answering questions over the disclosure the Al Qaeda leader was unarmed when Navy SEALS confronted him Sunday in his sprawling compound in Pakistan.
White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested Bin Laden did not acquiesce to rules "consistent with the laws of war."
"The team had the authority to kill Osama bin Laden unless he offered to surrender, in which case the team was required to accept his surrender if the team could do so safely. The operation was conducted in a manner fully consistent with the laws of war. The operation was planned so that the team was prepared and had the means to take bin Laden into custody," Carney said reading from his notes.
"There is simply no question that this operation was lawful. Bin Laden was the head of al Qaeda, the organization that conducted the attacks of September 11, 2001. And al Qaeda and bin Laden himself had continued to plot attacks against the United States. We acted in the nation's self-defense. The operation was conducted in a way designed to minimize and avoid all together, if possible, civilian casualties. And if I might add, that was done at great risk to Americans. Furthermore, consistent with the laws of war, bin Laden's surrender would have been accepted, if feasible. That's my response," Carney added.
White House press secretary Jay Carney suggested Bin Laden did not acquiesce to rules "consistent with the laws of war."
"The team had the authority to kill Osama bin Laden unless he offered to surrender, in which case the team was required to accept his surrender if the team could do so safely. The operation was conducted in a manner fully consistent with the laws of war. The operation was planned so that the team was prepared and had the means to take bin Laden into custody," Carney said reading from his notes.
"There is simply no question that this operation was lawful. Bin Laden was the head of al Qaeda, the organization that conducted the attacks of September 11, 2001. And al Qaeda and bin Laden himself had continued to plot attacks against the United States. We acted in the nation's self-defense. The operation was conducted in a way designed to minimize and avoid all together, if possible, civilian casualties. And if I might add, that was done at great risk to Americans. Furthermore, consistent with the laws of war, bin Laden's surrender would have been accepted, if feasible. That's my response," Carney added.
Obama Declines to Release Dead bin Laden Photos
It was just a little too much in-your-face for President Obama, as he explained his reasons today behind declining to release a photo of a dead Osama bin Laden.
Obama handed down his decision on whether the picture should go public in an interview this afternoon with Steve Kroft CBS' "60 Minutes." White House press secretary Jay Carney read part of the transcript from that interview at his daily briefing. Here is a transcript of that segment of the briefing:
Obama handed down his decision on whether the picture should go public in an interview this afternoon with Steve Kroft CBS' "60 Minutes." White House press secretary Jay Carney read part of the transcript from that interview at his daily briefing. Here is a transcript of that segment of the briefing:
Carney: The President was asked about how they knew it was him. And he said:
The President: When they landed, we had very strong confirmation at that point that it was him. Photographs had been taken. Facial analysis indicated that, in fact, it was him. We hadn't yet done DNA testing, but at that point we were 95-percent sure.
Question: Did you see the pictures?
The President: Yes.
Question: What was your reaction when you saw them?
The President: It was him.
Question: Why didn't you release them?
The President: We discussed this internally. Keep in mind that we are absolutely certain that this was him. We've done DNA sampling and testing, and so there is no doubt that we killed Osama bin Laden. It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head are not floating around as an incitement to additional violence or as a propaganda tool. That's not who we are. We don't trot out this stuff as trophies. The fact of the matter is, this was somebody who was deserving of the -- of the justice that he received, and I think Americans and people around the world are glad that he is gone. But we don't need to spike the football. And I think that given the graphic nature of these photos, it would create some national security risk. And I've discussed this with Bob Gates and Hillary Clinton and my intelligence teams, and they all agree.
Question: There are people in Pakistan for example, who say, look, this is all a lie. Obama, this is another American trick. Osama is not dead.
The President: The truth is that we were monitoring world -- that we are monitoring world -- that we are monitoring -- we were monitoring, rather, worldwide reaction. There is no doubt that Osama bin Laden is dead. Certainly there is doubt -- no doubt among al Qaeda members that he is dead. And so we don't think that a photograph in and of itself is going to make any difference. There are going to be some folks who deny it. The fact of the matter is, you will not see bin Laden walking on this Earth again.
SEAL Team Six Adds to Legend With Bin Laden Kill
SEAL Team Six is one of those invisible entities that many people like to know is there, but would prefer not to have to think too deeply about how they exist in a free society's parallel world of black ops -- until now.
It isn't even the commando unit's real name, but SEAL Team Six, as they are known, are the rock stars of the U.S. military: They are the guys who got Osama bin Laden.
"When the U.S. Navy sends their elite, they send the SEALS. When the SEALS send their elite, they send SEAL Team Six, the Navy's equivalent to the Army's Delta force -- tasked with counterterrorism and counterinsurgency, and occasionally working with the CIA," Howard Wasdin writes in his new book, "SEAL Team Six: Memoirs of an Elite Navy SEAL Sniper."
SEAL Team Six officially is called the Naval Special Warfare Development Group, or DevGru, and its members call themselves "the quiet professionals," according The Guardian of London.
Richard Sisk, a decorated Marine veteran who served in Vietnam and is longtime Pentagon reporter and war correspondent, affectionately calls the SEALs "the snake-eaters," while another ex-Marine officer who served in Vietnam describes them as "guys who like to travel light so they can go in fast and get out even faster."
The unit trained hard and was well-prepared for any contingencies, as the loss of one of their helicopters in the mission demonstrated, the Deseret News notes. They reportedly cheered when they heard it was Bin Laden who they were going after.
SEAL Team Six has hunted several “high-value targets” in Afghanistan (there are around 40 SEALS believed to be in Afghanistan right now) and Iraq, but the fruits of their labor in the Abbottabad mission may well extend beyond the death of the Al Qaeda leader. The intelligence obtained during the 40 minutes the SEALS spent on the ground could offer more opportunities to destroy the remnants of Al Qaeda's evil overloads, an idea The Chicago Tribune likes.
A team member snapped a photo of Bin Laden after he was dead and uploaded it to commanders for facial recognition and confirmation, The New York Times said.
SEAL Team Six operates clandestinely just along the border of polite modern warfare, as The Nation sharply reminds. The ninja-like existence of SEAL Team Six provides the United States with a lighting quick strike force, along with plausible deniability for its overseers, who sometimes prefer to look the other way.
SEAL Team Six operates clandestinely just along the border of polite modern warfare, as The Nation sharply reminds. The ninja-like existence of SEAL Team Six provides the United States with a lighting quick strike force, along with plausible deniability for its overseers, who sometimes prefer to look the other way.
SEAL Team Six is based out of Virginia Beach, according to The Washington Post. No one can apply to join, reports the The Telegraph of London. They have evolved into the elite unit, The Week details. The weapons and the means by which they deploy are diverse, ABC News reports.
Military scholars and strategists have learned much about deploying commandos like the SEALS and the Army's Delta Force since the failed raid in the desert to rescue the Iran hostages some 30 years ago, the Christian Science Monitor notes.
SEAL Team Six is made up of athletes, quick-thinkers, patient, disciplined and results-oriented sailors. They are trained in the use of multiple weapons, hand-to-hand combat and the art of interrogation, on the latter, both how to give and how to receive. They swim out of submarines, zip along in rubber landing craft, jump out of planes at both low and high altitudes and they repel or storm out of near-silent helicopters.
They like for folks not to know when they are around, because when they are around, the plan usually calls for them to extract or shoot someone. SEAL Team Six is who the U.S. calls in when the fight is with the bogeyman.
"The guys behind this mission [to capture or kill bin Laden] have never given anyone a reason to doubt that they are trustworthy and very focused," Brandon Tyler Webb, a former SEAL who ran the sniper program at the Navy Special Warfare Command, told CNN. "They are the best of the best."
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Pete Souza's Forever Famous Sit Room Photo
President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. "Brad" Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured. (Official White House Photo by Pete Souza)
Unarmed Osama Watched Wife Storm SEAL
White House spokesman Jay Carney today read a statement setting the record straight on details on the secret raid by the Special Operations Command's SEAL Team Six on Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. Here are Carney's own words, correcting some earlier information that turned out to be erroneous:
"What is true is that we provided a great deal of information with great haste in order to inform you, and through you the American public, about the operation and how it transpired and the events that took place there in Pakistan. And obviously some of the information came in piece by piece and is being reviewed and updated and elaborated on. So what I can tell you, I have a narrative that I can provide to you on the raid itself on the bin Laden compound in Pakistan:
"On orders of the President, a small U.S. team assaulted a secure compound in an affluent suburb of Islamabad to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. The raid was conducted with U.S. military personnel assaulting on two helicopters. The team methodically cleared the compound, moving from room to room, in an operation lasting nearly 40 minutes. They were engaged in a firefight throughout the operation, and Osama bin Laden was killed by the assaulting force.
"In addition to the bin Laden family, two other families resided in the compound, one family on the first floor of the bin Laden building and one family in a second building. One team began the operation on the first floor of the bin Laden house and worked their way to the third floor. A second team cleared the separate building.
"On the first floor of bin Laden's building, two al Qaeda couriers were killed, along with a woman who was killed in crossfire. Bin Laden and his family were found on the second and third floor of the building. There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the capture operation, rather, and indeed he did resist. In the room with bin Laden, a woman, bin Laden's -- a woman, rather, bin Laden's wife, rushed the U.S. assaulter and was shot in the leg, but not killed. Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed.
"Following the firefight, the non-combatants were moved to a safe location as the damaged helicopter was detonated. The team departed the scene via helicopter to the USS Carl Vinson in the north Arabian Sea.
"Aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the burial of bin Laden was done in conformance with Islamic precepts and practices. The deceased's body was washed and then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag. A military officer read prepared religious remarks which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, and the deceased body eased into the sea.
"That's the narrative that I can provide to you today."
The Take-Away Thus Far From a Mission Accomplished
Benchmarks and clear progress have been hard to come by -- and even harder to convey to the public -- in our ongoing military engagements in the Middle East. That all changed barely less than two days ago, when we could finally claim a tremendous and irrefutable breakthrough.
"The CIA first started trying to kill Bin Laden when Michael Scheuer set up Alec Station in 1995," said a career U.S. counterterror official. "They finally found a President gutsy enough and focused enough to finish the job."
Details about how the mission in Abottabad unfolded are still emerging. But based on the information we have already, a few points are already clear.
Unilateral was the way to go: It was a moment for fundamental rugged individualism, so as it has been said before, if you're going to do something, do it yourself, and loose lips sink ships. The call to share mission details on a truly need-to-know-basis, along with keeping the Pakistani government in the dark, was a no-brainer -- it was the only way to go.
Raising the batting average: The image of the Central Intelligence Agency had been taking a beating since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a point repeatedly emphasized in this blog. But there is no doubt that the CIA got this one right. The spy agency's steps along the way were bountiful, from the raw tip that led to bin Laden's courier, to watching the intelligence incubator develop increasingly significant "targeted intelligence" that eventually led to the go/no decision on Friday of "actionable intelligence."
Nobody does it better: As for the military arm of the mission, the SEALS just keep adding to the mystique that defines their existence. The American military has been getting specific missions right for a while. The surge in Iraq and Africa Command's leadership at the start of the air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi are examples of well-executed specific missions.
Getting to know all about you: It is time to re-evaluate our relationship with Pakistan. There is no credible terrorist hunter right now who thinks Bin Laden could have been two hours by car from Islamabad without someone in the Pakistani military or ISI, the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, knowing he was there. His compound in Abbottabad occupied the biggest lot in the neighborhood, close to Pakistan's military academy (a third world equivalent of our West Point), and many retired Pakistani military officers. Somebody should have asked a question or two, no? At the least, this revelation requires that Pakistan now conduct a transparent internal investigation as the first step in a rehabilitation aimed at a forthright effort to join the world community. Any co-conspirators who are uncovered must be handed over to the U.S. And if no one knew, explain how that could happen.
I like you as a friend: Nations committed to fighting terrorism need to be wedded to the concept. It is an all-in proposition. It requires reigning in and in some cases weeding out those who are complicit or complacent. Either Pakistan plays by these rules or somebody is going to have think about a mission to grab Pakistan's nuclear warheads. Even the Russians and Chinese understand that much without letting anachronistic ideological doubts and posturing get in the way.
Waterboarding still isn't cool: For those of us who believe in management by results, it is admittedly a bit more difficult today for us to make the argument (that I for one held) that the terror prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was too much of a global eyesore and recruiting tool for Al Qaeda. There are reports that 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, provided information that led to the courier who hid bin Laden in the Abbottabad compound. But just because some of the intelligence used for the mission came from GITMO, the United States is not absolved from its obligation to abide by rules governing how we obtain information. KSM would have given the info up with a feather tickler.
Why even ask that question?: We know the answer to the question, Did Bin Laden deserve a burial in the Islamic tradition? Of course he did. The reasons are obvious, starting with the American value system, and ending with not giving the dark disciples of Bin Laden any opportunity to exploit the situation for their political gain.
IPhones beat Al Qaeda any day: The Muslim world now boasts new, young secular heroes who wield big ideas, smart phones and twitter campaigns to press for a life of freedom, and the ability to choose who leads their nations. An extremist who hijacks a religion and brainwashes followers into believing that killing will open the gates of heaven does not stand a chance against the opportunities that democracy can provide in a free society. Bin Laden is a dark figure who never led a movement, just a cult based on killing and repression.
It was all about him and the theft of Islam: Al Qaeda's charismatic leader sent his recruits to their death, ordered others to live and fight in caves and subjected many followers to a life as wanted international criminals. Cast as a leader hidden among people, bin Laden for years resided out of sight, but comfortably with family in a fortified (albeit not well-guarded) $1 million compound built in 2005. The truly larger-than-life image of a bin Laden who fired automatic weapons and walked on the front lines folded in death, hiding behind a wife who was shot in the leg when she went charging at a SEAL. He hijacked the Quran for his own selfish reasons, desecrating a religion in the most unholy of ways. Osama was a fraud.
"The CIA first started trying to kill Bin Laden when Michael Scheuer set up Alec Station in 1995," said a career U.S. counterterror official. "They finally found a President gutsy enough and focused enough to finish the job."
Details about how the mission in Abottabad unfolded are still emerging. But based on the information we have already, a few points are already clear.
Unilateral was the way to go: It was a moment for fundamental rugged individualism, so as it has been said before, if you're going to do something, do it yourself, and loose lips sink ships. The call to share mission details on a truly need-to-know-basis, along with keeping the Pakistani government in the dark, was a no-brainer -- it was the only way to go.
Raising the batting average: The image of the Central Intelligence Agency had been taking a beating since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, a point repeatedly emphasized in this blog. But there is no doubt that the CIA got this one right. The spy agency's steps along the way were bountiful, from the raw tip that led to bin Laden's courier, to watching the intelligence incubator develop increasingly significant "targeted intelligence" that eventually led to the go/no decision on Friday of "actionable intelligence."
Nobody does it better: As for the military arm of the mission, the SEALS just keep adding to the mystique that defines their existence. The American military has been getting specific missions right for a while. The surge in Iraq and Africa Command's leadership at the start of the air campaign against Moammar Gadhafi are examples of well-executed specific missions.
Getting to know all about you: It is time to re-evaluate our relationship with Pakistan. There is no credible terrorist hunter right now who thinks Bin Laden could have been two hours by car from Islamabad without someone in the Pakistani military or ISI, the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency, knowing he was there. His compound in Abbottabad occupied the biggest lot in the neighborhood, close to Pakistan's military academy (a third world equivalent of our West Point), and many retired Pakistani military officers. Somebody should have asked a question or two, no? At the least, this revelation requires that Pakistan now conduct a transparent internal investigation as the first step in a rehabilitation aimed at a forthright effort to join the world community. Any co-conspirators who are uncovered must be handed over to the U.S. And if no one knew, explain how that could happen.
I like you as a friend: Nations committed to fighting terrorism need to be wedded to the concept. It is an all-in proposition. It requires reigning in and in some cases weeding out those who are complicit or complacent. Either Pakistan plays by these rules or somebody is going to have think about a mission to grab Pakistan's nuclear warheads. Even the Russians and Chinese understand that much without letting anachronistic ideological doubts and posturing get in the way.
Waterboarding still isn't cool: For those of us who believe in management by results, it is admittedly a bit more difficult today for us to make the argument (that I for one held) that the terror prison at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base was too much of a global eyesore and recruiting tool for Al Qaeda. There are reports that 9/11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, provided information that led to the courier who hid bin Laden in the Abbottabad compound. But just because some of the intelligence used for the mission came from GITMO, the United States is not absolved from its obligation to abide by rules governing how we obtain information. KSM would have given the info up with a feather tickler.
Why even ask that question?: We know the answer to the question, Did Bin Laden deserve a burial in the Islamic tradition? Of course he did. The reasons are obvious, starting with the American value system, and ending with not giving the dark disciples of Bin Laden any opportunity to exploit the situation for their political gain.
IPhones beat Al Qaeda any day: The Muslim world now boasts new, young secular heroes who wield big ideas, smart phones and twitter campaigns to press for a life of freedom, and the ability to choose who leads their nations. An extremist who hijacks a religion and brainwashes followers into believing that killing will open the gates of heaven does not stand a chance against the opportunities that democracy can provide in a free society. Bin Laden is a dark figure who never led a movement, just a cult based on killing and repression.
It was all about him and the theft of Islam: Al Qaeda's charismatic leader sent his recruits to their death, ordered others to live and fight in caves and subjected many followers to a life as wanted international criminals. Cast as a leader hidden among people, bin Laden for years resided out of sight, but comfortably with family in a fortified (albeit not well-guarded) $1 million compound built in 2005. The truly larger-than-life image of a bin Laden who fired automatic weapons and walked on the front lines folded in death, hiding behind a wife who was shot in the leg when she went charging at a SEAL. He hijacked the Quran for his own selfish reasons, desecrating a religion in the most unholy of ways. Osama was a fraud.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Obama: U.S. Has Body of Osama Bin Laden
Updated first four paragraphs at 3:45 a.m. Monday est
President Obama announced from the East Room of White House tonight that United States forces killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist group that carried out the ghastly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His body was later buried at sea.
The CIA operation was carried out Sunday by U.S. Navy SEALS, who secretly raided the compound by helicopter and killed Bin Laden, his son and others in a firefight, senior administration officials said a short while ago.
One of two helicopters used in the mission was destroyed by the SEAL team after it malfunctioned. The team then piled into one helicopter, along with Bin Laden's body, and evacuated the compound after detonating an explosive device.
The New York Times and others are reporting that U.S. Bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan for final identification and was later buried at sea.
Pakistan television showed video of the compound on fire.
"Justice has been done," Obama said in the historic announcement, cheered throughout Washington by Democrats and Republicans alike. There were celebrations outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York City.
Obama called former President George W. Bush to inform him of the news. Bush congratulated Obama, as well as the men and women who have carried out the war on terrorism. Obama gave the green light for the mission on Friday. Very few U.S. officials knew of the operation. Not even the Pakistanis knew about the mission, informed of it only after it was concluded.
There was cooperation along the way with Pakistani authorities along the way, but did not know when or if the U.S. was going to act.
"Huge," one knowledgeable government source said.
Based on solid intelligence, the U.S. carried out the strike on Bin Laden while he was in a mansion with family outside of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
According to senior administration officials, the CIA learned of the compound owned by Pakistanis believed to be couriers for Bin Laden in 2010, but last September determined a "high-value target" was in compound, located in a town about 35 miles north of Islamabad, determining later it was Bin Laden.
The compound had 12-to-18-foot high walls, barbed wire, a living area for three families. The three story mansion was built in 2005 and stuck out -- or should have -- because of its size compared to other homes in the area -- it was eight times larger than anything around. The compound had no telephone or Internet connections.
U.S. military and diplomatic installations around the world have gone on a heightened state of alert in case of violence or a retaliatory strike by Al Qaeda. The State Department issued a travel warning for Americans.
A gathering group of people outside the White House could be heard chanting U-S-A, U-S-A, as CNN's Ed Henry filed his report shortly before Obama addressed the nation (I went down there for a few hours and the chants went on all night).
Almost 3,000 people were killed when four commercial airliners hijacked by Al Qaeda thugs crashed into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, just across the Potomac in Virginia, and a field in Pennsylvania near the town of Shanksville.
President Obama announced from the East Room of White House tonight that United States forces killed Osama Bin Laden, the leader of the Al Qaeda terrorist group that carried out the ghastly terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. His body was later buried at sea.
The CIA operation was carried out Sunday by U.S. Navy SEALS, who secretly raided the compound by helicopter and killed Bin Laden, his son and others in a firefight, senior administration officials said a short while ago.
One of two helicopters used in the mission was destroyed by the SEAL team after it malfunctioned. The team then piled into one helicopter, along with Bin Laden's body, and evacuated the compound after detonating an explosive device.
The New York Times and others are reporting that U.S. Bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan for final identification and was later buried at sea.
Pakistan television showed video of the compound on fire.
"Justice has been done," Obama said in the historic announcement, cheered throughout Washington by Democrats and Republicans alike. There were celebrations outside the White House and at Ground Zero in New York City.
Obama called former President George W. Bush to inform him of the news. Bush congratulated Obama, as well as the men and women who have carried out the war on terrorism. Obama gave the green light for the mission on Friday. Very few U.S. officials knew of the operation. Not even the Pakistanis knew about the mission, informed of it only after it was concluded.
There was cooperation along the way with Pakistani authorities along the way, but did not know when or if the U.S. was going to act.
"Huge," one knowledgeable government source said.
Based on solid intelligence, the U.S. carried out the strike on Bin Laden while he was in a mansion with family outside of Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan.
According to senior administration officials, the CIA learned of the compound owned by Pakistanis believed to be couriers for Bin Laden in 2010, but last September determined a "high-value target" was in compound, located in a town about 35 miles north of Islamabad, determining later it was Bin Laden.
The compound had 12-to-18-foot high walls, barbed wire, a living area for three families. The three story mansion was built in 2005 and stuck out -- or should have -- because of its size compared to other homes in the area -- it was eight times larger than anything around. The compound had no telephone or Internet connections.
U.S. military and diplomatic installations around the world have gone on a heightened state of alert in case of violence or a retaliatory strike by Al Qaeda. The State Department issued a travel warning for Americans.
A gathering group of people outside the White House could be heard chanting U-S-A, U-S-A, as CNN's Ed Henry filed his report shortly before Obama addressed the nation (I went down there for a few hours and the chants went on all night).
Almost 3,000 people were killed when four commercial airliners hijacked by Al Qaeda thugs crashed into the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan, the Pentagon, just across the Potomac in Virginia, and a field in Pennsylvania near the town of Shanksville.
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