UPDATE: Is bin Laden Really in Pakistan?
Posted by StormWarning on 28 Feb 2007 at 06:50 am | Tagged as: Current Affairs, Federal Policy, International Issues, Iraq, National Security, Opinions
UPDATE: Why am I not surprised? Pakistan is denying reports that bin Laden is in their country, contradicting DNI McConnell.
Pakistan Denies Bin Laden’s In Country
Pakistan on Wednesday rejected a claim by the U.S. intelligence
chief that Osama bin Laden and his deputy were hiding in northwestern
Pakistan, and that al Qaeda was setting up camps near the Afghan
border.
Interior Minister Aftab Khan Sherpao, told The Associated Press
there were no al Qaeda training camps in his country and U.S. officials
had not provided any intelligence suggesting there were.
"We will act on any such intelligence, but so far they have not" provided any, he said…
[more, but who do you believe?]
Original Post:
We are 12 days short of five-and-a-half years since the attacks of September 11th. We now debate and question the meaning of victory in Iraq (often referred to as a battlefront in the Global War on Terrorism), we discuss the meaning of "winning." In my previous post, it was noted that the al Qaeda jihadist strategy in Iraq is to see the U.S. leave. And in some camps, it is argued that this war will continue long after bin Laden is killed or is confirmed to have died months ago (I, for one, believe that this War on Terrorism - if you wish to call it a War Against Islamic Extremism perhaps I would agree with that, especially if at the same time, "you" don’t toss around the silly label of Islam being the "religion of peace" as I often see in more conservative locations on the Internet than this blog - if you haven’t already figured it out, I hate labels and I avoid extremes while trying to remain objective about most topics). Long sentence warning.
Focus, focus, focus. So now let’s address two somewhat related articles.
CIA: Bin Laden In Pakistan Establishing New Camps
In the Brian Ross and Z. Byron Wolf Report, it is suggested that bin Laden is in Pakistan re-establishing al Qaeda training sites.
In the most definitive statement in years, America’s top
intelligence official said Tuesday Osama bin laden is in Pakistan
actively re-establishing al Qaeda training camps.The newly appointed Director of National Intelligence Jack McConnell
made the assertion about bin Laden and his No. 2 man, Ayman al Zawahri,
in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee.Referring to Pakistan’s rugged tribal area, McConnell said "to the
best of our knowledge that the senior leadership, No. 1 and No. 2, are
there, and they are attempting to re-establish and rebuild and to
establish training camps."
Anyone who has read my stuff for any period of time knows how often I have maintained that bin Laden was still alive, and that the tribes in the mountainous regions of Afghanistan/Pakistan were protecting the al Qaeda "seniors." I simply have never trusted the tribes and warlords.
In Frank Rich’s editorial (apparently to appear in this Sunday’s New York Times), the question of focus is raised. While I don’t always agree with Frank Rich, here, he makes the point that while adding troops in Iraq to fight the continuing violence (the "surge"), al Qaeda and the Taliban have resurged in Afghanistan, helped by our ceding the battle to NATO, predictable given our not understanding or recognizing the role of the
tribes and warlords, as well as the ridiculously failed Pakistani policy of handing Waziristan to the Taliban.
Frank Rich sounds a warning: While American are
obsessed with Britney’s baldness and the White House surges in Iraq,
the real terror threat is exploding in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The
Times sounds much the same alarm in an editorial on Sunday……Al Qaeda is “on the march” rather than on the run,
the Georgetown University and West Point terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman
told Congress. Tony Blair is pulling troops out of Iraq not because
Basra is calm enough to be entrusted to Iraqi forces — it’s “not ready
for transition,” according to the Pentagon’s last report — but to shift
some British resources to the losing battle against the resurgent
Taliban in Afghanistan…
Focus, focus, focus.
If bin Laden is in fact still alive (and new DNI Mike McConnell suggests that he is), reasonably well, and directing new training camps, then, now nearly 66 months since September 11th, we are in serious trouble.
Another related article: Qaeda Rebuilding in Pakistan, Intelligence Chief Tells Panel
Also see Going after the head of the snake @ Right Truth
Current Affairs, Federal Policy, International Issues, Iraq, National Security, Opinions
I think Mr. Rich has a very good point. The American people are more interested in ‘white trash’, who’s sleeping with who, who’s wearing what, where will Anna Nicole be buried, … than they are America’s security. It really makes me sick.
I’ve always felt we were not strong enough in Afghanistan. Why don’t we give it our ALL, as you say ‘focus’. It’s beyond me.
On another note, your site must have been having problems earlier. I tried many times to get it to load, no luck. So goes typepad. But I did get the trackback. It’s a MIRACLE! heheheh
I have seen it reported elsewhere that apprently knowledge of Cheney’s trip was known and that we were also aware of threats being made.
I also heard the bombing described as being within “earshot” of the VP.
As for Afghanistan, one can only characterize what we did there as a premature withdrawal. Don’t like that term? Sorry. We left Afghanistan before the job was done and became distracted and diverted by the effort in Iraq and against Hussein. I don’t know how any thinking person can objectively come to any other conclusion.
I think you are right about pulling back on Afghanistan.
On Bin Laden, there is rumor that the CIA has photos of Bin Laden taken from a drone possibly, or satellite, recently. I was hoping he was dead. But it would be good to know for sure one way or the other.
Debbie. Back in the early days of the Iraq War, a visiting professor at the Army War College in Carlyle, Jeffrey Record wrote a paper criticizing the invasion of Iraq on the basis of it being a strategic distraction (BOUNDING THE GLOBAL WAR ON TERRORISM).
Most people rejected that premise at the time. There have been numerous discussions (at least in some of my circles) about the issue of fighting a multi-front war in this War on Terrorism. I think that its still a valid issue. Especially against an enemy as diverse as the jihad, and al Qaeda that mounts an asymmetric war against all targets. SO what do we do if there becomes a third front? Like in Somalia?
Where is Bin Laden?
http://www.crusade-media.com/news54.html
I noticed that llink, Sam, when you posted it earlier.
I believe that OBLs April 2006 appearance was questioned (???). Regardless, I don’t actually agree with the statement of unbalanced media. If a person chooses to get information and form opinions based on one source, then certainly that person’s point of view is unbalanced. Choose your sources carefully, and get as close to the original or the authority as possible.