US almost captures Bin Laden
27.8.2007. 14:23:16
US forces in Afghanistan came so close to capturing Osama Bin Laden that his supporters were on the verge of killing him to prevent his capture, US media report.
Newsweek reports the soldiers of the al-Qaeda leader, who were under strict order to kill bin Laden and themselves to avoid capture, were about to implement a special code word when nearby US troops moved off in a different direction.
Bin Laden's entourage later concluded that the soldiers had stumbled on their hideout by accident.
Capturing Bin Laden "continues to be a huge priority," says Frances Fragos Townsend, President Bush's chief counter-terror adviser.
'A game of chance'
American intelligence officials who were interviewed by Newsweek all agree that the hunt to find the al Qaeda leader has been more a game of chance than good or "actionable" intelligence.
"If there's a 99 per cent risk of the sheikh (bin Laden) being captured, he told his men that they should all die and martyr him as well," Newsweek quoted Egyptian al-Qaeda operative Sheikh Said as telling Taliban official Omar Farooqi.
The near miss took place on the lawless border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2004-05.
Little progress made
Newsweek's cover story on the six year old search for the al Qaeda front man and mastermind of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, also said the intense US search for him has made little progress.
In December 2001, Bin Laden reportedly slipped away from Tora Bora leaving US intelligence with a 50-50 certainty about his where abouts.
"There hasn't been a serious lead on Osama bin Laden since early 2002," Bruce Reidel, a retired CIA South Asia expert, told Newsweek.
"What we're doing now is shooting in the dark in outer space. The chances of hitting anything are zero," said an unidentified intelligence official.
27.8.2007. 14:23:16
US forces in Afghanistan came so close to capturing Osama Bin Laden that his supporters were on the verge of killing him to prevent his capture, US media report.
Newsweek reports the soldiers of the al-Qaeda leader, who were under strict order to kill bin Laden and themselves to avoid capture, were about to implement a special code word when nearby US troops moved off in a different direction.
Bin Laden's entourage later concluded that the soldiers had stumbled on their hideout by accident.
Capturing Bin Laden "continues to be a huge priority," says Frances Fragos Townsend, President Bush's chief counter-terror adviser.
'A game of chance'
American intelligence officials who were interviewed by Newsweek all agree that the hunt to find the al Qaeda leader has been more a game of chance than good or "actionable" intelligence.
"If there's a 99 per cent risk of the sheikh (bin Laden) being captured, he told his men that they should all die and martyr him as well," Newsweek quoted Egyptian al-Qaeda operative Sheikh Said as telling Taliban official Omar Farooqi.
The near miss took place on the lawless border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2004-05.
Little progress made
Newsweek's cover story on the six year old search for the al Qaeda front man and mastermind of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, also said the intense US search for him has made little progress.
In December 2001, Bin Laden reportedly slipped away from Tora Bora leaving US intelligence with a 50-50 certainty about his where abouts.
"There hasn't been a serious lead on Osama bin Laden since early 2002," Bruce Reidel, a retired CIA South Asia expert, told Newsweek.
"What we're doing now is shooting in the dark in outer space. The chances of hitting anything are zero," said an unidentified intelligence official.
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