Apr 28, 2012

Inside UBL Raid - A Trifecta w/ Peter Bergen Played for Laughs?

Just saw this, Pakistan's spy agency seeks some credit for bin Laden's death.

Also this, ‘Manhunt’ details U.S. mission to find Osama bin Laden

In 2005, Bergen reports, a paper written by a CIA analyst became the guide for the ultimately successful hunt. With the absence of any plausible leads after nearly four years, the analyst proposed building the search on four “pillars” — bin Laden’s family, his communications with top al-Qaeda leaders, his occasional outreach to the media and his use of a courier network.


2005?  Really?  A rookie narcotics unit member on a half-assed police department could have come up with those ideas.

And then this:

As they debated how to find out whether bin Laden was inside, the CIA discussed numerous proposals.
“One idea was to throw in foul-smelling stink bombs to flush out the occupants,” Bergen says. Another was to use loudspeakers outside to broadcast from a purported “voice of Allah” commanding them to come into the street.

Methinks Bergen was getting played for laughs by his sources. 

And to complete today's trifecta, Raid to Kill Bin Laden Helped United States, Panetta Says.

Some of his details seem fanciful at best.