4 May 2013
NEW YORK – Two years ago this week, US special forces shot and killed Osama bin Laden, the world’s most wanted man.
American TV is filled with chest-thumping and flag-waving about how bin Laden was hunted down and executed. For most Americans, bin Laden was the acme of evil and author of the 9/11 attacks that killed 3,000 people. Good riddance.
Hunting “bad guys” is a venerable American tradition from the days of the Wild West and the Roaring 20’s: Billy the Kid, Pancho Villa, Bonnie and Clyde, John Dillinger. The TV program “America’s Ten Most Wanted” remains one of the nation’s most popular programs. Osama bin Laden was the ultimate most wanted.
However, this simplistic “good guys v. bad guys” tale remains troubled by the facts. Why, for example, was a clearly retired bin Laden living without bodyguards in a villa in Abbottabad, Pakistan? Was he really found by the CIA’s patient detective work, or betrayed for the $25 million put on his head by Washington? Did Pakistan really not know Osama was in Abbotabad, and hour’s drive from its capital, Islamabad?
Why was bin Laden executed gangland style and not brought to stand proper trial in New York City? A trial could have finally determined if he was in truth the author of 9/11, as alleged by the US government and media. If not, who was?
Circumstantial evidence regarding 9/11 points to bin Laden. But he always denied responsibility for the attacks, though he applauded them after the fact. The Afghan Communists produced fakes tapes supposedly showing bin Laden demonstrating how the attacks were made. These fakes tapes ran widely on US TV.
The 9/11 attacks were planned in Hamburg, Germany and, apparently, Madrid, Spain, not by al-Qaida in Afghanistan, as the US claimed. The planners and executors of the attacks were mostly Saudis, not Afghans.
After the attack, US Secretary of State Colin Powell demanded Afghanistan’s Taliban government hand over bin Laden. Taliban refused to do so without a proper extradition request detailing bin Laden’s involvement in 9/11. Powell promised to issue a White Paper about bin Laden’s guilt, but never did so. Why? Probably because the US could not assemble a convincing case. US forces invaded Afghanistan and began their hunt for the elusive bin Laden.
The Bush administration, caught sleeping on guard duty, needed a target for America’s fury over 9/11: Afghanistan, Taliban (which had nothing to do with 9/11), bin Laden and his al-Qaida organization were blamed. Al-Qaida was wildly exaggerated by western governments and media into a nefarious worldwide network of fanatical Islamic conspirators worthy of Dr. Fu Manchu.
I was in Afghanistan and Pakistan at the birth of al-Qaida and spent many hours with its founder, Sheik Abdullah Azzam, bin Laden’s mentor. Al-Qaida was a rest house for jihadists going to fight in Afghanistan; it never had more than a few hundred members. Al-Qaida was not run by CIA, but the US planned to use bin Laden’s men against Muslim regions of western China in the event of a US-China war.
Al-Qaida’s so-called “terrorist training camps” in Afghanistan were in fact mostly run by Pakistani intelligence to train guerillas for use in Indian-ruled Kashmir.
Al-Qaida was dedicated to battling Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, the Afghan Communists, and KGB agents of influence, warlords Ahmad Massoud and Rashid Dostam.
In 2010, then CIA chief Leon Panetta admitted there may only be 25-50 al-Qaida members in Afghanistan. But the convenient myth of al-Qaida continues. While America glories in killing bin Laden, many in the Muslim world still see him as an Arab Che Guevara, one man against the mighty US imperial order. Most Muslims disapproved of the 9/11 attacks, yet many felt a sneaking admiration for the Saudi firebrand whose goal was to drive western influence from the Muslim world.
Osama bin Laden is dead, and discarded at sea in true pirate “dead men tell no tales” tradition. But the anti-western movement he began is alive and growing: al-Qaida was not an organic organization but a trans-national movement.
Anti-western groups have sprung about across the Mideast, Africa, Central and South Asia. Many have adopted the al-Qaida brand name. That was bin Laden’s plan.
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copyright Eric S. Margolis 2013
This post is in: 9/11, Afghanistan, Al-Qaida, Iraq, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan
Who says, that the CIA is not in control of the Taliban and/or Al Qaida? With them you never know. They do not have the best of reputations. Their covert operations are usually of a very sinister nature. The CIA makes the entire White House suspect.
Interesting point about why bin Laden was executed gangland style instead of brought in to face justice. Of all the options available to Obama once bin Laden’s location was known, he chose a vicious Hollywood-style take down orchestrated to elevate the profile of US technical militarism to unprecedented heights.
Given what has happened since then, it would seem Obama’s motive was suspect on several fronts and may have been used as an opening for the shameful assaults by American drone attacks that followed and are ongoing.
Also interesting is Eric’s comment about the organic nature of al-Qaida and how “the anti-western movement he (bin Laden) began is alive and growing”. The US created its own anti-western movement with the foolishness of the Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld power-and-greed machine, further powered by Obama’s failure to get out of the Middle East. Fast re-wind to Obama’s first election campaign and recall that people actually believed he wanted to get all troops out and stop giving jihadists such a huge rallying point for killing Americans – Obama even hinted at negotiating instead of killing. Oh well, so much for that false hope once Obama got his hands on the weapons of targeted destruction. It takes more maturity than Obama apparently has to pull back from the easy kills.
The West is fighting the Muslim jihadi/terrorists/ al Qaeda? The West is also funding & arming the same misfit gang if it helps our agenda. For Example our support to these gangs in Libya, Syria, Egypt, Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechenia, Somalia, Djibouti, China, Nigeria, just to name a few.
” Anti-western groups have sprung about across the Mideast, Africa, Central and South Asia. Many have adopted the al-Qaida brand name. That was bin Laden’s plan. ”
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Is it the groups that have adopted the brand or is it that Western governments are using the name to describe any group that moves against them simply for the emotional / political response it can generate.
Recently while exploiting the so called train bombing plot the Canadian government pointed at the accused and said they where trained by Al-Qaida from Iran.
Most who have read of Al-Qaida would know that this group… formed by Sunni Muslims is not likely to form any kind of alliance with Iran… much less partner with them to train Canadian extremists.
I suppose it is easier for Western governments to point at a singular bogeyman than explain why its foreign policy has generated a uprising of dozens of separate groups… but then their finger pointing is never about explaining the causes… just to rally support for ” their side ” in this.
It seems quite similar to the dismissal of any right leaning adversary as Nazis, or Left as Reds or Commies that is so familiar with the American culture of looking down and dismissal of ideas that their government point as wrong.
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As for the raid on Bin Laden, I doubt it was him in Abbottabad. With his medical history it would be surprising for him to have been alive at all, much less not in an equipped medical facility, much less ” living without bodyguards ”
The lack of a body was hounding the Americans, providing rumor as much as the lack of Hitlers body did for decades after WW2.
Most of the videos and audio recordings supposedly issued by him could have been made by other groups… or the American government themselves ( or contractors seeking work from them )
Look at the other lies they have told to justify their actions… a faked video wouldn’t be that big a leap.
Perhaps finally, they decided a bit of closure was required so the masses would stop asking questions.
Even Hollywood has played its own version of this scam in the latest Iron Man movie, where the ” Mandarian ” made similar videos and turned out to be an actor simply playing a part for the real criminal in order to draw attention away from him.
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Perhaps Al-Qaida may inspire dozens of groups, but to call them one organization is simply a prop being used by desperate governments unwilling to change or even discuss their own lies.
” Anti-western groups have sprung about across the Mideast, Africa, Central and South Asia. Many have adopted the al-Qaida brand name. That was bin Laden’s plan. ”
..
Is it the groups that have adopted the brand or is it that Western governments are using the name to describe any group that moves against them simply for the emotional / political response it can generate.
Recently while exploiting the so called train bombing plot the Canadian government pointed at the accused and said they where trained by Al-Qaida from Iran.
Most who have read of Al-Qaida would know that this group… formed by Sunni Muslims is not likely to form any kind of alliance with Iran… much less partner with them to train Canadian extremists.
I suppose it is easier for Western governments to point at a singular bogeyman than explain why its foreign policy has generated a uprising of dozens of separate groups… but then their finger pointing is never about explaining the causes… just to rally support for ” their side ” in this.
…
As for the raid on Bin Laden, I doubt it was him in Abbottabad. With his medical history it would be surprising for him to have been alive at all, much less not in an equipment medical facility, much less ” living without bodyguards ”
The lack of a body was hounding the Americans, providing rumor as much as the lack of Hitlers body did for decades after WW2.
Most of the videos and audio recordings supposedly issued by him could have been made by other groups… or the American government themselves ( or contractors seeking work from them )
Look at the other lies they have told to justify their actions… a faked video wouldn’t be that big a leap.
Perhaps finally, they decided a bit of closure was required so the masses would stop asking questions.
Even Hollywood has played its own version of this scam in the latest Iron Man movie, where the ” Mandarian ” made similar videos and turned out to be an actor simply playing a part for the real criminal in order to draw attention away from him.
…
Perhaps Al-Qaida may inspire dozens of groups, but to call them one organization is simply a prop being used by desperate governments unwilling to change or even discuss their own lies.
Mike,
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The elitist shadow government have learned the lessons of history well. Keep their belly’s full, provide ample entertaining distractions, and they will be happy in their illiteracy; believing all the rhetoric that comes from above.
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Al-Qaida is an example. Any learned individual who simply follows links in wikipedia would understand that the salafist dogma of Sunni terror groups, has nothing to do with the Shiat-Ali of Iran.
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The elite are so complacent in this knowledge, that they make mistakes in their illogic; and no one cares. It does not create a ground swell. Not when you are distracted by the manipulations of the economy. Your worries are emiliorated by sitcoms and realilty “Drivel”.
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And so it goes. I o7 those who understand but feel powerless.
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Persevere!
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ad iudicium
Wars are almost always fought for wealth, or rather greed, and power and those two are interrelated. And to get people to agree, they have to be made both scared and angry and what better way than to invoke both through religion. Thomas Jefferson once remarked: “Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason, than that of blind-folded fear”.
And another one of his wisdoms is: “Experience demands that man is the only animal which devours his own kind, for I can apply no milder term to the general prey of the rich on the poor”. Is that not exactly, what has brought so much misery to the multitudes in America? And by what means did they accomplish that? Yes, by the very method, that Jefferson warned against, namely: “I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies”.
I have never been able to accept the excuses used for attacking Afghanistan and find the attack on Iraq of such barbaric proportions, that for the US to regain its credibility and honor, it must first bring to trial those, who seem to have been the cause of this huge moral slide and give them a chance to get out from under the cloak of suspicion, that covers them now. If I was in that group, I would insist on a trial, so I could clear my name and establish my innocence. By trying to avoid a trial, they actually admit guilt.
Cicero,
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I’m glad to see quotations of one of the great intellects of our time. I have missed his “wisdom”, in this venue. I agree that the innocent should fight to clear their names. I fear that their inner circle advise otherwise. First, it would be financial ruin. Secondly, much of the proof would be under the Official Secrets Act; the pages requested under the Freedom of Information Act, would be redacted with blacked out sections, and this I fear would be where the “proof of innocence” would be found.
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And if one was to try and make a case of this in the MSM, it would be relegated to page 17, or mentioned once or twice at 3 and 4 am.
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I fear the “stars in their eyes” when they were younger; the thought that they could make a difference…..well they have made their bed and they must lay upon it. Unfortunately the foot soldiers within the corruption fall asunder first; loyal to the end, misguided perhaps.
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ad iudicium
Bin Laden is allegedly dead.So we are told by Washington.For a country like the US that claims to be a land of democracy and true justice,the murder of bin Laden completely contradicts this where accused criminals are brought to justice by means of a fair trial.This apparently only applies to small minded everyday bank robbers,rapists,fraudsters….but when it comes to sensitive political cases like 9/11 and that bin Laden was accused of being the mastermind,then these fair trials don’t apply.I agree with Mr. Margolis that dead men tell no tales,as was the case with Saddam Hussein who was handed over to “Iraqi authorities” for trial and planned execution.
9/11 may well have been planned overseas,but I still to this day maintain that certain Washington people had full knowledge of any impending attacks that day.This would have been the perfect pretext for a war against a country that was accused of harbouring the alleged perpetrators.Where’s the proof?The official story about 9/11 has been dispelled by many reputable authorities when it comes to controlled demolitions up to experienced pilots who claim that it was impossible to guide a B757,by amateur pilots,to it’s intended target with such amazing accuracy.There were no pieces of fuselage or any sizeable debris found at the site of impact,conveniently where renovations were just being made in this part of the Pentagon.
On that sad day some 3000 innocent people paid the ultimate price…and one day the real truth will emerge.Pointing the finger and accusing someone of having carried out such an attack is easy to do….but proving it beyond doubt is virtually impossible where the media is so desperate for a story that it will print anything…or post anything on the internet for gullible people to read….and sadly,believe.
None of this would ever have happened if the US would only mind it’s own business at home and look after the millions and millions of people who are now unemplyed and homeless as an indirect result of the ensuing war,or witch hunt,in Afghanistan after 9/11.Whoever came up with the cliche…Yankee Go Home….was one honest and respectable and highly intelligent person.
Menosh, you will be excited by the images sent back by the European Mars lander.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3059/2773403505_ddd504e7c6.jpg