The Osama Bin Laden files: all documents and key findings

[yllus]

This is pretty interesting stuff! 198 pages so far of files from OBL's compound. Some specifics are noted below.

The Telegraph - The Osama Bin Laden files: all documents and key findings

Media strategy

- The documents outline Al-Qaeda's general plan for getting its message out to the world's media. In the first document released by the center, Osama bin Laden talks about releasing a tape to Al Jazeera for broadcast.

- In another document the American spokesperson for Al-Qaeda weighs up the relative merits of releasing message on MSNBC, saying "I used to think that MSNBC channel may be good".

Internal squabbles

- One document from Ayman al-Zawahiri, the current leader of Al-Qaeda, to Osama bin Laden, illustrates the internal tension over the future of the organisation. al-Zawahiri urges bin Laden to reconsider his opposition to merge with the militant islamist group al-Shabab based in Somalia.

List of potential name changes

One unnamed letter lists potential name changes for Al-Qaeda. The author feels that the name "Al-Qaeda" lacks religious connotations, which has allowed the US to attack the organisation without being seen to attack Muslims. He provides a long list of potential replacements for "Al-Qaeda".

 

[JimKiler]

definitely some interesting reading material...but i am waiting for this thread to become a pissing ground between those for and against war.

 

[Lemon law]

definitely some interesting reading material...but i am waiting for this thread to become a pissing ground between those for and against war.

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I could feed your fantasy but I respectfully decline. Because terrorism and war are totally different.

As far as I am concerned, after 911, OBL lost all his effectiveness as an operational leader of AL-Quida. Living out his last days, very much like some old man, rejected by his family, dumped in some geriatric old people's home. I remember those old videos released right after OBL's abduction/ assassination, sitting on front of the television with a blanket over his lap and a wool hat on his head, reliving his youth and plotting a few dozen new fantasy attacks everyday.

Maybe the USA thought finally getting Ossama Ben Laden would strike a mortal blow to Al-Quida, but here we are 1 year later, and Al-Quida didn't even bother to have a revenge attack in honor of OBL.

As for GWB's so called war on terrorism, it been a counterproductive failure, as we in the West Mill around like frightened children while we stupidly jump off of every available cliff committing financial suicide in the process.

After all, terrorism is a 6000 year old tactic, and as an idea, it can't be killed. As we never learn, the only way to reduce terrorism is reduce the social inequities that cause and inspire terrorists.

 

[cybrsage]

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I could feed your fantasy but I respectfully decline. Because terrorism and war are totally different.

As far as I am concerned, after 911, OBL lost all his effectiveness as an operational leader of AL-Quida. Living out his last days, very much like some old man, rejected by his family, dumped in some geriatric old people's home. I remember those old videos released right after OBL's abduction/ assassination, sitting on front of the television with a blanket over his lap and a wool hat on his head, reliving his youth and plotting a few dozen new fantasy attacks everyday.

Maybe the USA thought finally getting Ossama Ben Laden would strike a mortal blow to Al-Quida, but here we are 1 year later, and Al-Quida didn't even bother to have a revenge attack in honor of OBL.

As for GWB's so called war on terrorism, it been a counterproductive failure, as we in the West Mill around like frightened children while we stupidly jump off of every available cliff committing financial suicide in the process.

After all, terrorism is a 6000 year old tactic, and as an idea, it can't be killed. As we never learn, the only way to reduce terrorism is reduce the social inequities that cause and inspire terrorists.

The WOT is what caused OBL to AQ to become the almost powerless groups they are today.

 

[Anarchist420]

The WOT is what caused OBL to AQ to become the almost powerless groups they are today.

If the War on Terror caused them to become almost powerless, then why do we still have the TSA, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the war in Afghanistan? Why has the state gradually become stronger as they've become less of a threat? We started out with the Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, then came the PATRIOT Act, then comes the TSA gropings and now we finally have CISPA.

I personally think it's to increase centralization of power and to help military contractors. The "Islamic terrorists" we heard about never existed. The American state killed far more civilians than it claims Al-qaeda did. Neocons are anti-American and they're doing nothing other than destroying America from within.

 

[cybrsage]

If the War on Terror caused them to become almost powerless, then why do we still have the TSA, the USA PATRIOT Act, and the war in Afghanistan? Why has the state gradually become stronger as they've become less of a threat? We started out with the Terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act, then came the PATRIOT Act, then comes the TSA gropings and now we finally have CISPA.

Governments never give up power willingly once they grab it.

 

[Lemon law]

The WOT is what caused OBL to AQ to become the almost powerless groups they are today.

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Cybrsage, what gives the idea that Al-Quida is now powerless?

911 achieved their objectives, and once you have the Lemmings still jumping off every cliff, why bother to plot new attacks when the original attack has the lemmings still running.

As for Afghanistan and the Taliban, before they were mostly confined to only Afghanistan, and now that the US and Nato is a gross failure, its destabilized the bulk of the Tribal areas of Pakistan and parts of India too. Which will likely then become a future larger playground for Al-Quida. As for Syria, the Syrian opposition is now mainly Al-Quida driven. And Al-Quida is having a field day in Yemin, while expanding their presence in Sudan and other places in the world. And we already know of the Al-Quida ability to help destabilize Iraq.

 

[DirthNader]

You're leaving out the best part:

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/osamas-grand-plan-destroy-america-president-biden

As the NY Daily News reports, Bin Laden planned to target more airplanes at Petraeus and President Obama with the cunning plan that a successful assassination would propel an "utterly unprepared" Vice President Biden into the Oval Office - and send the US spiraling into chaos."

 

[woolfe9999]

I notice that the documents identify Awlaki as the leader of AQ in Yemen. People here have alleged that this man had no provable connections to terrorism.

 

[davmat787]

I notice that the documents identify Awlaki as the leader of AQ in Yemen. People here have alleged that this man had no provable connections to terrorism.

Is Awlaki the US "citizen" that was killed in a drone strike, causing a debate about the killing of US citizens without a trial?

 

[werepossum]

Is Awlaki the US "citizen" that was killed in a drone strike, causing a debate about the killing of US citizens without a trial?

Yes.

 

[werepossum]

Governments never give up power willingly once they grab it.

This is true.

 

[woolfe9999]

Is Awlaki the US "citizen" that was killed in a drone strike, causing a debate about the killing of US citizens without a trial?

Yeah, and the issue I'm raising here is that some of those criticizing the administration for this action went far beyond the Constitutional argument, and tried to argue that Awlaki was an innocent man being murdered for political reasons. It was argued that there was insufficient evidence that he was a terrorist. It was also argued, in contra, that in addition to the evidence that WAS publicly available at the time, that the administration likely had other evidence too sensitive to release to the public. This was of course pooh-poohed.

Well, we've just seen one piece of it right here. Docs in OBL's compound saying he was the leader of AQ in Yemen. That was on page 2. I haven't even read all 150+ pages of it. There may be more about Awlaki in there.

- wolf

 

[EagleKeeper]

There will be a lot of people that will be looking over their shoulders once they know they have been publicly identified.

 

[Lemon law]

As the eveving news pointed out, this release of OBL doc is a tiny fraction of the trove of documents. What was not release is a large set of documents that does not exactly cast the USA in a favorable light.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

As the eveving news pointed out, this release of OBL doc is a tiny fraction of the trove of documents. What was not release is a large set of documents that does not exactly cast the USA in a favorable light.

That's fascinating. I haven't access to what you reference. How did you gain clearance to classified documents?

 

[EagleKeeper]

As the eveving news pointed out, this release of OBL doc is a tiny fraction of the trove of documents. What was not release is a large set of documents that does not exactly cast the USA in a favorable light.

Where did you come across this tidbit?

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

Where did you come across this tidbit?

Obviously he still has his clearance and need to know.

 

[EagleKeeper]

remember, he has the ability to define the future.

no way this would be his typical BS to puff his ego up?

 

[Lemon law]

I claim no supernatural powers, I just listen to tonight's NBC national news. As for you all you others, what were you listening to? Maybe dancing with the stars or Fox news."

 

[TastesLikeChicken]

As the eveving news pointed out, this release of OBL doc is a tiny fraction of the trove of documents. What was not release is a large set of documents that does not exactly cast the USA in a favorable light.

Well, duh. Why would Bin Laden have any documents that do cast the USA in a favorable light in the first place? That wouldn't jibe with his propaganda and fanatical beliefs.

It seems like you're running with a statement by the news without citing the specific statement so that the context can be understood.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I claim no supernatural powers, I just listen to tonight's NBC national news. As for you all you others, what were you listening to? Maybe dancing with the stars or Fox news."

At least they do not doctor up news to railroad people.

 

[EagleKeeper]

I claim no supernatural powers, I just listen to tonight's NBC national news. As for you all you others, what were you listening to? Maybe dancing with the stars or Fox news."

Nothing in the written news is stating that information is being withheld out of fear.

What has been released is just a small part of the information available.

It all needs to be vetted before release; tidbits of information could be useful and damaging if released.

The damages are not because of embarrassing details but that it will alert other targets and/or fully expose what we know.

War should not be played on an equal footing and do-overs allowed. Doing so creats the impression of weakness which can be taken advantage of at a later date.

 

[JimKiler]

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I could feed your fantasy but I respectfully decline. Because terrorism and war are totally different.

As far as I am concerned, after 911, OBL lost all his effectiveness as an operational leader of AL-Quida. Living out his last days, very much like some old man, rejected by his family, dumped in some geriatric old people's home. I remember those old videos released right after OBL's abduction/ assassination, sitting on front of the television with a blanket over his lap and a wool hat on his head, reliving his youth and plotting a few dozen new fantasy attacks everyday.

Maybe the USA thought finally getting Ossama Ben Laden would strike a mortal blow to Al-Quida, but here we are 1 year later, and Al-Quida didn't even bother to have a revenge attack in honor of OBL.

As for GWB's so called war on terrorism, it been a counterproductive failure, as we in the West Mill around like frightened children while we stupidly jump off of every available cliff committing financial suicide in the process.

After all, terrorism is a 6000 year old tactic, and as an idea, it can't be killed. As we never learn, the only way to reduce terrorism is reduce the social inequities that cause and inspire terrorists.

Thank you for proving my prediction true.

 

[cybrsage]

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Cybrsage, what gives the idea that Al-Quida is now powerless?

Almost powerless. They are a small shadow of their former selves. At one time, they controlled a nation...now they cannot even successfully setoff a fire cracker in the US.

911 achieved their objectives, and once you have the Lemmings still jumping off every cliff, why bother to plot new attacks when the original attack has the lemmings still running.

If their objectives were to have two nations invaded and occupied, and a marked increase in the number of US troops in the Middle East, then yes, I agree they met their objectives.

But since their objective was to get all US troops out of the Middle East, I say they failed miserably.

As for Afghanistan and the Taliban, before they were mostly confined to only Afghanistan, and now that the US and Nato is a gross failure, its destabilized the bulk of the Tribal areas of Pakistan and parts of India too. Which will likely then become a future larger playground for Al-Quida. As for Syria, the Syrian opposition is now mainly Al-Quida driven. And Al-Quida is having a field day in Yemin, while expanding their presence in Sudan and other places in the world. And we already know of the Al-Quida ability to help destabilize Iraq.

The Taliban were always in Pakistan. Pakistan actively helped the Taliban in Afghanistan. The rest of what you said is mere speculation.