Report: Israel nearly killed Bin Laden (years before Sept. 11)

[sabra]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3206835,00.html

Report: Israel nearly killed Bin Laden
Israel able to identify al-Qaeda chief's confidante years before September 11; assassination plan fails to materialize due to diplomatic crisis
Ronen Bergman


Israeli intelligence agents were close to killing al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden, five years before September 11, a Yedioth Ahronoth report to be published Friday reveals.

...

An Israeli investigation was eventually able to identify Bin Laden's confidante, prompting officials to press her to join the operation. The efforts were made through cooperation with intelligence officials in the country where the woman was born and that maintains secret ties with Israel.

According to the plan, the woman was eventually supposed to assassinate her boss, Bin Laden.

The woman agreed to cooperate and the operation got under way, with Bin Laden's killing only a matter of time. However, as it turns out, a crisis between Israel and the Palestinian Authority put a freeze on ties between the Mossad and the foreign intelligence service involved in the operation.

By the time cooperation resumed, Bin Laden already moved to another country and the operation was never carried out.

[Ian David]

1. The idea is plausible, but the story might not be credible

Names and places given are too vague.

"The Sudan group" isn't named.

"...with intelligence officials in the country where the woman was born and that maintains secret ties with Israel." What country?

"..a crisis between Israel and the Palestinian Authority put a freeze on ties between the Mossad and the foreign intelligence service involved in the operation." Which crisis? Which foreign intelligence service?

I'm taking this with a grain of salt for now.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

4. A sensible position. I agree. -nt

[shugah]

2. bin laden has 'almost' been killed

as often as his #2 guy.

[leveymg]

3. Must have been Sudan, where Cofer Black was CIA Chief of Station

Mr. Black had some sort of confrontation with Osama himself in 1995, before Osama moved on to Afghanistan. That's the last confirmed contact between the CIA and UBL.

After that assignment ended, Mr. Black was assigned to head the CIA's Counter Terrorism Center (CTC). As CTC Director, Black was in the chain of command that on 01/15/00 ordered the FBI liaison at CTC to withhold a cable to the hedaquarters of the FBI National Security Office that two known al-Qaeda intending terrorists had landed at LAX. That was the finding of the FBI IG's report published this past June. Mr. Black, Director Tenet, and his deputy, James Pavitt, had previously testified to the 9/11 Commission and the Joint Congressional Committee that the CTC personnel had overlooked the entry of the Flight 77 hijackers, who went on to crash into the Pentagon. The CIA IG report, published late last year, sungled out Black and Tenet and Pavitt for particular responsibility for the 9/11 "intelligence failure". All three committed perjury. See, http://www.selvesandothers.org/article9893.html

It's not so impossible to imagine that the CIA Chief of Station in Khartoum talked Mossad out of killing Osama. One may also reasonably conclude that UBL had some sort of relationship with Mr. Black that led to Mr. Black's later assignment as head of the CTC.

[leveymg]

6. Timing: Between Oslo2 Agreement signing and Rabin assassination.

9/24/95 and 11/4/95 - most likely toward the latter, as there had been a growing wave of clashes before the assassination. This assumes the report is accurate. Bin Laden left Sudan in May, 1996.

[The Stranger]

5. Another lost peace dividend due to the Occupation.

Probably shooting stone throwers again.

[Ian David]

7. Palestinians NEVER put suicide bombers on busses . Just blame the Jews

And it's not like the Palestinians didn't just elect a terrorist organization to lead their government.

Lovely.

And welcome to my ignore list.

It's never the Palestinian's fault.



All they do is throw rocks.



It's always easier for some to just "blame the Jews."



It's just so unfair that the majority of Israelis favor a two-state sollution and that Israel forced their own Jewish citizens out of settlements at gunpoint-- oh, those bad, bad Jewish monsters!



All the Palestinians want is to protect their poor, innocent children who only want to throw rocks at the mean, mean Jews who keep forcing Jewish Israelis out of the settlements and giving more and more land to the innocent Palestinians who just want to be left alone to enjoy their national sport-- rock throwing.

[nodehopper]

10. Word!

[Ian David]

11. People still say, "Word?" Thanks! n/t

[JudyM]

8. Or just maybe due to a suicide bomber hitting a school bus or a mall...n/t

:shrug:

[MrPrax]

9. Hmmm...

The lack of details and the one's that are included, seem suspect.

I doubt AQ recruits a lot of women--strict Muslim codes would cut down on their usefulness and I doubt many women have access to Osama bin Blofield

Now...what is a confidante, or "a woman to whom secrets or private matters are disclosed" ...was she in his harem?

Maybe she was one of Osama's body guards but which one, 'Bambi or Thumper?'

I am sure the assassination by the confidante would have been a mere child's play, Mr. Bond...perhaps the lady, in tipping over her wine glass, causes the ever gallant Mr. Laden to dab her evening gown, giving her the opportunity to put the poison into his wine...

I read enough spy novels to know confidantes can't be trusted...