CIA Gives Up

July 5, 2006 11:25 AM

CIA Gives Up on Bin Laden Search says a post full of links on Sploid, it was revealed yesterday (when no one was paying attention) that the CIA disbanded its Bin Laden unit one year ago. The post also links to news that the FBI has "no hard evidence" connecting Bin Laden to the 9/11 attacks.
posted by cell divide (54 comments total)

It doesn't matter since we blamed it on Iraq anyway.
posted by Doohickie at 11:31 AM on July 5, 2006

Wanted! Dead or alive!

Well, not really...
posted by c13 at 11:32 AM on July 5, 2006

I'm not even sure what to think anymore. I just get the sense that thinking is my problem.

I wish someone would raise some Progressives from the dead and have them come kick some ass. Zombie Teddy Roosevelt would be better than the crooks in office, even if brain cells are hard to come by inside the Beltway.
posted by dw at 11:34 AM on July 5, 2006 [1 favorite]

Zombie Teddy Roosevelt would have my vote.

Hell, the disembodied head of Richard Nixon is looking like a viable alternative at this point.
posted by keswick at 11:35 AM on July 5, 2006

Mission Accomplished.
posted by psmealey at 11:37 AM on July 5, 2006

On that Sploid link, why does it refer to the bin laden "confession" video as clumsily doctored? Is there anything to this, beyond the usual tinfoil hatted lunacy?
posted by Pastabagel at 11:38 AM on July 5, 2006

Be patient. He'll turn himself in eventually. When the guilt gets to him. Mark my words.
posted by ColdChef at 11:38 AM on July 5, 2006

Well, that'll piss him off, anyway.
posted by Isabeau Sahen at 11:39 AM on July 5, 2006

What about Ramzi bin-Al Sheib's money transfers to the hijackers? Khalid Sheik Mohammed's confession to an Al Jazeera reporter? Puhleeeze.
posted by Ironmouth at 11:42 AM on July 5, 2006

I think ObL has been dead a long time, and the CIA knows it. But the longer he remained the boogeyman, the more often Bush could raise the cowardice level of the American public with the ZOMG TERROR signal via DHS.

Because if he is alive, well, the US military and intelligence agencies are incredibly useless if they can't capture a 7' tall Yemeni hiding in a cave. Given their track record regarding Iraqi WMD, I realize this is within the realm of possibility.

So here's a case where I'm happier to have my government lie to me than face the reality that for the billions of dollars spent on tanks and guns and computers and satellites, the US' intelligence capabilities are in league with those of the Keystone Kops.

And yeah, what doohickie said. Most Americans think Saddam was behind 9/11, so capturing ObL now wouldn't really give Bush any long-term boost in his polling. And with Zarqawi gone, we need to create new swarthy, bearded shibboleths anyways.
posted by bardic at 11:43 AM on July 5, 2006

Tricky reverse psychology! That'll get him for sure!
posted by Freen at 11:44 AM on July 5, 2006

Bardic: So what you are saying is, either they are incompetent, or they've been lying to us in order to keep people afraid and voting republican?
posted by Freen at 11:46 AM on July 5, 2006

A shibboleth is a word, not a person.

In the days after 9/11 Bush was told that declaring war on Osama was peanuts compared to declaring war on terror in general. Terror is also still at large.
posted by mattbucher at 11:47 AM on July 5, 2006

The post also links to news that the FBI has "no hard evidence" connecting Bin Laden to the 9/11 attacks.

Not sure lack of "hard evidence" is all that significant, in light of the fact that he's already acknowledged his involvement:

"Since Zacarias Moussaoui was still learning how to fly, he wasn't No 20 in the group, as your government has claimed."
***
"Brother Moussaoui was arrested two weeks before the events, and if he had known something - even very little - about the September 11 group, we would have informed the leader of the operation, Mohammad Atta, and the others to leave America before being discovered."
***
"All the prisoners to date have no connection to the September 11 events or knew anything about them, except for two of the brothers."
***
"Our brothers in Guantánamo ... have no connection whatsoever to the events of September 11."

They don't have hard evidence -- they haven't found his fingerprints or a check made out to Mohammad Atta. And if you actually read the article, the "hard evidence" piece is only relevant to the fact that the government doesn't list the 9/11 attacks on the bin Laden "most wanted" poster. But who knows? Maybe that means he's innocent!

Death was too good for Ken Lay and Osama bin Laden is being unfairly criticized. A banner day for MetaFilter.
posted by pardonyou? at 11:47 AM on July 5, 2006

If "they" equals ranking Bush and Republican operatives, yes. It's pretty obvious, isn't it?
posted by bardic at 11:48 AM on July 5, 2006

More here and here. Related but off-topic item the CIA thinks that late October 2004 ObL tape helped defeat Kerry.

Not that I have anything against "Sploid," but somehow "according to the New York Times" sounds more, uh, like journalism. This does rather explain why we haven't caught him, doesn't it?

Vote Zombie Teddy Roosevelt in 2008!
posted by ilsa at 11:49 AM on July 5, 2006

bardic: Sweet.

And by "Sweet" I mean: "God, I think I'm going to hurl."
posted by Freen at 11:50 AM on July 5, 2006

So, now we can turn the terror alert color to blue? Oh, we're not using that anymore? Someone please tell what I need to be afraid of.
posted by ninjew at 11:52 AM on July 5, 2006

bin laden is the Tupac Shakur of dead terrorists.
posted by StrasbourgSecaucus at 11:52 AM on July 5, 2006

You know, I heard the re-election of George Bush was the best thing that could have ever happened to Al Qaeda and bin Laden. Their recruitment numbers have never been better with Bush in charge. What does that say about our "leader"?

And let's not forget the deep financial ties between the Bush's and the bin Ladens. It might be awkward at the next board meeting if Georgie killed one of his business partner's kids (even if he is responsible for the 9/11 attacks, heck, he only killed people George didn't know!).
posted by fenriq at 11:55 AM on July 5, 2006

the US military and intelligence agencies are incredibly useless if they can't capture a 7' tall Yemeni hiding in a cave.
dragging a dialasis machine behind him.
posted by Balisong at 11:56 AM on July 5, 2006

I hate to be doing callouts, but seriously crappy post. Sploid? One-link? Ugh. Not helpful.
posted by Heminator at 11:59 AM on July 5, 2006

Or he could be already found, in a hole in GITMO, and they're just waiting a week before the midterm to announce his capture.
posted by DenOfSizer at 12:03 PM on July 5, 2006

Heminator, You act as if the sploid article isn't filled full of links to real news articles.
posted by Balisong at 12:09 PM on July 5, 2006

You know, fenriq, I've heard just the opposite. My sources tell me that that Al Kay Duh was the best thing that could have ever happened to George Bush and the Republicans. Their recruitment numbers have never been better with Al Kay Duh on the loose. What does that say about our "leader"?
posted by three blind mice at 12:10 PM on July 5, 2006

Or maybe it's a great way to get people to go to Sploid.. which is for sale..
posted by AloneOssifer at 12:15 PM on July 5, 2006

Teddy Roosevelt would be better than the crooks in office,

HAHAHA!

Yeah, I can see all you bleeding hearts BITCHING about all the lives lost needlessly just to build some goddamn CANAL tso all his cronies can make more money.
posted by HTuttle at 12:17 PM on July 5, 2006

The headline's misleading, since they disbanded the search team last year. From the New York Times article:

The unit, known as Alec Station, was disbanded late last year and its analysts reassigned within the C.I.A. Counterterrorist Center, the officials said.

posted by kirkaracha at 12:22 PM on July 5, 2006

God, that's an awful article.

There's no indication whatsoever that the CIA has "given up" on the search for bin Laden. They have, however, disbanded a group tasked with searching for him. This doesn't mean that finding him doesn't remain a priority for the CIA overall. In fact, it could be seen as a positive sign, since the group which has been disbanded was clearly ineffective.

I'm not claiming that any of this is true, but there sure as hell isn't any way to get to anything resembling an impartial truth given the (awful) links provided.

Balisong writes "Heminator, You act as if the sploid article isn't filled full of links to real news articles."

Like that insane op-ed in the Ithica Journal? Yeah, that's "real news".
posted by mr_roboto at 12:22 PM on July 5, 2006

1758 days, 3 hours, 41 minutes, 5 seconds...
posted by homunculus at 12:23 PM on July 5, 2006

three blind mice, it has worked well for both of them, almost like they worked together........

And it says that our "leader" did, in fact and in complete contradiction to his public statements, politically capitalize on 9/11 and use it to beat, scare and otherwise sheepify the nation into reelecting him against (arguably) most of the country and the world's better judgement.
posted by fenriq at 12:23 PM on July 5, 2006

I started by composing a post about the revelation yesterday that the CIA had disbanded its Bin Laden search unit a year ago, while collecting links I discovered Spoid had already done the job for me, so I linked there. Yes there are some questionable sources but there is also real news, all wrapped up nicely. Apologies if it did not meet the standards of the Heminator (whose last post was the Rove non-Indictment with three links to basically the exact same story) and others, but I truly thought it was interesting and well presented by Sploid.
posted by cell divide at 12:27 PM on July 5, 2006

It was a good post. It pointed out how American news services pretty much avoided the story.
posted by wfc123 at 12:49 PM on July 5, 2006

wfc123 writes "It pointed out how American news services pretty much avoided the story."

Yeah, except for these 350, including Reuters, CBS, the Washington Post, the Voice of America, MSNBC, and the New York Times.
posted by mr_roboto at 12:55 PM on July 5, 2006

"why does it refer to the bin laden "confession" video as clumsily doctored"
the video shows a much chubbier man writting with the wrong hand and wearing a gold ring (no no for muslims).
posted by Tryptophan-5ht at 12:57 PM on July 5, 2006

I assumed that if he was killed, he would be more of a rallying point as a martyr than if he just faded away into the dust of Asia.
posted by The Jesse Helms at 1:01 PM on July 5, 2006

it has worked well for both of them, almost like they worked together........

Birds of a feather, fenriq. May they be each other's sex slaves in hell.
posted by three blind mice at 1:01 PM on July 5, 2006

God, that's an awful article.

Seconded (thirded?).

Yes there are some questionable sources but there is also real news, all wrapped up nicely.

Nicely? Really? I see links to bad sources and an article that misinterprets the reporting of the good sources.
posted by frogan at 1:01 PM on July 5, 2006

Death was too good for Ken Lay and Osama bin Laden is being unfairly criticized. A banner day for MetaFilter.

a few people's comments != MetaFilter
posted by Hat Maui at 1:02 PM on July 5, 2006

I'm with Roboto. That article was pretty craptastic.

NPR, of all mainstream things, scooped this months ago. C'mon.

And OBL is very much alive as the numerous recordings and videos would seem to indicate. He may be dead in terms of authority and validity as an operator on the ground. But that's pretty much how he designed AQ. It's a virus not an organization. And we are spreading it quite nicely for him.
posted by tkchrist at 1:03 PM on July 5, 2006

Ha ha, you all read a Sploid post!
posted by kenlayne at 1:11 PM on July 5, 2006

Ha ha, you all read a Sploid post!

This is Metafilter kenlayne, no one reads the links.
posted by three blind mice at 1:20 PM on July 5, 2006

Bin Laden has been dead for years. This is just a way to quietly step away, taking advantage of the collective amnesia of the people. Here is an article on Fox news (of all places). Notice the date? I can't believe the link is still there. Here is a collection of info including Osama's obituary.
posted by augustweed at 1:22 PM on July 5, 2006

any translators out there?


posted by augustweed at 1:42 PM on July 5, 2006

You guys realize sploid is a humor site, right? The stories linked is real, but the write-ups are always intended to be a joke.

Next on metafilter, jesus is gay!
posted by phatboy at 2:09 PM on July 5, 2006

Yeah, I can see all you bleeding hearts BITCHING about all the lives lost needlessly just to build some goddamn CANAL tso all his cronies can make more money.

Hmm.

Foment a rebellion in a sovereign nation in order to clear way for canal that would bring trillions in trade

or

Invade a country without a clear post-victory plan and micromanage the occupation while the insurgency gains footing and bogs this country down in trillions of war debt.

Zombie Teddy all the way.
posted by dw at 2:13 PM on July 5, 2006

Next on metafilter, jesus is gay!

Hey maybe he is! Christians sure tend to believe he didn't have sex with women.
posted by augustweed at 2:38 PM on July 5, 2006

Jesus wasn't gay, but all that attention paid to washing the feet of his followers, i.e., pedicures? Definitely metrosexual.
posted by bardic at 2:51 PM on July 5, 2006

The Ithaca Journal article is quite interesting: there's no federal indictment for 9/11? Wow.

Is this so? Damned interesting if true.

Of course, the FBI does 95% of their successful prosecutions on cases where they had a snitch inside from the beginning or a witness walked in and handed it to them on a silver platter. All this nonsense about "detective work" has no relation to reality.

Witness the fact that the assassination of a US Attorney in Seattle is a dead-end case. To date, the case's been a complete bust and has been transfered from the Seattle office to Portland (currently the golden boys for their success in generating the "ecoterror" panic.)

Fah.
posted by warbaby at 3:05 PM on July 5, 2006

Osama bin Laden claiming that he was behind 9-11 does not necessarily mean he actually was. People get irrationally infuriated when someone mentions 9-11 conspiracy theories, but the truth is that there are a huge number of unanswered questions about that day. As huge of an impact as it had, we still don't completely understand what happened.

Also, terrorists often try to take the credit for others' acts of terrorism. It's like how some organizations have renamed themselves "Al Qaeda" or some other variation thereof.
posted by themadjuggler at 5:36 PM on July 5, 2006

The terrahists win!
posted by Doohickie at 6:38 PM on July 5, 2006

bin laden is the Tupac Shakur of dead terrorists.

You mean he's going to plan more terror attacks after he dies then he did while he was still alive?
posted by Afroblanco at 8:35 PM on July 5, 2006

You're mistaking Tupac for Biggie.
posted by chunking express at 12:20 PM on July 6, 2006

news that the FBI has "no hard evidence" connecting Bin Laden to the 9/11 attacks.

Okay. So, ... great. Now we learn that we had no reason to invade Afghanistan either?
posted by psmealey at 12:52 PM on July 6, 2006