Insider who helped bring down the house of bin Laden

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Insider who helped bring down the house of bin Laden

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• Publié par: ycyzadom
• Nombre de lectures: 82
• Langue: English

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TuesdayMay 3, 2011

NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR

First published 1831$1.50No. 54,156 (inc GST)

2976 innocent lives were lost on September 11, 2001 In Iraq and Afghanistan 7000 coalition troops and some 100,000 civilians have since died The wars combined have cost America $US1.2 trillion and counting Vengeance. t e n e t a c rr h m o e e r d i O s i s m A n abimaa e d ’s n c L bolgehtn cognosce t aitacedgaed econctivolle friorshwaen l cnoec h s t, e y o i ll e cai a n ul I n dr r c c a s on,t deylbi h w t , e i h t .eWrgeotGnediserpSUne lastiltsnaahinAhgft BARELY known beyond the world of the antiof thousands of Afghan civilians, and that country remains a counterterrorism and counterinsurgency nightmare. a bright, sunny morning in September 2001. As the iconic towers of the Bush insisted the world fall in orld Trade Centre crumbled behind his plan to invade Iraq – and sank into the earth of lower on the pretext of dictator Manhattan, the landmark Saddam Hussein having an Pentagon headquarters were set arsenal of weapons ablaze in Washington and almost of mass destruction which, 3000 civilian Americans died. For later, were proved not to exist. PAUL McGEOUGH those of us on the streets of New CHIEF CORRESPONDENT There, the price in blood ork that day it was impossible to and treasure was even more comprehend how the next 10 years might horrific. More than 4700 coalition unfold, but on Sunday there was a bookend forces lost their lives, and estimates of sorts when US forces dumped the body of Iraqi civilian losses range from of bin Laden at sea. 90,000 to a controversial figure of The haste with which the body of the 1 million. ’s mostwanted man was dropped at To his followers, bin Laden was as an undisclosed location blurs a decade of mystical as he was murderous in the history. These were the days, months eyes of most in the West. His and years during which the US was at the disappearance beneath the waves leaves forefront of a chaotic, and at times botched endless questions . . . about our recent campaign to snuff out bin Laden and his global terrorist movement. history as much as about bin Laden. In retaliation, Washington started a war Not least of these is why dispose of a in Afghanistan – so far, more than 2400 body that ought to be viewed by the world. coalition forces have died, along with tens Full story— Page 8  Insider who helped bring down the house of bin Laden than put out for collection. It Then last August the courier’snel were injured, although the off Bin Laden may have beenAmerica is walking tall with the was there, in Abbottabad, about home was found ‘‘not in a cave, noticials did not divulge what types of a wasp on the hide of anbody of the outlaw thrown over 50 kilometres northwest of right along the Afghanistan border, helicopters or how many were used, elephant, but he had athe saddle. Islamabad, that bin Laden had but in an affluent suburb less or how many personnel were vicious sting. EDITORIALPage 10 been living with his youngest wife than 40 miles from the capital,’’involved. and a small group of trusted aides. CHRISTOPHER KREMMERPage 5 ‘‘This operation was a surgicalthe official said. Australian embassies have But on Sunday US elite forces be ‘‘When we saw the compound, we raid by a small team designed to By ending his impunity, lieved to have been led by navy increased security amid fears of minimise collateral damage,’’ an were shocked by what we saw – an SIMON MANN Seals and involving CIA operatives the US has given itself a jolt reprisal attacks by al-Qaeda or its extraordinarily unique comofficial said. ‘‘Our team was on the WASHINGTON descended on the compound in pound.’’ US officials believed the compound for under 40 minutes of confidence. affiliates. helicopters, embarking on a fortress, built in 2005, was designed and did not encounter any local PETER HARTCHERPage 11 HIS end came not in the remote40minute firefight that left at least for the purpose of hiding bin Laden. authorities.’’ NEWSPage 7 mountains of Afghanistan but in a five dead, including the 54yearold With Mr Obama fully briefed, theOfficials said bin Laden was fortified threestorey compound leader of alQaeda, who was shot in operation to capture the world’s most involved in the fighting. ‘‘He did fivemetre high walls topped the head.age and capability. No AmericansOfficials told CNN the US mission termind of the September 11 attacks,wanted terrorist swung into its final Continued Page 7 barbed wire, not far from the‘‘Justice has been done,’’ the USwere harmed. They took care to was ordered to kill bin Laden onand a key assistant of Abu Faraj alstages. In the past six weeks the Oba Pakistan capital. President, Barack Obama, toldavoid civilian casualties. After a firesight. Libbi,the former No. 3 who was cap ma administration’s national secur ISSN 0312-6315 The milliondollar hideout had Americans in a latenight televisedfight they killed Osama bin LadenIntelligence forces had tracked histured in 2005. ity team met five times, including last few windows and guards manned address from the White House.and took custody of his body.’’inner circle but one in particular hadBy 2007 US intelligence officers Friday when the President gave the two security gates. It had no com‘‘Today, at my direction, theIn a latenight briefing in Wash caught their attention. Interrogationhad learnt the man’s name and ingoahead for the covert operation. munication links – no phone, no United States launched a targeted ington, officials gave sketchy details of alQaeda detainees had produced2009 they identified areas in Pakistan Officials said the Pakistan gov internet connection. operation against that compoundof the operation, which began as farthe attendant’s nickname who waswhere the courier and his brother ernment had not been informed. So security conscious were its in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A smallback as the early months after theone of bin Laden’s trusted couriers.operated. ‘‘They were very careful, Despite one helicopter suffering inhabitants that rubbish was burntteam of Americans carried out theterrorist attacks on New York and They identified him as a protege ofreinforcing belief that we were on themechanical problems, the opera 9 770312 631025 inside the compound’s walls ratheroperation with extraordinary courWashington on September 11, 2001. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the masright track,’’ an official said. tion went smoothly. No US person

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