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Bergen: Decision To Fold Bin Laden Unit "Blew Me Away"

Coupla none-too-sanguine perspectives on the folding up of the CIA's bin Laden unit.

Michael Scheuer, the first head of the unit and now a ubiquitous talking head, on CBS:

"To dismantle the unit who chases that individual and that group seems to me a questionable decision."
"We've seen just in the last couple weeks that [bin Laden] can dominate the international media whenever he wants to, and he reached out and replaced [Abu Musab al-] Zarqawi with one of his own people. So the idea that he's not in control is simply a pipe dream."

And Peter Bergen (who wrote this fine piece for us a few years ago relating how the war in Iraq was diverting essential resources and energy from the hunt for bin Laden and the struggle against violent jihadism), on CNN:

[The decision to close down the unit] blew me away.... I mean... I'm sure there are good bureaucratic reasons for that, but I find it very -- I find it hard to understand that decision.
I mean, here is bin Laden now suddenly popping up with annoying regularity on these audiotapes, Ayman Al-Zawahri releasing more videotapes than Britney Spears, and they're closing down, you know, the bin Laden unit. I don't know -- I think, psychologically, that sends a terrible message.

Ayman Al-Zawahiri in tape that emerged on the first
anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings

Posted by Julian Brookes on 07/07/06 at 12:27 PM | E-mail | Print

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Comments

Ya don't suppose that Bin Laden serves a purpose to our fine folks in power, do ya?

Nahhh, couldn't be that.

Posted by: scott on 07/07/06 at 12:51 PM

I do suppose that. But I still don't see how that purpose is served by folding up the unit. Even if one cynically assumes the administration doesn't WANT to take out bin Laden, I can't imagine what dark purpose is served by their seeming to have GIVEN UP TRYING. Especially as he's clearly still playing an inspirational role.

Posted by: Julian Brookes on 07/07/06 at 3:37 PM

If you can't catch and kill him, we'll just ignore him and maybe God will take "care" of him. That seems to be the Bush Administration's thinking. It helps me to be a cynic when it comes to this Republican controled country.

Posted by: Clarence D. Smart on 07/08/06 at 6:22 PM

Scott said it in a most succinct and clear way, I wholeheartedly agree.

I would add, that this move by the Bushies adds great weight of proof to the idea that Bin Laden was never the issue anyway for the Bushies, Iraqi oil and the neocon need to dominate the US and the world were always the issues.

The nazi-fascist neocons are the greatest threat to America and 'we the people' are unable to stop them.

They and the 59 million Americans who put these people in complete control of our country have gotten what they wished for and now the devil will get his due.

When you dance with the devil he will own your soul and 59 million Americans have done just that.

Posted by: Bob DAmico on 07/09/06 at 5:17 PM

> The nazi-fascist neocons are the greatest threat to America and 'we the people' can't be bothered to get off our dead butts to stop them.

-- Fixed that for yah. :)

Posted by: Anon on 07/10/06 at 7:50 AM