Bin Laden Expert: He's Winning
Former CIA Analyst Says New Video Shows West Is Losing Fight Against Al Qaeda, Warns Of New Threat
-
Play CBS Video Video Eye To Eye: Bin Laden On Tape
CBS News terror analyst Michael Scheuer talks to Katie Couric about what this latest video from bin Laden is saying to the U.S.
-
Video Bin Laden's Back
U.S. officials believe the voice on the latest Osama Bin Laden video is real; it includes unspecific threats to the U.S. Bob Orr reports.
-
Video Is Bin Laden In Pakistan?
David Martin reports that U.S. intelligence sources believe Osama Bin Laden is in an area of Pakistan where not even Pakistani troops are welcome.
-
Photo
Some intelligence experts say the new video featuring al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden contains no overt threats. But former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer believes such appraisals are incorrect. (AP)
-
Interactive
Bin Laden & Al Qaeda
Where al Qaeda operates, who's been caught, how they're financed and a timeline of attacks on Americans.
-
Interactive
Tales Of The Tapes
Excerpts and analysis of messages believed to have been recorded by Osama bin Laden.
-
Interactive
Sept. 11 And Since
Reflecting on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, the day that changed America.
So says the most wanted man in the world, Osama bin Laden, appearing in a new videotape which has surfaced nearly six years after the attacks of September 11, 2001.
In it, he rails against Western corporations, neoconservatives, and Democrats in Congress, telling Americans they had voted for Democrats to stop the war, but in his words, the majority party hasn’t made a move worth mentioning.
CBS News consultant Michael Scheuer, a former CIA analyst and author of "Imperial Hubris: Why the West Is Losing the War on Terror" and "Through Our Enemies' Eyes: Osama bin Laden, Radical Islam, and the Future of America" (Potomac), has been critical of the administration's efforts to capture bin Laden, and says the newly-released video shows an al Qaeda leader taunting the U.S. for failing to catch him.
Scheuer spent years tracking al Qaeda as the head of the CIA's bin Laden unit.
Discussing the video with CBS Saturday Early Show anchor Maggie Rodriguez, Scheuer said, "First of all, the setting is very relaxed, very comfortable. He is not in his camouflaged jacket. There's no rifle. What he is trying to say is that he is under no pressure from the Americans. The Americans are failing in their effort to kill him, and in their effort to destroy al Qaeda."
Of our progress in battling al Qaeda, Scheuer said, "It points directly to the fact that we failed utterly in Afghanistan to send enough either intelligence officers or military people.
"You know, we have about 30,000 troops there, and we've asked them to defeat the Taliban, keep President Karzai's government in power, build a democracy, eradicate the opium industry - and in their spare time go after Osama bin Laden."
The mere appearance of bin Laden, four years after the last new video recording and six years after the 9/11 attacks, "is the reminder of a failed policy."
The tape's script seems calculated to authenticate its currency by including pointed references to the British Prime Minister Gordon Brown and French President Nicolas Sarkozy, both of whom took office earlier this year.
Informed sources tell CBS News they now believe he is holed up in a rugged no-man's land in Northern Pakistan.
"Well, I think they're blowing a little bit of smoke," Scheuer said. "They have to say something now that he is back in the public eye, but if you look at the territory, it is impossible to find any single person up there, and we don't have enough people to do it, and we respect Pakistan's sovereignty. I guess they're not going to go into Pakistan."
Bin Laden makes mention of Scheuer's writings, saying in the tape, "If you would like to get to know what some of the reasons for your losing your war against us, then read the book by Michael Scheuer."
Scheuer said the referral makes the point that the former CIA analyst communicates what recent American presidents have not said about the nation's war against Islamic fundamentalism.
"The war is motivated on the enemy's side by the impact of our policies," he said. "It's not about democracy. It's not about women's rights. It's not about freedom or elections. It has everything to do with the impact of our foreign policy in the Muslim world. It's not to say that our policy is wrong, it's simply to try to understand the motivation of your enemy."
The Intel Center, an independent analysis group which has studied the tape, said that bin Laden makes
But Scheuer is not convinced.
"The Intel Center is almost always right," he said. "I think there's an overwhelming threat in it. Bin laden, again, offered us a chance to convert to Islam, which is required in their religion before they attack us. So to say there's no threat in this message is just 180 degrees incorrect."
And the timing of the message, on the eve of the anniversary of the September 11 attacks, "is not a coincidence at all."
"He is gloating. They think they're winning, and I think they're probably correct at the moment."
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 13
- next
See all 622 CommentsSure sounds like it.
If it walk likes a duck........
...
Exactly!!! He''s winning because Bu$h is doing exactly what he wants. Bin Laden''s long-stated goal was to draw us into a quagmire and have us waste money and lives until we were totaly broke and defeated. Bu$h and his fellow idiots have given him a present beyond his wildest dreams.
While we''ve been distracted with Iraq, Bin Laden has been able to build his orginization and increase his power and influence around the world. He''s winning. All of our own intelligence agencies agree that Iraq has been a boom for Al Qaeda.
This is exactly what almost everyone is saying , except the Bush administration. Homeland Security is downplaying the threat in bin Laden''s tape because it highlights the failure of the Bush administration in executing it''s own self proclaimed "war on terror"
"It points directly to the fact that we failed utterly in Afghanistan to send enough either intelligence officers or military people.
"You know, we have about 30,000 troops there, and we''ve asked them to defeat the Taliban, keep President Karzai''s government in power, build a democracy, eradicate the opium industry - and in their spare time go after Osama bin Laden."
The mere appearance of bin Laden, four years after the last new video recording and six years after the 9/11 attacks, "is the reminder of a failed policy."
He may be winning as far as the moonbats are concerned, but his jihadi minions are winding up dead or captured by the thousands.
He''s not winning; he''s losing big time. Just like the liberals in America are losing their war against America.
That''s why he has to resort to the propaganda - that''s the only option he has left now.
But, why is he still alive if he is defeated? why is he not in the same place as Hussein if he has been defeated" why are we still hearing from him? Doesn''t that all seem very very strange if we have defeated him and his followers?
One_American
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Efforts to kill or capture al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden failed as he escaped a battle in December 2001 in the mountainous region of Tora Bora, which escape the Bush Administration later acknowledged resulted from a failure to commit enough U.S. ground troops. Bin Laden and al Qaeda''s number two leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as well as the leader of the Taliban, Mohammed Omar, remained at large as of July 2007.
robertkjjj
I noticed that all you did was attack the messenger. Do you disagree with anything specific in his assertions?
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
One_American/robertkjjj
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Dose of reality. The region where Osama is hiding has hundreds of miles of mountains and Thousands of caves. Osama''s psychotic beliefs drive him to live a harsh life cut off from most of the comforts and scrutiny of the modern world. It will be next to impossible to find him. Its NOBODY''S failure at this point. CLINTON had years to take this piece of trash out BEFORE he went into hiding, but who takes the blame.. Bush of course. I said it before, and will say it again....
Democrats and their "followers" think in terms of the heart. Most republicans think out of logic. Think it out before you "people" open your mouths.
Clinton had a year and a half to get Bin Laden. Bu$h has spent 6 years and a trillion dollars chasing his tail.
Heres what Bu$h has had to say about Bin Laden:
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
"I want justice...There''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ''Wanted: Dead or Alive,''"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI
"I don''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''t care. It''s not that important. It''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Well, if the liberals in the country would get behind the war effort instead of constantly bashing the commander in chief, we would smash Bin Laden. Most of what Bin Laden says are liberal, moveon.org talking points. Bin Laden loves the Dems! Come on folks! When the Democrats sweep the US elections in 2008, the terrorists will have nothing to fear. They can plan bigger attacks and will eventually convince Americans to convert to Islam. When will we in the country start standing together to fight a common enemy?
Sure sounds like it.
If it walk likes a duck........
...
Sure sounds like it.
If it walk likes a duck........
...
Sure sounds like it.
If it walk likes a duck........
...
Sure sounds like it.
If it walk likes a duck........
...
I mean, c''mon - what better definition of "sheeple" can you have than a group of people who watch their leader screw up time and time again, and still blindly follow him?
He may be winning as far as the moonbats are concerned, but his jihadi minions are winding up dead or captured by the thousands.
He''s not winning; he''''s losing big time. Just like the liberals in America are losing their war against America.
That''s why he has to resort to the propaganda - that''s the only option he has left now.
That''s the only option that the liberal moonbats have as well.
dhadaway
Bu$h has spent 6 years and a trillion dollars chasing his tail.
Here''s what Bu$h has had to say about Bin Laden:
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
"I want justice...There''''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, ''''Wanted: Dead or Alive,''''"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI
"I don''''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''''t care. It''''s not that important. It''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Like Jesus needs an army composed of mixed with non-Christians and sinners to fight for his landing pad. Bush and Co. were convinced that by protecting Israel''s back by going after the terrorists Iraq was supporting not Osama & Co. but those in Saddam was giving some $ to martyrs living in So. Lebanon and the West Bank, they were doing God''s will. What idiots.
They thought they saw a sign of God''s will pointing to support of Israel. They conveniently ignore possible signs of God''s discontent like the space shuttle with the first Israeli astronaut exploding over Bush''s state of Texas and significant parts falling in or near Pallestine, TX.
Osama got his lesson from God in Tora Bora and may have learned. We didn''t. We could have made a quicker effort of going after him if we committed troops to where they needed to be
in Afghanistan.
I bet more Iraqis have died in our occupation of Iraq than in all of Saddam''s reign (not counting the war with Iran). Saddam was bad or even evil but he was in a box and the only people he was bothering on a significant level were the Israelis otherwise he was in a box.
This guy doesn''t even look like Bin Laden.
What is there to identify the speaker as Bin Laden; a grainy photograph, a predictable message, and the assurances of the Bushit administration that there is a "voice identification"?
If we hear from Bin Laden again, it will probably be in a more tangible way. Meanwhile, Bushit and the neoconscum have blown a trillion dollars on a credit card war, while giving the Billionaire War Profiteers a fat tax cut.
One_American
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Don''t cut and run like a coward. Answer the questions if you truly believe what you say.
He may be winning as far as the moonbats are concerned, but his jihadi minions are winding up dead or captured by the thousands.
He''s not winning; he''s losing big time. Just like the liberals in America are losing their war against America.
That''s why he has to resort to the propaganda - that''s the only option he has left now.
That''s the only option that the liberal moonbats (like the crazed, barking ones posting on this comment section) have as well.
He may be winning as far as the moonbats are concerned, but his jihadi minions are winding up dead or captured by the thousands.
He''s not winning; he''s losing big time. Just like the liberals in America are losing their war against America.
That''s why he has to resort to the propaganda - that''s the only option he has left now.
That''s the only option that the liberal moonbats (like the crazed, barking ones posting on this comment section) have as well.
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
"I want justice...There''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive,"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI
"I don''''''''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''''''''t care. It''''''''s not that important. It''''''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
Posted by sblake63
It all becomes clear, when neoconscum actually learn to "think". However, we believe that neoconscum are people, stupid, vicious people to be sure, but people, *******.
The fact is that Bin Laden is far, far too useful to the Bushits on the loose. I mean, they caught Saddam, hanged him, but the ungrateful American people are not still worshiping at the clay feet of the Great Decider even now, a few months later. Ingratitude to the Great Decider!
No, Osama is much more useful to neoconscum alive than dead.
It''s the same understanding as to why there is little "progress" in Iraq. There is not supposed to be "progress", as the neoconscum plan is a permanent occupation of Iraq. Continued instability, as in Korea, is needed as a plausible cover for that policy.
So get used to the yearly "message from Bin Laden", whether it really comes from him or not.
BUSHISMS ON BIN LADEN:
"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him."
- G.W. Bush, 9/13/01
"I want justice...There''s an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, "Wanted: Dead or Alive,"
- G.W. Bush, 9/17/01, UPI
"I don''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''t care. It''s not that important. It''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
Where is Bin Laden?
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks?
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
--- Where the hell do you get off with this American hating Amereica BS --
-- You Love Failures & Lies - You think Dishonor & incompetentleadership is a standard for success -----
---- Take it elswhere & bury your head in shame & disgrace.
Where is Bin Laden?
Best intelligence estimates say he is in western Pakistan, hiding in a remote mountainous region, surrounded and protected by lawless tribes. Pakistan is, however, soverign nation, and an ally in the war on terror which makes it difficult for us to kill or capture him, but he is not, as you say, "running free". That is completely erroneous.
Why is he still allowed to roam free, build his organization, and plan more attacks? See above. Also, what proof do you have that he is currently planning attacks? That argument is dead until you come up with something more substantive than a wild-assed guess.
What did Iraq have to do with 9/11 and why are we borrowing a trillion dollars to be there?
For the last ****** time, idiot - Saddam and his WORLD-WIDE-KNOWN-WMD-PROGRAM was known as a threat to everyone, including the U.S. Nobody has ever made the claim that Saddam was directly responsible for 9/11, so purge that idiotic garbage from you deadbeat brain, moron. That is a dead and rotting meme you are peddaling.
Posted by glossypan at 10:54 AM : Sep 08, 2007
________________________________
Lmao. You mean most democratic voters are blue collar workers who dont have access to computers because they are out on some job site with a shovel or they are like "sir do you want fries with that?". Most educated workers do their work via a computer or at least have access to one as part of their job. There''s your resson glossypan !
Go back out to the construction site now dude and let us do the driving ok? :)
You can bury your head a little farther up your butt, Gilligan. I hope you brought your scuba tank with you.
So basicly you say that Bu$h can''t find Bin Laden because he''s hiding? Bu$h can''t stop him because he''s hiding in the back yard of an ALLY in the "war on terror"? Well you''ve made my case that both of you are idiots.
Wow WMD''s? What evidence do you have of this? Are these the same WMD''s that were stolen by the alien motherships? Perhaps you are talking about the famous yellow cake uranium?
Perhaps these famous Bushisms are more revealing about why Bin Laden is still free:
"I don''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''t care. It''s not that important. It''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
How do you explain that your message and the Bin Laden message are so similar?
If you really believe the trash talk against America by Bin Laden, aren''t you really saying you SUPPORT BIN LADEN?
Are you saying that Osama Bin Laden is CORRECT AND RIGHTOUS IN HIS ATTACK ON AMERICA?
Love to hear your explanation.
.............. Could it be that the upright and moral Republican crowd will steal time and bandwidth from their employers to monitor and post on a news forum?
-- Stick yourself in a can of tuna & seal it up-
--- Bin Laden is running around because Bush Failed to "get em dead or alieve" -
-- You should have called Bush on his BS as soon as he said that.
One_American
Perhaps these famous Bushisms are more revealing about why Bin Laden is still free:
"I don''t know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don''t care. It''s not that important. It''''s not our priority."
- G.W. Bush, 3/13/02
"I am truly not that concerned about him."
- G.W. Bush, repsonding to a question about bin Laden''s whereabouts,
3/13/02 (The New American, 4/8/02)
How do you explain that your message and the Bin Laden message are so similar?
If you really believe the trash talk against America by Bin Laden, aren%u2019t you really saying you SUPPORT BIN LADEN?
Are you saying that Osama Bin Laden is CORRECT AND RIGHTOUS IN HIS ATTACK ON AMERICA?
Love to hear your explanation.
C''mon - don''t be afraid to say what you really feel...
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
...
- 13
- next
See all 622 Comments