7 Years Later, No Closer To Bin Laden

Al Qaeda Leader Proves Adept At Evading U.S. Tactics, Which Are Causing New Problems

(CBS)  Seven years after Sept. 11, 2001, in spite of President Bush's vows, the mastermind of the deadliest terrorist attacks on American soil, Osama bin Laden, is still at large and leading a resurgent al Qaeda.

Since that day, al Qaeda has struck in Madrid, London, Bali, and Casablanca, reports CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar. The group has claimed more than a dozen terror attacks around the world and many hundreds more in Iraq and Afghanistan, leaving thousands of dead and wounded.

"These attacks are stark reminders that the threat of terrorism is real and still a danger to the entire world," said Maj. Gen. Robert Cone, the U.S. military commander in Afghanistan.

Thursday morning at Camp Eggers, near Kabul, Afghanistan, U.S. soldiers closest to the hunt for bin Laden remembered the people killed seven years ago in Washington and New York.

The last time the U.S. knew for certain bin Laden's whereabouts, he was leading the battle at Tora Bora. He slipped away, into the mountains along the border shared by Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The conventional wisdom is that that is where he remains - probably in Pakistan, but the trail is very cold.

"He's a good survivalist, a skilled survivalist," explains Kenneth Katzman of the Congressional Research Service. "He reads about what the U.S. methods are and he's obviously working very hard to defeat those methods. He's using personal messengers. He's not on a cell phone."

U.S. tactics have shifted, now the American military is using Predator drones to spy from the air, focusing on the tribal area in northwestern Pakistan.

Hellfire missile attacks, launched from Predators, have more than tripled against targets inside Pakistan - a renewed effort to break al Qaeda's central command and deny them shelter with their Taliban allies across the border in Afghanistan.

The New York times reports this morning that after months of internal debate, President Bush has secretly approved orders that for the first time, permit U.S. Special Forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of Pakistan's government.

A commando operation in Pakistan last week is reported to have involved more than two dozen Navy SEALs, who spent hours on the ground.

Pakistan's government says the raid resulted in many civilian deaths. What is for certain, the attack has angered a government that is sensitive about its sovereignty.

[lasercat-2009]

"In December 2001, Gary Berntsen was the CIA field commander for the agency''s Jawbreaker team at Tora Bora. In his 2005 book, Jawbreaker, he alleges that Osama bin Laden could have been captured at Tora Bora if the US military (specifically CENTCOM) had devoted more resources to the operation." Bob Woodward

[lasercat-2009]

Iraqis "strongly opposed to presence of coalition troops - 82%

Iraqis who believe Coalition forces are responsible for any improvement in security - less than 1%

Iraqis who feel less ecure because of the occupation - 67%

Iraqis who do not have confidence in multi-national forces - 72%

[lasercat-2009]

Iraqi Civilians Killed, Estimated - A UN issued report dated Sept 20, 2006 stating that Iraqi civilian casualties have been significantly under-reported. Casualties are reported at 50,000 to over 100,000, but may be much higher. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian casualities at over 600,000.

Iraqi Insurgents Killed, Roughly Estimated - 55,000

[lasercat-2009]

4,152 US Soldiers Killed, 30,568 Seriously Wounded $800 million spent. Looking for one guy. Maybe we could use a different approach? Or four more years of looking in the wrong country.

[longtree-2009]

Often wondered why someone with the wealth of a Gates or Buffet hasn''t offered a 1 Billion, tax free, reward for Bin Laden dead or alive? The wars cost something like 12 billion a month so wondering why the US hasn''t offered a 1 Billion, tax free, reward for Bin Laden dead or alive. For a 1 Billion, tax free, reward Bin Laden could not find a place to hide anywhere and certainly not for 7 years.

[airboatboy1]

Bin Laden is smarter than Bush. But that doesn''t say much for Bin Laden.

Well if it''''s true that Clinton could have had Bin Laden three times, why not put the blame on him. Maybe wouldn''''t have had to go throught 9/11. These terroists have been around before Bush, so why not put the blame where it belongs?

Posted by ampsanne
-----------------

I see these assertion from time to time. But I have yet to see even the slightest shred of credible evidence that it''s true.
Meanwhile I''ve seen and read a mountain of evidence that the idiot-son ignored warnings about Bin Laden in the first months of his administration. Also, mountains of evidence that the neo-cons were plotting the invasion of Iraq before the 2000 election. Just needed some triggering event. Hmmm.
Tough to deny two things
1. 9/11 happened on the idiot-sons watch.
2. The idiot-son hasn''t collared his sorry a** in 7 years. And he''s had an army on the ground over there to do it with, too.

GW Bush - Washington, D.C., March 13, 2002:

"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."

[eddynewhope]

Bin Laden still at large, US military in shambles stuck in Iraq, US looked upon as "oppressor" by rest of world, US economy stumbling, gas at $4/gallon, unemployment at 6% and rising, etc. etc. and the jagoff Bushies/McCains/Palins are talking about "lipstick on a pig". Have you no shame? Are you not humiliated by your party''s failed leadership? Of course not.

ampsanne at 10:59 PM : Sep 11, 2008 wrote:

"Well if it''''s true that Clinton could have had Bin Laden three times, why not put the blame on him. Maybe wouldn''''t have had to go throught 9/11. These terroists have been around before Bush, so why not put the blame where it belongs?"

Bush Senior?

[govwatch-2009]

What makes you think Binny is still alive? There has been no proof.

[hawksprings]

Why doesn''t the headline say
"7 Years Later And No Mushroom Clouds Over US Cities"?

[minnick8-2009]

Bin Laden is so cute. When he finally dies in his jihad as a martyr, he will go to Islamic Heaven to receive his 76 virgins. Oh, if only I could be one of them. Oops, I''m out of luck, I''m not a virgin. Come to think of it; I thank God every day that I''m not a virgin. Can you imagine dying a virgin, going to Heaven and finding out your reward is to be in the harem of a terrorist? Now that is what I call h e l l.

[minnick8-2009]

These terroists have been around before Bush, so why not put the blame where it belongs?

Posted by ampsanne

Yes, that would certainly be refreshing.

[minnick8-2009]

ya think bushworld is bad? wait until you have Sta....er.....Palin world.

Posted by ainttaken

You think bushworld is bad? Wait till you have HoBama, the most left-wing liberal candidate that has ever run for President of the United States.

[minnick8-2009]

ADIOS!

Posted by lolatu

Don''t let the door hit you in the rear on the way out.

[ampsanne]

Well if it''s true that Clinton could have had Bin Laden three times, why not put the blame on him. Maybe wouldn''t have had to go throught 9/11. These terroists have been around before Bush, so why not put the blame where it belongs?

[minnick8-2009]

Wasn''t bin laden offered up to Bill Clinton and he did nothing because he didn''t see bin laden as a threat?

[emelder]

One day, we''ll probably learn that he''s been hiding out in Saudi Arabia all this time ... and that he traveled there with U.S. help ... think about the Michael Moore movie that told of over a hundred members of Bin Laden''s family flying out of America (just after 9/11)while all planes were grounded. We haven''t even gotten part of the truth about Bin Laden. Bet you anything Saudi Arabia is involved somehow in hiding him!!!

[ichbinvash]

Well this is a joke...Bin Laden has been to the US at least twice since 9/11..He has family in the US and his parents own like half of New York sooooo....I think there is more than we can imagine going on right now...whether it was an inside job or not I can''t say but we can find bin-laden if the CIA has brought him here since then...think about that