No good intel on Osama bin Laden in years: Gates

[sonicboom]

No Bin Laden information in years, says Gates


The US has had no reliable information on the whereabouts of al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in years, US Defence Secretary Robert Gates has admitted.

Mr Gates told ABC News in remarks to be broadcast on Sunday: "Well, we don't know for a fact where Osama Bin Laden is. If we did, we'd go get him."

Last week a Taliban detainee in Pakistan said he had information that Bin Laden was in Afghanistan this year.

But Mr Gates said he could not confirm that information.

When asked by ABC's This Week programme when the US last had a fix on the al-Qaeda leader, Mr Gates said: "I think it's been years."

He could not confirm the details of the Taliban detainee, who claimed to have met Osama Bin Laden numerous times before 9/11.

The detainee said that in January or February he met a trusted contact who had seen Bin Laden about 15 to 20 days earlier in Afghanistan.

Bin Laden had previously been thought to be on the Pakistan side of the border with Afghanistan.

But the detainee said that militants were avoiding Pakistani territory because of the risk of US drone attacks.

The detainee said Bin Laden was well.

BBC News - No Bin Laden information in years, says Gates

 

[deathfromabove]

In light of the above report view these excerpts:

CIA Director in June 09:

CIA Director Leon Panetta said on Thursday the U.S. intelligence agency believes al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is hiding in Pakistan and hopes joint operations with Pakistani forces will find him.

Asked whether he was sure that bin Laden was in Pakistan, Panetta told reporters: "The last information we had, that's still the case."

Bin Laden, who has eluded a U.S. manhunt since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has issued audio and videotapes over the years demonstrating that he is still alive.

Finding bin Laden is "one of our major priorities," Panetta said. "One of our hopes is that the Pakistanis move in militarily, combined with our operations, we may be able to have a better chance" to find the al Qaeda leader, he said.

Panetta said al Qaeda "remains the most serious security threat" to the United States and its leaders, particularly in Pakistan, continue to plot against America.

CIA chief says bin Laden in Pakistan

Hillary in her recent visit to Pakistan:

“Al-Qaida has had safe haven in Pakistan since 2002. … I find it hard to believe that nobody in your government knows where they are and couldn’t get them if they really wanted to.”

Brown in Nov 09:

“We have got to ask ourselves why, eight years after September 11, nobody has been able to spot or detain or get close to Osama bin Laden. Nobody has been able to get close to Zawahiri, the No 2 in al-Qaeda. And we have got to ask the Pakistan authorities and security services, army and politicians, to join us in the major effort the world is committing resources to, not only to isolate al-Qaeda, but to break them in Pakistan. If we are putting our strategy into place, Pakistan has to show that it can take on al-Qaeda.”

Brown urges Pakistan to take out Osama bin Laden

And tonnes and tonnes of others. By way of deception, thou shalt wage war.

 

[PAFAce]

Exhibit A
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No good intel on Osama bin Laden in years: Gates

Updated at: 1012 PST, Sunday, December 06, 2009

Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the United States has not had good intelligence on the whereabouts of terrorist Osama bin Laden in years.

Gates made the comment in an interview to be aired Sunday on a US television.

Asked whether he could confirm recent reports that bin Laden had been seen recently in Afghanistan, Gates said "no." Media reports late this week mentioned accounts of unconfirmed bin Laden sightings in recent weeks.
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Exhibit B
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Barrack Hussain Obama, President of the United States, in the Afghan Strategy address:
Dec 1,2009

We will strengthen Pakistan's capacity to target those groups that threaten our countries, and have made it clear that we cannot tolerate a safe-haven for terrorists whose location is known, and whose intentions are clear.
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Exhibit C
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Osama Bin Laden Is In Pakistan: CIA Chief
8:37pm UK, Thursday June 11, 2009

US intelligence chief Leon Panetta was asked by reporters whether he was sure that Bin Laden was in Pakistan.

Mr Panetta replied: "The last information we had, that's still the case."

The US spy agency hopes to close in on him as Pakistan's military cracks down on the tribal area where he is thought to be hiding.

Bin Laden, who has eluded a US manhunt since the terror attacks on September 11, 2001, has issued audio and videotapes over the years demonstrating he is still alive.

Mr Panetta said finding bin Laden is "one of our major priorities."

He added: "One of our hopes is that the Pakistanis move in militarily, combined with our operations, we may be able to have a better chance" to find him.
__________________________

Clear as Chrystal, eh? Absolutely nothing confusing about this at all. It's us, Pakistanis, who are sending mixed signals. Right?