Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Ex CIA chief Brennan on getting Bin Laden: high doubts, high risk

Ex CIA chief Brennan on getting Bin Laden: high doubts, high risk

On the eve of the ninth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, the CIA told president Barack Obama they had the best lead in years to find the mastermind, Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

They had tracked a high-level Al Qaeda courier to a house in Abbottabad, Pakistan, and believed it could take them to bin Laden. It turned out he was living there.


Former CIA director John Brennan, then Obama's chief counterterrorism advisor, told AFP about what he called the "most intense, secretive, and well-planned" operation of his career: the high risk Special Forces raid on May 1, 2011 that killed Bin Laden.

The CIA cautioned that its intelligence needed corroboration, yet there was excitement at the briefing over the possibility of finally getting America's most wanted fugitive.

"(We) aspired to find the man and to give those victims of 9/11 the justice they deserved," Brennan said.

Over the following months, CIA observers grew more convinced that a tall, bearded figure seen taking walks inside the compound -- they called him the "Pacer" -- was bin Laden, although they had no clear view of his face.

By late December, Obama was ready to act. Amid intense secrecy, White House officials began mulling an operation around a tabletop-sized model of the compound.

One choice -- a pinpoint missile strike -- could leave them without proof that they had killed bin Laden.

The second option, a helicopter assault on a moonless night, carried huge risks.

US soldiers could die in a firefight or be caught in a clash with Pakistani forces -- who weren't warned about the raid -- defending their territory against the incursion.

As preparations advanced in early 2011, a senior CIA bin Laden expert was 70 percent certain the Pacer was their man, while a separate "red team" review put the probability at only 40 percent.

But there was still no positive ID.

"We didn't have as much intelligence as we would have liked, certainly," Brennan said.

Still, he added, "there was nothing that contradicted the view that this was bin Laden. And that is what we were looking for, any indication that the Pacer was somebody other than bin Laden."

- 'Absolutely the right risk' -

On Thursday, April 28, 2011, Obama met senior officials in the underground White House Situation Room.

"Obama wanted to hear everybody's view," Brennan recalled. Those against the raid included defense secretary Robert Gates and then-vice president Joe Biden but most were in favor, in what they recognized was a "close call."

The next morning Obama gave the go-ahead for a Special Forces raid on Sunday afternoon, US time, as Brennan continued to review the plan.

"You keep going over and over in your mind, making sure that not only what you had done to date, but also what was going to happen the next day, that you were confident that every possible aspect of this was considered," Brennan told AFP.

Top security and defense officials gathered in the Situation Room on Sunday to prepare.

As the helicopters left Afghanistan for the 90-minute flight to Abbottabad, the officials drifted to a cramped side room where Brigadier General Brad Webb monitored the action on a laptop, communicating in real time with Special Operations chief Admiral Bill McRaven.

A famous White House photograph shows Obama, Biden, Brennan and the other officials crammed shoulder to shoulder around Webb, nervously watching video in silence as the raid unfolded.

One of the two helicopters had crash-landed, and a backup would have to fly in. There was no video feed from inside the compound itself.

After about 20 minutes, "McRaven got from the assaulters the phrase, 'Geronimo Geronimo,'" Brennan said. Bin Laden was dead.

The main reaction was relief, he recalled. "There was no clapping or applause or celebration. It was a sense of accomplishment."

Brennan recognizes that it was a risky operation.

"But as the president said, even if the chances were 50-50, it was a far, far better chance than the US ever had previously to get bin Laden," he said.

"It was absolutely the right risk to take at the right time."

More For You

Air India flight crash
Air India's Boeing 787-8 aircraft, operating flight AI-171 to London Gatwick, crashed into a medical hostel complex shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad on June 12.
Getty Images

Air India crash probe finds fuel to engines was cut off before impact

Highlights

 
     
  • Fuel to both engines of the Air India flight was cut off seconds before the crash
  •  
  • A pilot was heard questioning the other over the cut-off; both denied initiating it.
  •  
  • The Dreamliner crashed shortly after take-off from Ahmedabad, killing 260 people.
  •  
  • Investigators are focusing on fuel switch movement; full analysis may take months.

FUEL control switches to both engines of the Air India flight that crashed shortly after takeoff were moved from the "run" to the "cutoff" position seconds before the crash, according to a preliminary investigation report released early Saturday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

The Indian Navy and Coast Guard have consistently reported Chinese research vessel presence. (Representational image: Getty Images)

Chinese vessel tracked in Bay of Bengal after disabling identification system

A Chinese research vessel was detected operating in the Bay of Bengal near Indian waters while attempting to conceal its presence by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS), according to a report by The Economic Times, citing French maritime intelligence firm Unseenlabs.

The French company conducted a 16-day satellite-based survey tracking ships through radio frequency emissions. It monitored 1,897 vessels, with 9.6 per cent showing no AIS activity, indicating attempts to avoid detection. The survey raised concerns amid increased Chinese activity in the region.

Keep ReadingShow less
Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less