# CIA disbands unit set up to hunt for bin Laden



## The Bread Guy (4 Jul 2006)

Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act - http://www.cb-cda.gc.ca/info/act-e.html#rid-33409

*CIA disbands unit set up to hunt for bin Laden *  
David Morgan, Reuters, 4 Jul 06
http://tinyurl.com/mhppg 

*C.I.A. Closes Unit Focused on Capture of bin Laden  * 
MARK MAZZETTI, New York Times, 4 Jul 06
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/04/washington/04intel.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The CIA has disbanded a unit set up in the 1990s to oversee the spy agency's hunt for Osama bin Laden and transferred its duties to broader operations that track Islamist militant groups, a U.S. intelligence official said on Tuesday.

The bin Laden unit, codenamed Alec Station, became less valuable as a separate operation as counterterrorism operations eliminated top al Qaeda operatives and the movement's focus shifted more to regional networks of militants, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

"Al Qaeda is no longer the hierarchical organisation that it was before 9-11. Three-quarters of its senior leaders have been killed or captured," said the official, referring to the U.S.-led response to the September 11 attacks.

"What you have had since 9-11 is growth in the Islamic jihadist movement around the world among groups and individuals who may be associated with al Qaeda, and may have financial and operation links with al Qaeda, but have no command and control relationship with it," he added.

The official described the ending of the bin Laden unit as a "reallocation of resources" within the CIA's Counterterrorism Centre. But he said the spy agency still has staff devoted full time to the tracking and analysis of intelligence related to bin Laden and other senior al Qaeda leaders.

"The bin Laden effort has been absorbed into a larger effort. It's now one part of an effort that looks at all of these jihadist organisations," the official said.

Alec Station, established in 1996 after bin Laden's initial calls for global jihad, employed about two dozen people. The operation was bolstered after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington that killed about 3,000 people.

The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the bin Laden unit was disbanded late last year and quoted its first director, author Michael Scheuer, as predicting the move would denigrate the CIA's effort to find bin Laden.

Bin Laden and his second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri, are believed hiding in the mountains along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.

John Negroponte, the U.S. director of national intelligence, told the Senate in February that al Qaeda was a "battered" organisation but that it remained the top concern for the intelligence community.

Negroponte noted the rise of other organisations inspired by al Qaeda. But he told the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence: "These groups pose less danger to the United States homeland than does al Qaeda, but they increasingly threaten our allies and interests abroad and are working to expand their reach and capabilities."

The Times said the decision to close the CIA's bin Laden unit was made by former Counterterrorism Centre chief Robert Grenier, who decided the agency needed to reorganise to better address constant changes in terrorist organisations.


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## Centurian1985 (6 Jul 2006)

I smell bullshit - not you, but the way that this article portrays this news.  UBL is still a big target for the GWOT.  There must something more going on...


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## techie (6 Jul 2006)

I read in the paper recently(i dont remember which) that the US, working through the Jordainian secret service, had talks with some of the top Al-qaeda people to take out Abu Musab al-Zarqawi because he was becoming too powerful. When i find the article, ill link it.


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## chaos75 (6 Jul 2006)

I remember reading the same thing, it was reference a chat with one of Zarqawi's wives, who said that he was sold by AQ leadership because he was getting too powerful on world stage, so they gave him up and in return OBL would get a temporary reprieve from being hunted.  This was seen as ok because the US has deemed him less of a threat and no longer directly in charge of AQ operations.  

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20060703.walzarwife0703/BNStory/International/


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## Centurian1985 (7 Jul 2006)

This article (posted by Infanteer in another thread) would directly contradict what the CIA is saying. 

http://www.jamestown.org/news_details.php?news_id=186#


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## zipperhead_cop (7 Jul 2006)

Psi-ops, perhaps?


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