WAR: CIA Claims to Know Much More about Bin Laden

CIA Director Porter Goss tells viewers of ABC's "Good Morning America" that the agency knows much more about Bin Laden and Al Zarqawi than it is able to tell the public. He also claims that methods used by the agency in interrogating prisoners "do not come close to torture."



I find this article quite interesting because the CIA usually does not discuss its operations. They must really be feeling the heat to have the Director answering questions on "Good morning America."

I have no doubts that they have information they cant reveal to the public, as that is the nature of intelligence agencies. However, with all the assets they have in place, I wonder why they havent been able to pinpoint Bin Laden after over four years. Is it possible that he is, indeed, dead? Or possibly being sheltered in a neighboring country and the US is working behind the scenes to avoid heating tensions up more than they already are?

In reference to the torture, I think that's been pretty well covered in other posts. If you want to call sleep deprivation and standing in one spot for hours torture, then you'd better shut down the Marine Corps boot camp and all of the US's survival training facilities, because we do it to our own every day in order to prepare them for the real world ordeals of war.

[edit on 29-11-2005 by snafu7700]

If the priority of finding Bin Laden was as high as it was for Saddam Hussein, they would have got him in Tora Bora. But resources were diverted to prepare for the war in Iraq.

edit: oops.

[edit on 11/29/2005 by Hal9000]

Al Qaeda leaders bin Laden and al-Zarqawi haven't been found "primarily because they don't want us to find them and they're going to great lengths to make sure we don't find them,"

I love this quote. You know, they are hiding on us and we can't find them cos they're hiding. Duh!

yup, pretty much your standard political double-speak. i just think its intriguing that goss would agree to an interview on national television regarding the WOT. there must be alot of pressure mounting on the CIA for him to discuss operations somewhat openly.

Wow, it's been what, over 4 years/1500 days now and the wanted posters for dialysultan bin forgotten, cane-hobbling cryptkeeper Zawahiri, and one-eyed Omar are yellowed and fading into the dusty annals of infamy, not to mention the daily evading masquerading escapading iniquitous ubiquitous special olympian Zarqawi. If the agency with their past billion$ & cutting-edge gadgetry can't capture these 'challenged' senior saladins behind the operation, I care not whatever alleged mid-level malevolent minion they serve up to secure next year's slush fund. In the real world employers expect real results for the salaries they pay-else one is fired, replaced, or demoted in pay - seems rules are inverted in the spooky dealings of the netherworld, and if any of these 'classified' successes we're constantly be strung along with were truly worth their weight than we'd have witnessed at least one of these turbaned heads on a stake by now instead of the daily judge judyesque antics of Saddam.

Here Goss is just reassuring us in a smug way that he is no international Eliot Ness, but deserves the continued funding as though he was.

yes, but can you really blame the CIA for the faults of the president? they pinpointed bin laden in bora bora, and the powers that be decided to let the afghanis take the lead in capturing him....whoops!

i'm not saying the agency doesnt have its faults, but you cant fix all the blame on them when the executive branch fails to capitilize after the CIA got the info right for a change.

I love this quote. You know, they are hiding on us and we can't find them cos they're hiding. Duh!

That's exactly what I thought. How many people the CIA is looking for are trying to be found? How in the world do they find anyone? I'm relieved to know that if the CIA was looking for me, all I have to do is hide to make sure that they can't find me.

I do think it's interesting that Goss was talking on a 'news' program, though. I'm sure there's a reason. I suspect deception, though. Perhaps it's to bolster the public's opinion of the Intelligence agency who 'failed' us in the past - You know, the one that took the fall for 9/11? So that we'll trust whatever it is they have to say about the upcoming attacks...