Flawed Ally Was Hunt's Best Hope (Bin Laden hunt in Afghanistan during Clinton)

Washington Post ^ | Feb. 23, 2004 | Steve Coll

[FairOpinion]

By 1999, Massoud was seen by some at the Pentagon and inside the Clinton Cabinet as a spent force commanding bands of thugs. An inner circle of the Cabinet with access to the most closely guarded secrets was sharply divided over whether the United States should deepen its partnership with him. Secretary of State Madeleine K. Albright and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Henry H. "Hugh" Shelton -- reflecting the views of professional analysts in their departments -- argued that Massoud's alliance was tainted and in decline.

But at the CIA, especially inside the Counterterrorist Center, career officers passionately described Massoud by 1999 as the United States' last, best hope to capture or kill bin Laden in Afghanistan before his al Qaeda network claimed more American lives. Massoud might be a flawed ally, they declared, but bin Laden was by far the greater danger.

This article, detailing the CIA's pursuit of bin Laden from 1999 to 2001, is based on several dozen interviews with participants and officials in the United States, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, as well as documents, private records and memoirs about the CIA covert action program in Afghanistan.

[FairOpinion]

Very interesting.

This is the 2nd of 2 articles.

First article at:

A Secret Hunt Unravels in Afghanistan (Ghost Wars : The CIA and Osama bin Laden, 1997-1999)

[Destro]

Why was the Northern Alliance's Massoud a flawed ally when at the same time the Clintons thought that the al-Qaeda linked Kosovo Liberation Army was a good enough ally to allow to be armed and trained and loaned NATO's air force? Cause maybe Massoud was not in the employee of Pakistan and Saudi Arabia? Did Saudi Arabia have a hand in conducting - advising American foreign policy in this time period?

[FairOpinion]

Only the liberal press calls him "flawed ally" -- he was the best friend we ever had against Bin Laden, and had he lived, he could have united Afghanistan. Also the Clintonites are trying to excuse their own failures, by blaming Massoud.

[marron]

You already know my answer. Saudi Arabia was the author of our foreign policy during this time period.

[Destro]

Masoud was not our ally. He tried to be but our nation's leaders at that time rebuffed his advances.

He was Russia's ally.