Posted on 02/22/2006 6:54:26 AM PST by johnmecainrino
February 1999: Bin Laden Missile Strike Called Off for Fear of Hitting Persian Gulf Royalty
Intelligence reports foresee the presence of bin Laden at a desert hunting camp in Afghanistan for about a week. Information on his presence appears reliable, so preparations are made to target his location with cruise missiles. However, intelligence also puts an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and members of the royal family from that country in the same location. Bin Laden is hunting with the Emirati royals, as he did with leaders from the UAE and Saudi Arabia on other occasions (see 1995-2001). Policy makers are concerned that a strike might kill a prince or other senior officials, so the strike never happens. A top UAE official at the time denies that high-level officials are there, but evidence subsequently confirms their presence. [9/11 Commission Report, 3/24/04 (B)]
People and organizations involved: Osama bin Laden
Funny how Tim Russert and the rest of the alphabet soup isn't bringing that up.
Predator drones had him spotted for a week at a camp in afganistan with the rest of the leadership of al queda and clinton said no to the strike. Also he said it was a legal not military matter.
This was after bin laden declared war on us.
The DUmmies are so dumb they are thinking this happened during Bush's watch and blaming bush.
This cannot possibly be correct. The UAE is our ally in the war on terror. How could a UAE government official be present at a terrorist camp?
Obviously disinformation. Let the port deal procede to our trusted allies the honorable emirs of Dubai
This would be good to send to our congresscritters. I haven't heard one of them bring this up.
That sounds like a big caveat to me. Could've been the excuse used to call off the strike, you know, if Bubba never had any intention of hitting bin Laden. Bubba could scarcely admit to that, could he?
It looks like Bubba was under orders not too hit Bin Laden.
No one can honestly think 'Bubba' the trouser trout... was ever 'the boss' of anything can they?
I saw this same information about the UAE plane on a History channel special on the 9/11 report. It was on this weekend.
nbc did a piece on this during the 9/11 hearings.
tenet also testified to this and it was in the 9/11 report
The story tells us more about Clinton than Bush, the UAE, or even bin Laden.
At the time he was too busy aiming the missiles at the greatest scourge of the 20th Century - Kosovo.
Rewriting the legacy alert.
After the U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam were attacked on August 7, 1998, President Clinton directed his advisers to consider military options. The difficult relationship between evidence and action, mentioned earlier today, was soon clarified with extraordinary intelligence that fixed responsibility quickly and authoritatively on Usama Bin Ladin personally, as well as his organization.
Focused by intelligence suggesting that terrorist leaders, including Bin Ladin, would be meeting at a terrorist camp in Afghanistan, President Clinton organized a tightly compartmented planning effort to prepare a set of strikes, code-named “Operation Infinite Reach.” He and his advisers agreed on a set of targets in Afghanistan. His advisers recommended that the U.S. government should strike whether or not there was firm evidence that the terrorist commanders were at these facilities. Secretary Cohen told us it was also important to send a signal that the United States was coming and was not going to tolerate terrorist activity against America.
….and we’ll huff and we’ll puff and blow your house down……….
Could this extraordinary intelligence have come from Able Danger.......??????
"This cannot possibly be correct. The UAE is our ally in the war on terror. How could a UAE government official be present at a terrorist camp?"
I dunno. Perhaps it was due to the UAE being one of only 3 world govt's to officially recognize the Taliban as a legit. gov't?
Or perhaps it was due to UAE ports being major trading points in the shipment of nuclear components to Pakistan, N. Korea, and probably Iran during the A.Q. Khan fiasco?
Great allies, these.
Since the UAE is so evil, I suspect the Democrats will now pile on Clinton for not wiping them out as well.
Sounds to me like it would have been a twofer...
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