Robert Fisk is The Only Man Alive to have interviewed Osama Bin Laden Three Times.
Nearly four times.. Final time cancelled due to US air strike in late 2001.
Listen VERY carefully to what he has to say....
Nearly four times.. Final time cancelled due to US air strike in late 2001.
Listen VERY carefully to what he has to say....
That was on 18 October 2007.
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Direct quotation from The Enemy (Wikipedia):
"In May 2007, Bhutto asked for additional protection from foreign contracting agencies Blackwater and the British firm Armour Group.
The United Nations' investigation of the incident revealed that, "Ms. Bhutto's assassination could have been prevented if adequate security measures had been taken." "
That's fairly clearly stated: she hired both British and American mercs to ensure her survival and yet her security protection was inadequate.
Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990; 1993–1996) and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections scheduled for January 2008.
Currently, Pakistan is back to being a military dictatorship once more - although one substantially less Western-aligned than it had been before.
Shots were fired at her after a political rally at Liaquat National Bagh, and a suicide bomb was detonated immediately following the shooting.
She was declared dead at 18:16 local time (13:16 UTC), at Rawalpindi General Hospital.
Twenty-four other people were killed by the bombing.
Though early reports indicated that she had been hit by shrapnel or the gunshots, the Pakistani Interior Ministry initially stated that Bhutto died of a skull fracture sustained when the force of the explosion caused her head to strike the sunroof of the vehicle.
Bhutto's aides rejected this version, and argued instead that she suffered two gunshots before the bomb detonation.
The Interior Ministry subsequently backtracked from its previous claim.
However, a follow-up investigation by Scotland Yard found
... oh dear...
that while gunshots were fired, they were not The Cause of Death, agreeing with the Interior Ministry's original assessment that the explosion forced her head into the roof of the vehicle.
How does Scotland Yard play a role in investigating this? How much British taxpayer funds, man-hours and other resources were spent producing a third-party whitewash to counter the existing indpendent third party investigation conducted on behalf of the United Nations, who already had a local mission in-country and people on the ground?
On what basis does Scotland Yard have jurisdiction and on what basis are they the authority in any sense on forensic investigations? EVERY terrorist incident in London dating back to 1901, they have falsified the bomb foresnics and fitted up completely innocent people.
Don't they read Sherlock Holmes in Pakistan?
“I am not retained by The Police Force to supply their deficiencies."
The assassination of Benazir Bhutto occurred on 27 December 2007 in Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Direct quotation from The Enemy (Wikipedia):
"In May 2007, Bhutto asked for additional protection from foreign contracting agencies Blackwater and the British firm Armour Group.
The United Nations' investigation of the incident revealed that, "Ms. Bhutto's assassination could have been prevented if adequate security measures had been taken." "
That's fairly clearly stated: she hired both British and American mercs to ensure her survival and yet her security protection was inadequate.
Bhutto, twice Prime Minister of Pakistan (1988–1990; 1993–1996) and then-leader of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party, had been campaigning ahead of elections scheduled for January 2008.
Currently, Pakistan is back to being a military dictatorship once more - although one substantially less Western-aligned than it had been before.
Shots were fired at her after a political rally at Liaquat National Bagh, and a suicide bomb was detonated immediately following the shooting.
She was declared dead at 18:16 local time (13:16 UTC), at Rawalpindi General Hospital.
Twenty-four other people were killed by the bombing.
Though early reports indicated that she had been hit by shrapnel or the gunshots, the Pakistani Interior Ministry initially stated that Bhutto died of a skull fracture sustained when the force of the explosion caused her head to strike the sunroof of the vehicle.
Bhutto's aides rejected this version, and argued instead that she suffered two gunshots before the bomb detonation.
The Interior Ministry subsequently backtracked from its previous claim.
However, a follow-up investigation by Scotland Yard found
... oh dear...
that while gunshots were fired, they were not The Cause of Death, agreeing with the Interior Ministry's original assessment that the explosion forced her head into the roof of the vehicle.
How does Scotland Yard play a role in investigating this? How much British taxpayer funds, man-hours and other resources were spent producing a third-party whitewash to counter the existing indpendent third party investigation conducted on behalf of the United Nations, who already had a local mission in-country and people on the ground?
On what basis does Scotland Yard have jurisdiction and on what basis are they the authority in any sense on forensic investigations? EVERY terrorist incident in London dating back to 1901, they have falsified the bomb foresnics and fitted up completely innocent people.
Don't they read Sherlock Holmes in Pakistan?
“I am not retained by The Police Force to supply their deficiencies."
"Although Lestrade is absolutely devoid of reason, he is as tenacious as a bulldog when he once understands what he has to do. "
"Gregson is the smartest of the Scotland Yarders. He and Lestrade are the pick of a bad lot."
"Supposing I unravel the whole matter, you may be sure that Gregson, Lestrade and Co. will pocket all the credit. That comes of being an unofficial personage. "
"All my instincts are one way, and all the facts are the other, and I much fear that British juries have not yet attained that pitch of intelligience when they will give the preference to my theories over Lestrade's facts. "
"We're not jealous of you down at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there's not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand."
"All my instincts are one way, and all the facts are the other, and I much fear that British juries have not yet attained that pitch of intelligience when they will give the preference to my theories over Lestrade's facts. "
"We're not jealous of you down at Scotland Yard. No, sir, we are proud of you, and if you come down to-morrow there's not a man, from the oldest inspector to the youngest constable, who wouldn't be glad to shake you by the hand."
Inspector Lestrade.
Additionally:
Pakistan's election commission met on 31 December to decide whether or not to delay the January elections; two days before they hinted that they would need to because pre-election preparation had been "adversely affected".
A senior election commission official subsequently announced that the election would be delayed until "the later part of February".
Senator Latif Khosa, one of Bhutto's top aides, reported that she was planning to divulge evidence of fraud in the upcoming election following the event where the assassination took place.
The pair co-wrote a 160-page dossier on the subject, with Bhutto outlining tactics she alleged would be put into play, including intimidation, excluding voters and fake ballots being planted in boxes.
The report was titled Yet another stain on the face of democracy. In a statement he made on 1 January 2008, Khosa said : "The State Agencies are manipulating the whole process, there is rigging by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), the Election Commission and the previous government, which is still continuing to hold influence. They were on the rampage.
The pair co-wrote a 160-page dossier on the subject, with Bhutto outlining tactics she alleged would be put into play, including intimidation, excluding voters and fake ballots being planted in boxes.
The report was titled Yet another stain on the face of democracy. In a statement he made on 1 January 2008, Khosa said : "The State Agencies are manipulating the whole process, there is rigging by the ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), the Election Commission and the previous government, which is still continuing to hold influence. They were on the rampage.
Khosa said that they had planned to give the dossier to two American law-makers on the evening of her assassination and release it publicly soon after that.
One of the claims in the dossier was that US financial aid had been secretly misappropriated for electoral fraud and another was that the ISI has a 'mega-computer' which could hack into any other computer and was connected to the Election Commission's system.
One of the claims in the dossier was that US financial aid had been secretly misappropriated for electoral fraud and another was that the ISI has a 'mega-computer' which could hack into any other computer and was connected to the Election Commission's system.
A spokesman for President Musharraf called the claims "ridiculous".
In the run up to the election, the 'sympathy vote' was considered crucial for the Pakistan Peoples Party, which was expected to win the National Assembly.
The election results yielded a majority for the Pakistan Peoples Party in the National Assembly, and in the Provincial Assembly of Sindh.
On 27 December, al-Qaeda commander Mustafa Abu al-Yazid is said to have claimed responsibility for the assassination, telling several news outlets that "We terminated the most precious American asset which vowed to defeat [the] mujahideen."
In his statement to the media, he further claimed that al-Yazid stated that al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri ordered the killing in October 2007.
Al-Zawahiri was a close associate of Osama Bin Laden for years.
But he was never part of "The Bin Laden Group" or "The Board" - he didn't need to be.
He had his own group, and they were very prolific - Egyptian Islamic Jihad. And had a way better name than "The Board".
The Blind Sheikh, Omar Rahman and his New Jersey cell that included Ramzi Yousef and others were all members of EIJ - not "The Board".
As was Khalid Sheikh Muhammed (KSM), the now-publicaly acknowledged "Mastermind behind 9/11".
If it's publicly admitted and known, and openly stated even on Fox News that KSM was behind both the 1993 WTC Bombing and 9/11, drank alcohol, chased strippers, snorted drugs and spoke perfect English (just like "lead hijacker" Mohammed Atta in Venice, Florida).... why the hell are we still talking about Osama Bin Laden and his non-existent organisation as the perpetrator and Islamic Fundamentalism as the motivation for 9/11 when both of those are verifiably false, even in the superficial modified-limited-hangout "official" story...?
(*ahem* batshit-crazy conspiracy theory)
These men were not devout, observant Muslims, violated the Quraan' s teachings on Jihad and rules of engagement about 18 different ways and were not acting on orders or funding from Osama Bin Laden, against his will and without his knowledge.
So why are we still talking about this in those terms?
Asia Times Online also reported that it had received a claim of responsibility from al-Yazid by telephone.
U.S. intelligence officials have said that they cannot confirm this claim of responsibility. Nonetheless, U.S. analysts have said that al-Qaeda was a likely, or even Prime Suspect.
For its part, the Pakistani Interior Ministry (of the previous Musharraf administration) stated that it had proof that al-Qaeda was behind the assassination, stating
"that the suicide bomber belonged to Lashkar-e-Jhangvi – an al Qaeda-linked Sunni Muslim militant group that the government has blamed for hundreds of killings".
Fine - what about The Gunman?
Who ordered the Blackwater Security stand-down? Their personnel clearly were not there.
And how can a group be linked to that which does not exist?
All reputable Western intelligence experts confirm, categorically, in plain terms:
1) "The Al-Qaeda that attacked us on 9/11 no longer exists."
2) "Al-Qaeda completely ceased to exist by 2006"
The Interior Ministry also claimed to have intercepted a statement by militant leader Baitullah Mehsud, said to be linked to al-Qaeda, in which he congratulated his followers for carrying out the assassination.
On 29 December a Mehsud spokesman told the Associated Press that Mehsud was not involved in the assassination:
"I strongly deny it. Tribal people have their own customs. We don't strike women. It is a conspiracy by government, military and intelligence agencies."He's right.
"Abd Allah reported, A woman was found among the killed in one of the battles of the Prophet (pbuh), so The Messenger of Allah forbade the killing of women and children."
— Hadith B.56:147
"And fight in the way of Allah against those who fight against you, but be not aggressive. Surely Allah loves not the aggressors.
And kill them wherever you find them, and drive them out from where they drove you out, and persecution is worse than slaughter. And fight not with them at the Sacred Mosque until they fight with you in it; so if they fight you there, slay them. Such is the recompense of disbelievers.
But if they desist, then surely Allah is Forgiving, Merciful.
And fight them until there is no persecution, and religion is only for Allah. But if they desist, then there should be no hostility except against the oppressors."
— II:190-195
The Pakistan Peoples Party also called the government's blame of Mehsud a diversion:
"The story that al-Qaida or Baitullah Mehsud did it appears to us to be a planted story, an incorrect story, because they want to divert the attention,"
said Farhatullah Babar, a spokesman for Bhutto's party.
On 18 January 2008, CIA Director Michael Hayden claimed that Mehsud and his network was responsible.
Mustafa Ahmed Muhammad Uthman Abu al-Yazid (مصطفى أحمد محمد عثمان أبو اليزيد), better known as Saeed al-Masri (سعيد المصري) or simply al-Masri (المصري = the Egyptian), (December 17, 1955 – May 21, 2010)
Along with Mahfouz Ould al-Walid and Saif al-Adel, al-Masri was believed to have opposed the September 11 attacks two months prior to their execution.
He was killed in a targeted killing drone airstrike in Pakistan on May 21, 2010.
His Death was confirmed by US officials and al-Qaeda. Presumably, it was a joint statement.
"There is nothing that is worth mentioning about [al-Masri] and we cannot classify him as being one of the well-known leaders that rotated within Al-Qa'ida during at least the past ten years...he is not one of the well-known leaders. ”
—Muntasser al-Zayat
commenting on the 2007 video
Just another CIA loose end picked up by Petraeus and the Boys...
