To notice what is happening Botoar trial Rachid Nini know that those who masterminded the night and plotted in the dark for the tomb of his voice spam and demands accountability of the corrupt names, caught in the evil of their actions and what they did topple them, Vdvaa Nene will no longer looking for provisional release or innocence of the charges detailed by the prosecution General of the Nene, the discourse on the piece obsolete and lapsed, the defense has asked to bring those who prosecutors said that Rashid lied to them in the articles adopted as an instrument of charge, as stated by the lawyer Sufyani (why now considered the prosecution that the rational lies except when he began to reveal the corruption of Elan and Nikri especially director detained Temara Abdul Latif Alhmoshe, and why did not require the prosecution Nene when breaks the performance of Abbas El Fassi and his family and many, and asked Defense Is detainee Temara Festival and balances have become holy more than God and the homeland and the King ???), from watching the trial in historical and the judge finds good Jaber himself in trouble from his command that the accounts are no longer benefit him in the case of the more protracted the more its brilliance, and worse, even the representative of the right-General, Mr. Rachid Mohamed Little Signs of confusion on his face as long as he wants to hide behind the laughter lock her back once he receives it receives from lessons and sermons in the law, honor, and the Secretariat of the senior lawyers present within the constellation defender Nene, the issue has become confusing to those who created it and became out of them such as passing sentenced him to life in a patent or a royal pardon, the names insists the defense for the presence of the certificate as long as prosecutors pursue rational criminal law and criminal law necessary to bring witnesses who saw the prosecution that they are affected by the writing Rashid, here stand the Court's position enabled her speeches calling for the fact that the Moroccan judiciary independent and Log in to view what its resolutions, here's the test succeeds the elimination or humiliated, here put defense issue a ruling in our country in its own bottle, despite the quirks expressed by the representative of the public right of using all its powers to adjust the case according to temperament, defend with all his energies show apoptosis unrivaled of the need to bring witnesses .. And are not any witnesses in the State such as Morocco, where corruption hits prevail in all walks of life, is not a common thing to bring those witnesses who were, until recently, the mere mention of their name is one of the taboos and also said a lawyer in the case, (I thank God mM Machdic I mention these names to appear between Oitbekm Mr. Judge), to Nikri Inspector General of the Forces assistance from Almthmben fabricating bombings May 16, 2003, Abdul Latif Alhmoshe the first man in a Aldezti and others .... despite the fact that prosecutors have created an argument against the need to attend because they oversee the sensitive files by virtue of their positions, but .. that is replaced by the expression Their presence as citizens, witnesses Aintqs the sensitivity of their positions, and how he wants the representative of the general right to fear the people in state institutions, according to what he said as fair, Venzahtha emerge from here, when he attends the witnesses the case who mentioned the defense then all will give the greeting of the judiciary, and we will say Morocco has achieved the same as a true democracy ... Is Nene key issue for the fall of the capital have blossomed and the time picked?? Will he be able Engoa the night of the arrest of Nene to get out of this issue safely?? Is Nene was arrested immediately after the bombing of a cafe in Marrakech Argana coincidental, or there was apprehension among those who issued the arrest warrant against Nene questioning in the attacks in his column?? How will the fiery end of this file at this particular time and the movement of February 20 moving with determination to escalate, and the store also heading the same direction?? Of the victorious People's Voice or sound corruption??? Everybody is waiting and days to wait until ...
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Obama: Bin Laden death sends message to world
President lays wreath at Ground Zero after saying al-Qaeda leader's killing demonstrates to world that US never forgets.
Barack Obama, the US president, has laid a wreath at Ground Zero in New York, where he met families of people killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks on the US. The attacks are believed to have been ordered by Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaeda, who was killed by US forces earlier this week. The president first paid a visit to Engine 54, a fire station from where 15 firefighters died attempting to save the nearly 3,000 people who were killed after planes were flown into the World Trade Center. Addressing the firefighters, Obama said: "What happened on Sunday because of the courage of our military and the outstanding work of our intelligence sent a message around the world but also sent a message here back home." The president said bin Laden's death sent out the message that "when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say". "This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day,' he said. Rudy Giuliani, the mayor of New York at the time of the attacks, joined Obama in the visit to the station. The president viewed a memorial plaque commemorating the firefighters who were lost and then lunched privately with a dozen firefighters. Bush rejection The White House has stressed that Obama's visit to Ground Zero, his first since becoming president, was not a victory tour following bin Laden's killing, but a form of homage to the victims of the attacks that triggered Washington's "war on terror" against al-Qaeda nearly a decade ago. "This is a moment of unity for Americans and a moment to recall the unity that existed in this country in the wake of the attacks on 9/11," Jay Carney, the White House spokesman, said. "The invitation was made in that spirit." "He wants to meet with them and share with them this important and significant moment, a bitter-sweet moment, I think, for many families of the victims," he said. The killing of bin Laden during a helicopter-borne commando raid deep inside Abbottabad is undoubtedly one of Obama's chief political triumphs since taking office in 2008, analysts said. Obama ratings surge Polls showed an immediate surge in his ratings and even the usually squabbling Washington political establishment has rallied around the president. The president's actions during the visit have been portrayed as part of the same attempt to retain an atmosphere of dignity in the wake of bin Laden's killing. Obama has personally ordered that photographs of the al-Qaeda leader's dead body remain secret - despite a clamour from many people for some visual proof of his demise. "And I think Americans and people around the world are glad that he's gone. But we don't need to spike the football." |
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Monday, May 2, 2011
What next after bin Laden death?
Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden’s death is politically momentous for US president Barack Obama - witness the cheering crowds which gathered outside the White House even before his speech on Sunday night.
Its impact on al-Qaeda, though, is harder to measure.
Peter Bergen, an American journalist, said on CNN that bin Laden’s death marked “the end of the war on terror". But many other analysts would disagree: Al-Qaeda, after all, is a very different organisation in 2011 than in 2001, with a new cadre of leaders and a wider range of affiliate groups.
Analysts have long debated the extent to which bin Laden - and his deputy, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri - direct al-Qaeda’s operations. The two men have largely been in hiding since September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, leaving their subordinates to handle many of the group’s day-to-day operations. Affiliate groups, like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, already operate with relatively little direction from the “leadership” on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
“It is often assumed that their principal roles, particularly in bin Laden’s case, are as propaganda leaders or even mere figureheads,” said Barbara Sude, a former CIA al-Qaeda analyst, in a policy paper released last year.
Indeed, a series of younger leaders - some of them now deceased - emerged to play leading roles in the group over the past few years, broadening its leadership. They include Abu al-Yazid; Abu Yahya al-Libi; and Atiyah abd al-Rahman.
If bin Laden is only a figurehead, then one could argue that he has already served his purpose: His ideology and strategy has permeated throughout al-Qaeda, both the central organisation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its affiliate groups elsewhere.
“This is an enormous blow to the jihadi network in multiple ways, but it does not kill al-Qaeda,” said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorist Radicalisation at the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “The jihadi group possesses other leaders who can step in to serve as figureheads for the group.”
Bin Laden’s death, in other words - while symbolically significant - may mean little for al-Qaeda’s capabilities.
'Catastrophic if it is authentic'
Reaction from al-Qaeda and its sympathisers has so far been muted. The group’s propaganda wing has not yet issued a video tribute to bin Laden, nor has it commented on the reports of his death.
On internet forums sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a majority of commentators seem shocked by the reports of bin Laden’s death.
In the past, when US officials announced the death of high-ranking al-Qaeda members, commentators often rejected those reports out of hand. But the latest announcement by Obama, on the other hand, seems to be viewed as somewhat more credible.
“If it is true then we must thank Allah that America was not able to capture him alive,” one commentator wrote. “Else they would be humiliating him like Saddam Hussein.”
“God willing, news is not true. Catastrophic if it is authentic,” another wrote.
The US state department issued a worldwide travel alert for American citizens, and the US military increased its “force protection” level, which measures threats to military bases. A senior administration official said there were no specific threats reported, though.
'No other country was informed'
One pressing question is what bin Laden’s death means for the already strained US-Pakistani relationship. The two countries have clashed publicly in recent months over US drone strikes in northwest Pakistan and over the case of Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor arrested for murder in Lahore and then released after “blood money” was paid to the families of his victims.
Obama had in the past praised the Pakistani government for its co-operation in the hunt for bin Laden. And some officials in the ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency, reportedly played a role in his eventual killing, according to media reports.
But the White House quickly rejected that claim: In a conference call on Sunday night, a senior administration official told reporters that Pakistan was not briefed in advance on the operation which led to bin Laden’s death.
“An operation like this has the utmost operational security attached to it,” the official said. “No other country was informed, and a small circle of people within the United States knew about it.”
Obama, in offering praise for Pakistan, also seemed to admonish the country’s leadership, calling it “essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al-Qaeda". Other administration officials went further, describing bin Laden’s long hideout in Pakistan as a cause for concern and a potential source of friction in the relationship.
“We are very concerned about the situation in Pakistan… but this is something we need to work with the Pakistani government on,” a senior official said.
Also unclear is whether bin Laden’s death will have any impact on the war in Afghanistan, now in its tenth year. Obama did not mention any changes to strategy during his speech; bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, not Afghanistan; and US officials admit that only a handful of al-Qaeda members remain in Afghanistan.
In other words, the war - started to punish the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks - may well outlast the architect of those attacks.
Read More...
Its impact on al-Qaeda, though, is harder to measure.
Peter Bergen, an American journalist, said on CNN that bin Laden’s death marked “the end of the war on terror". But many other analysts would disagree: Al-Qaeda, after all, is a very different organisation in 2011 than in 2001, with a new cadre of leaders and a wider range of affiliate groups.
Analysts have long debated the extent to which bin Laden - and his deputy, Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri - direct al-Qaeda’s operations. The two men have largely been in hiding since September 11, 2001, attacks on the US, leaving their subordinates to handle many of the group’s day-to-day operations. Affiliate groups, like al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, already operate with relatively little direction from the “leadership” on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
“It is often assumed that their principal roles, particularly in bin Laden’s case, are as propaganda leaders or even mere figureheads,” said Barbara Sude, a former CIA al-Qaeda analyst, in a policy paper released last year.
Indeed, a series of younger leaders - some of them now deceased - emerged to play leading roles in the group over the past few years, broadening its leadership. They include Abu al-Yazid; Abu Yahya al-Libi; and Atiyah abd al-Rahman.
If bin Laden is only a figurehead, then one could argue that he has already served his purpose: His ideology and strategy has permeated throughout al-Qaeda, both the central organisation in Afghanistan and Pakistan and its affiliate groups elsewhere.
“This is an enormous blow to the jihadi network in multiple ways, but it does not kill al-Qaeda,” said Daveed Gartenstein-Ross, director of the Centre for the Study of Terrorist Radicalisation at the Washington-based Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. “The jihadi group possesses other leaders who can step in to serve as figureheads for the group.”
Bin Laden’s death, in other words - while symbolically significant - may mean little for al-Qaeda’s capabilities.
'Catastrophic if it is authentic'
Reaction from al-Qaeda and its sympathisers has so far been muted. The group’s propaganda wing has not yet issued a video tribute to bin Laden, nor has it commented on the reports of his death.
On internet forums sympathetic to al-Qaeda, a majority of commentators seem shocked by the reports of bin Laden’s death.
In the past, when US officials announced the death of high-ranking al-Qaeda members, commentators often rejected those reports out of hand. But the latest announcement by Obama, on the other hand, seems to be viewed as somewhat more credible.
“If it is true then we must thank Allah that America was not able to capture him alive,” one commentator wrote. “Else they would be humiliating him like Saddam Hussein.”
“God willing, news is not true. Catastrophic if it is authentic,” another wrote.
The US state department issued a worldwide travel alert for American citizens, and the US military increased its “force protection” level, which measures threats to military bases. A senior administration official said there were no specific threats reported, though.
'No other country was informed'
One pressing question is what bin Laden’s death means for the already strained US-Pakistani relationship. The two countries have clashed publicly in recent months over US drone strikes in northwest Pakistan and over the case of Raymond Davis, the CIA contractor arrested for murder in Lahore and then released after “blood money” was paid to the families of his victims.
Obama had in the past praised the Pakistani government for its co-operation in the hunt for bin Laden. And some officials in the ISI, Pakistan’s spy agency, reportedly played a role in his eventual killing, according to media reports.
But the White House quickly rejected that claim: In a conference call on Sunday night, a senior administration official told reporters that Pakistan was not briefed in advance on the operation which led to bin Laden’s death.
“An operation like this has the utmost operational security attached to it,” the official said. “No other country was informed, and a small circle of people within the United States knew about it.”
Obama, in offering praise for Pakistan, also seemed to admonish the country’s leadership, calling it “essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al-Qaeda". Other administration officials went further, describing bin Laden’s long hideout in Pakistan as a cause for concern and a potential source of friction in the relationship.
“We are very concerned about the situation in Pakistan… but this is something we need to work with the Pakistani government on,” a senior official said.
Also unclear is whether bin Laden’s death will have any impact on the war in Afghanistan, now in its tenth year. Obama did not mention any changes to strategy during his speech; bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, not Afghanistan; and US officials admit that only a handful of al-Qaeda members remain in Afghanistan.
In other words, the war - started to punish the perpetrators of the September 11 attacks - may well outlast the architect of those attacks.
Killing bin Laden .. Obama's move toward a second presidential term
Barack Obama made many of the defining moment as president of the United States .. But the killing of Osama bin Laden has become the most important event for him politically.
Obama announced that belongs to the Democratic Party late Sunday night that U.S. forces killed al Qaeda leader and found his body. The killing of bin Laden a major victory for Obama in the area of national security just as it starts to campaign for re-election in 2012.
The following is an overview of the benefits that accrue to Obama from behind the successful operation:
Divert attention
Attached to concern about the increase in gasoline prices and the handling of the economy, political damage Obama. The announcement would turn the influential killed bin Laden's interest in the American public to his success as commander in chief, which will create a strong mental image of him. The forecast decline in political risk has been reduced from the surge in oil prices.
Fulfillment of the Covenant:
During his election campaign in 2008, Obama pledged to bring U.S. troops from Iraq while strengthening the war effort in Afghanistan and U.S. efforts to hunt down bin Laden. With a body of bin Laden's possession of the Americans can say that the U.S. president's pledge to the fullest another which would give credibility as it seeks to stay in the White House for a new period.
Swank on the opposition:
Republicans have long enjoyed the reputation of U.S. policy in that they are stronger than Democrats on national security matters. But with the success of this process under the leadership Obama could clinch this bounty from his opponents and he attributes to himself and his party - which may be a tool to change the rules of the political game and kept up his sleeve. He had eluded the rhythm with bin Laden during the reign of Republican President George W. Bush's predecessor, Obama.
Mobilization of national sentiment:
As was the atheist attacks of September 2001, the defining moment of Bush's presidency, the killing bin Laden would be the case for an Obama presidency. Has inflamed nationalist sentiment among Americans in the aftermath of the attacks, which helped Bush win a second term.
May benefit Obama, who on Sunday called on Americans to unite as they did in 2001 of a new surge of patriotism. Although the images leaked oil and economic troubles remain, the death of bin Laden would have a greater impact, at least in the short term which will give his historic victory could be celebrated by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Read More...
Obama announced that belongs to the Democratic Party late Sunday night that U.S. forces killed al Qaeda leader and found his body. The killing of bin Laden a major victory for Obama in the area of national security just as it starts to campaign for re-election in 2012.
The following is an overview of the benefits that accrue to Obama from behind the successful operation:
Divert attention
Attached to concern about the increase in gasoline prices and the handling of the economy, political damage Obama. The announcement would turn the influential killed bin Laden's interest in the American public to his success as commander in chief, which will create a strong mental image of him. The forecast decline in political risk has been reduced from the surge in oil prices.
Fulfillment of the Covenant:
During his election campaign in 2008, Obama pledged to bring U.S. troops from Iraq while strengthening the war effort in Afghanistan and U.S. efforts to hunt down bin Laden. With a body of bin Laden's possession of the Americans can say that the U.S. president's pledge to the fullest another which would give credibility as it seeks to stay in the White House for a new period.
Swank on the opposition:
Republicans have long enjoyed the reputation of U.S. policy in that they are stronger than Democrats on national security matters. But with the success of this process under the leadership Obama could clinch this bounty from his opponents and he attributes to himself and his party - which may be a tool to change the rules of the political game and kept up his sleeve. He had eluded the rhythm with bin Laden during the reign of Republican President George W. Bush's predecessor, Obama.
Mobilization of national sentiment:
As was the atheist attacks of September 2001, the defining moment of Bush's presidency, the killing bin Laden would be the case for an Obama presidency. Has inflamed nationalist sentiment among Americans in the aftermath of the attacks, which helped Bush win a second term.
May benefit Obama, who on Sunday called on Americans to unite as they did in 2001 of a new surge of patriotism. Although the images leaked oil and economic troubles remain, the death of bin Laden would have a greater impact, at least in the short term which will give his historic victory could be celebrated by Democrats and Republicans alike.
Osama bin Laden killed in Pakistan
US president Barack Obama said bin Laden, the most-wanted fugitive on the US list, had been killed on Sunday in a US operation in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, about 61km north of Islamabad.
"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in a statement.
"Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
"We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims," Obama said.
Four people, including one of bin Laden's sons, were also killed in the operation.
According to New York Times, bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan and later buried at sea.
Hours after Obama made the announcement, a top al-Qaeda ideologue promised revenge for bin Laden's death. The commentator, going by the online name Assad al-Jihad2 posted on websites a long eulogy for the al-Qaeda leader and promised to "avenge the killing of the Sheik of Islam".
The Pakistani Taliban also threatened attacks against government leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan army and the United States.
"Now Pakistani rulers, President Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target," Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.
US celebrations
But as the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to celebrate.
Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a statement.
According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.
"The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.
Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his couriers. They followed them to his compound which was reported to be worth over a million dollars.
Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had caught a lot of people by surprise .
"He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said.
'Symbolic victory'
Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer directly connected to the group's field operations.
Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of terrorism, but an end of a chapter."
"Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
"This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.
It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009.
He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.
Read More...
"Tonight, I can report to the people of the United States and the world, the United States had carried an operation that has killed Osama bin Laden, a terrorist responsible for killing thousands of innocent people," Obama said in a statement.
"Today, at my direction, the United States carried out that operation... they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.
"The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date against al-Qaeda.
"We must also reaffirm that United states is not and will never be at war against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader, in fact, he slaughtered many Muslims," Obama said.
Four people, including one of bin Laden's sons, were also killed in the operation.
According to New York Times, bin Laden's body was taken to Afghanistan and later buried at sea.
Hours after Obama made the announcement, a top al-Qaeda ideologue promised revenge for bin Laden's death. The commentator, going by the online name Assad al-Jihad2 posted on websites a long eulogy for the al-Qaeda leader and promised to "avenge the killing of the Sheik of Islam".
The Pakistani Taliban also threatened attacks against government leaders, including President Asif Ali Zardari, the Pakistan army and the United States.
"Now Pakistani rulers, President Zardari and the army will be our first targets. America will be our second target," Ehsanullah Ehsan, a spokesman for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, told Reuters by telephone from an undisclosed location.
US celebrations
But as the news of bin Laden's death spread, crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington DC to celebrate.
Former US president George Bush called his death a "momentous achievement".
"The fight against terror goes on, but tonight America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done," Bush said in a statement.
According to Al Jazeeera's Rosalind Jordan in Washington, the operation had been in the making for the last nine or 10 months.
"The fact that it happened inside Pakistan, there have been suggestions that Pakistani intelligence may have been protecting them," she said.
Patty Culhane, another Al Jazeera correspondent, said the US authorities got intelligence last September and were able to track bin Laden down through his couriers. They followed them to his compound which was reported to be worth over a million dollars.
Reporting from Pakistan, Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder said the development had caught a lot of people by surprise .
"He was considered by many as a hero, but not to the extent that people would come out on the streets. The reaction so far not likely to be strong on the streets, perhaps a protest here or there by the religious parties," he said.
'Symbolic victory'
Qais Azimy, Al Jazeera's correspondent in Kabul, said Afghan officials described bin Laden's killing as a "symbolic victory", since he was no longer directly connected to the group's field operations.
Mark Kimmit, a US military analyst, said bin Laden's death "was not the end of terrorism, but an end of a chapter."
"Capturing or killing bin Laden has more iconic value. It will have symbolic value, because it has been a number of years since bin Laden has exercised day to day control over operations. We still have an al-Qaeda threat out there and that will be there for a number of years.
"This organisation (al-Qaeda) is more than bin Laden, it may be symbolised by bin Laden, but it definitely is more than bin Laden," he said.
It is, however, a major accomplishment for Obama and his national security team. Obama's predecessor, George Bush, had repeatedly vowed to bring to justice the mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, but never did before leaving office in early 2009.
He had been the subject of a search since he eluded US soldiers and Afghan militia forces in a large-scale assault on the Tora Bora mountains in 2001. The trail quickly went cold after he disappeared and many intelligence officials believed he had been hiding in Pakistan.
While in hiding, bin Laden had taunted the West and advocated his views in videotapes spirited from his hideaway.
Besides September 11, Washington has also linked bin Laden to a string of attacks - including the 1998 bombings of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and the 2000 bombing of the warship USS Cole in Yemen.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Nato strike 'kills Gaddafi's youngest son'
Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, the youngest son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, and three of his grandchildren have been killed in a NATO air strike, a Libyan government spokesman said.
Gaddafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of his 29-year-old son, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane late on Saturday, according to Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.
"The house of Mr Saif al-Arab Gaddafi was attacked tonight with full power. The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives.
"The leader himself is in good health, he wasn't harmed," the spokesman said, adding that Gaddafi's wife was also unharmed but other people in the house were injured.
"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law. It is not permitted by any moral code or principle.
"What we have now is the law of the jungle," Ibrahim told a news conference.
"We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians."
Ibrahim would not give the names of the three children, who he claimed were killed, except to say they were nieces and nephews of Saif al-Arab and that they were younger than 12. He said they are not releasing the names yet to protect the privacy of the family.
He said the compound that was hit was in the Garghour neighborhood.
"It seems there was intelligence that was leaked. They knew about something. They expected him for some reason. But the target was very clear, very, very clear. And the neighbourhood, yes of course, because the leader family has a place there, you could expect of course it would be guarded, but it is a normal neighbourhood. Normal Libyans live there," he said.
The 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gaddafi is the most unknown of the Libyan leader's children, Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tunisia, said.
"He's one of the low-profile of his children and has been largely invisible since the conflict began", she said.
"He hasn't been visible in any significant form. He hasn't appeared on TV or made any speeches, he hasn't been on any crowd-rallying marches."
Ibrahim said al-Arab was a civilian and a student who had studied in Germany.
Report questioned
Ibrahim had earlier taken journalists to the remnants of a house in Tripoli, which Libyan officials said had been hit by at least three missiles. Given the level of destruction, it is unclear that anyone could have survived.
Benghazi rebels, who control a vast swathe of the east of the country, say they cannot trust Gaddafi.
Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya that the news of the deaths could be fabricated.
"One of the main spokesmen for the Transitional National Council, Abdul Hafez Goga, is saying he thinks it could all be fabrication, that it may well be Gaddafi is trying to garner some sympathy," she said.
"Back in 1986, Gaddafi once claimed that Ronald Reagan, then US president, had launched a strike on his compound in Tripoli and killed his daughter. Many journalists since then dug around and found out that the actual child that had died had nothing to do with Gaddafi, that he sort of adopted her posthumously."
Three loud explosions were heard in Tripoli on Saturday evening as jets flew overhead. Volleys of anti-aircraft fire rang out following the first two strikes, which were followed by a third.
NATO statement
In a press release issued early on Sunday, NATO said it had staged air strikes in Tripoli's Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood but did not confirm Libyan claims that strongman Gaddafi's youngest son and three grandchildren were killed.
"NATO continued its precision strikes against Gaddafi regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday evening," the statement said.
"All NATO's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the... regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals," Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector, said.
Bouchard said he was aware of unconfirmed reports that some of Gaddafi's family members might have been killed in the strike, adding: "We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict."
Rifle fire and car horns rang out in Benghazi as news of the attack spread.
Cars whizzed by the sea front beeping their horns and shouting "God is greatest" as the night sky was lit up by red tracer fire.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
Read More...
Gaddafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of his 29-year-old son, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane late on Saturday, according to Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim.
"The house of Mr Saif al-Arab Gaddafi was attacked tonight with full power. The leader with his wife was there in the house with other friends and relatives.
"The leader himself is in good health, he wasn't harmed," the spokesman said, adding that Gaddafi's wife was also unharmed but other people in the house were injured.
"This was a direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country. This is not permitted by international law. It is not permitted by any moral code or principle.
"What we have now is the law of the jungle," Ibrahim told a news conference.
"We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians."
Ibrahim would not give the names of the three children, who he claimed were killed, except to say they were nieces and nephews of Saif al-Arab and that they were younger than 12. He said they are not releasing the names yet to protect the privacy of the family.
He said the compound that was hit was in the Garghour neighborhood.
"It seems there was intelligence that was leaked. They knew about something. They expected him for some reason. But the target was very clear, very, very clear. And the neighbourhood, yes of course, because the leader family has a place there, you could expect of course it would be guarded, but it is a normal neighbourhood. Normal Libyans live there," he said.
The 29-year-old Saif al-Arab Gaddafi is the most unknown of the Libyan leader's children, Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tunisia, said.
"He's one of the low-profile of his children and has been largely invisible since the conflict began", she said.
"He hasn't been visible in any significant form. He hasn't appeared on TV or made any speeches, he hasn't been on any crowd-rallying marches."
Ibrahim said al-Arab was a civilian and a student who had studied in Germany.
Report questioned
Ibrahim had earlier taken journalists to the remnants of a house in Tripoli, which Libyan officials said had been hit by at least three missiles. Given the level of destruction, it is unclear that anyone could have survived.
Benghazi rebels, who control a vast swathe of the east of the country, say they cannot trust Gaddafi.
Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya that the news of the deaths could be fabricated.
"One of the main spokesmen for the Transitional National Council, Abdul Hafez Goga, is saying he thinks it could all be fabrication, that it may well be Gaddafi is trying to garner some sympathy," she said.
"Back in 1986, Gaddafi once claimed that Ronald Reagan, then US president, had launched a strike on his compound in Tripoli and killed his daughter. Many journalists since then dug around and found out that the actual child that had died had nothing to do with Gaddafi, that he sort of adopted her posthumously."
Three loud explosions were heard in Tripoli on Saturday evening as jets flew overhead. Volleys of anti-aircraft fire rang out following the first two strikes, which were followed by a third.
NATO statement
In a press release issued early on Sunday, NATO said it had staged air strikes in Tripoli's Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood but did not confirm Libyan claims that strongman Gaddafi's youngest son and three grandchildren were killed.
"NATO continued its precision strikes against Gaddafi regime military installations in Tripoli overnight, including striking a known command and control building in the Bab al-Azizya neighbourhood shortly after 1800 GMT Saturday evening," the statement said.
"All NATO's targets are military in nature and have been clearly linked to the... regime's systematic attacks on the Libyan population and populated areas. We do not target individuals," Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector, said.
Bouchard said he was aware of unconfirmed reports that some of Gaddafi's family members might have been killed in the strike, adding: "We regret all loss of life, especially the innocent civilians being harmed as a result of the ongoing conflict."
Rifle fire and car horns rang out in Benghazi as news of the attack spread.
Cars whizzed by the sea front beeping their horns and shouting "God is greatest" as the night sky was lit up by red tracer fire.
Source:
Al Jazeera and agencies
Scepticism surrounds 'Gaddafi son's death'
Benghazi celebrates report of Gaddafi son's death in air strike, but NATO offers no confirmation of Libyan announcement.
Libyans in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi have taken to the streets to celebrate the government's announcement of the death of Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son in an air strike, but growing scepticism remains over the veracity of the news.
Gaddafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of his 29-year-old son, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane late on Saturday, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said on Sunday.
Al-Arab's compound in Tripoli’s Garghour neighbourhood was attacked "with full power" in a "direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," Ibrahim said, calling the strike a violation of international law.
"What we have now is the law of the jungle," he told a news conference. "We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians."
Ibrahim had earlier taken journalists to the remnants of a house in Tripoli, which Libyan officials said had been hit by at least three missiles. Given the level of destruction, it is unclear that anyone could have survived.
No NATO confirmation
Three loud explosions were heard in Tripoli on Saturday evening as jets flew overhead. Volleys of anti-aircraft fire rang out following the first two strikes, which were followed by a third.
NATO continued strikes against military installations in the Libyan capital, including one on a known command and control building in Bab al-Aziziya neighbourhood, but could not confirm the deaths of some of Gaddafi family members, Carmen Romero, the deputy NATO spokeswoman in Brussels, told Al Jazeera by phone.
NATO targets do not include individuals as they are military in nature and clearly linked to regime's systematic attacks on Libyans, Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector, said earlier Sunday in a statement.
"This was a military target and we cannot confirm who was there," Romero emphasised, denying questions over the target site being a family home.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron echoed NATO's stance on the western coalition forces’ targeting policy, and refused to comment on an "unconfirmed report".
Report questioned
Rifle fire and car horns rang out in Benghazi as news of the attack spread. Cars whizzed by the sea front beeping their horns and shouting "God is greatest" as the night sky was lit up by red tracer fire.
But rebels there who control a vast swathe of the east of the country, say they cannot trust Gaddafi.
Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya that the news of the deaths could be fabricated.
"One of the main spokesmen for the Transitional National Council, Abdul Hafez Goga, is saying he thinks it could all be fabrication, that it may well be Gaddafi is trying to garner some sympathy," she said.
"Back in 1986, Gaddafi once claimed that Ronald Reagan, then US president, had launched a strike on his compound in Tripoli and killed his daughter. Many journalists since then dug around and found out that the actual child that had died had nothing to do with Gaddafi, that he sort of adopted her posthumously."
Saif al-Arab Gaddafi is the most unknown of the Libyan leader's children, Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tunisia, said.
"He's one of the low-profile of his children and has been largely invisible since the conflict began", she said.
"He hasn't been visible in any significant form. He hasn't appeared on TV or made any speeches, he hasn't been on any crowd-rallying marches."
Read More...
Libyans in the opposition stronghold of Benghazi have taken to the streets to celebrate the government's announcement of the death of Muammar Gaddafi's youngest son in an air strike, but growing scepticism remains over the veracity of the news.
Gaddafi and his wife were in the Tripoli house of his 29-year-old son, Saif al-Arab Gaddafi, when it was hit by at least one missile fired by a NATO warplane late on Saturday, Libyan government spokesman Moussa Ibrahim said on Sunday.
Al-Arab's compound in Tripoli’s Garghour neighbourhood was attacked "with full power" in a "direct operation to assassinate the leader of this country," Ibrahim said, calling the strike a violation of international law.
"What we have now is the law of the jungle," he told a news conference. "We think now it is clear to everyone that what is happening in Libya has nothing to do with the protection of civilians."
Ibrahim had earlier taken journalists to the remnants of a house in Tripoli, which Libyan officials said had been hit by at least three missiles. Given the level of destruction, it is unclear that anyone could have survived.
No NATO confirmation
Three loud explosions were heard in Tripoli on Saturday evening as jets flew overhead. Volleys of anti-aircraft fire rang out following the first two strikes, which were followed by a third.
NATO continued strikes against military installations in the Libyan capital, including one on a known command and control building in Bab al-Aziziya neighbourhood, but could not confirm the deaths of some of Gaddafi family members, Carmen Romero, the deputy NATO spokeswoman in Brussels, told Al Jazeera by phone.
NATO targets do not include individuals as they are military in nature and clearly linked to regime's systematic attacks on Libyans, Lieutenant-General Charles Bouchard, commander of NATO's Operation Unified Protector, said earlier Sunday in a statement.
"This was a military target and we cannot confirm who was there," Romero emphasised, denying questions over the target site being a family home.
UK Prime Minister David Cameron echoed NATO's stance on the western coalition forces’ targeting policy, and refused to comment on an "unconfirmed report".
Report questioned
Rifle fire and car horns rang out in Benghazi as news of the attack spread. Cars whizzed by the sea front beeping their horns and shouting "God is greatest" as the night sky was lit up by red tracer fire.
But rebels there who control a vast swathe of the east of the country, say they cannot trust Gaddafi.
Al Jazeera's Sue Turton, reporting from Benghazi, said there were "an awful lot" of suggestions in Libya that the news of the deaths could be fabricated.
"One of the main spokesmen for the Transitional National Council, Abdul Hafez Goga, is saying he thinks it could all be fabrication, that it may well be Gaddafi is trying to garner some sympathy," she said.
"Back in 1986, Gaddafi once claimed that Ronald Reagan, then US president, had launched a strike on his compound in Tripoli and killed his daughter. Many journalists since then dug around and found out that the actual child that had died had nothing to do with Gaddafi, that he sort of adopted her posthumously."
Saif al-Arab Gaddafi is the most unknown of the Libyan leader's children, Al Jazeera's Anita McNaught, reporting from Tunisia, said.
"He's one of the low-profile of his children and has been largely invisible since the conflict began", she said.
"He hasn't been visible in any significant form. He hasn't appeared on TV or made any speeches, he hasn't been on any crowd-rallying marches."
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