US Called Off Air Strike on Osama Because UAE Royals Were Visiting Him

[kpete]

The US called off a strike against Osama Bin Laden because members of the UAE royal family were visiting him in Afghanistan.


UAE royals, bin Laden's saviours

March 25, 2004 12:04 IST


The Central Intelligence Agency did not target Al Qaeda chief Osama bin laden once as he had the royal family of the United Arab Emirates with him in Afghanistan, the agency's director, George Tenet, told the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks on the United States on Thursday.

Had the CIA targeted bin Laden, half the royal family would have been wiped out as well, he said.

The 10-member bipartisan commission is investigating the events leading up to the September 11, 2001 attacks in the US.

http://in.rediff.com/news/2004/mar/25osama.htm

[Cobalt Violet]

1. K & R. Thanks.

It shows UAE as they are, in bed with binladen and bush.

[cantstandbush]

89. So then, the friend of my enemy is my friend? I get it. n/t

[Cobalt Violet]

90. What do you get? n/t

[Canuckistanian]

2. Kind of puts the "Clinton refused Osama" story to shame

They had Osama located and targeted.

This is one story we can throw back in Conservatives' face when they tell the Clinton fairy tale.

[VA_asylum]

40. Not a Good Idea

Uhhh, you may not want to go that route. What the poster failed to note is that the supposed meeting that was referred to was in February, 1999. Clinton was in the White House then.

[On the Road]

49. I Believe That's Actually the Point

Clinton had binLaden targeted and was ready to pull the trigger, but could not do so without also assassinating the leaders of an allied state.

[Snivi Yllom]

51. not a good idea to advertise you had Osama in your sights and let him go

call me crazy

[On the Road]

66. I Wouldn't Expect Any President

to kill the royal family of the UAE. That is about as good a reason as you can have. Much better than giving him a headstart, having him surrounded, and letting him go.

[Snivi Yllom]

68. no brainer

they should have taken the shot

[On the Road]

76. You Have GOT to be Kidding!

In 1999, even before 911, you would have killed OBL and the entire UAE royal family just because you had a target? What about if the prime ministers of Canada and Brazil were there?

[rateyes]

86. We all know how reliable intelligence sources always...

are, don't we? (sarcasn)---That would be something...fire the missile, find out that OBL wasn't really there, and in the meantime take out the leadership of a sovereign nation in a way that would tick off the WHOLE Arab world......I wouldn't have taken a shot, either. Truth is 9.11 was avoidable...Bush didn't connect the dots....9.11 has been a good excuse for Bush to do anything he damned well pleases, with impunity.

[Mr_Spock]

85. This was before 9/11!!!!!!!!!! Hellllllllllllooooooo!!!

...and the Repukes were fascinating over Clintons penis at the time I'm sure...

[Snivi Yllom]

110. imagine if there had been 9/11

what a world we could have now

no brainer

[rateyes]

82. Plus the Bushes would have been royally ticked off...

seeing as how much money they made doing business with bin Laden and with the UAE royal family!

[cantstandbush]

88. The Republicans would have screamed about our killing the royals

because they were part of the free-market strategy.

[rateyes]

91. yep.

[BushOut06]

95. Oh come on - President Logan is willing to kill the Russian president...

Why shouldn't we be willing to take out a few UAE head honchos to get Bin Laden?

Oh sorry - confusing Hollywood with real life again ;)

[Canuckistanian]

98. I never intended for it to sound like the royals should be killed

And I was wrong about my original assumption (obviously).

Now, let's look at the timeline. The embassy bombings were in 1998. Al-Qaeda was more myth than reality. And OBL was known to have something to do with Al-Qaeda.

At this point, killing OBL would have raised a firestorm of controversy. "Extra-judicial killings" by Israel were in the news. And the intelligence just wasn't there, not enough for a justified kill.
And the conservatives were salivating for a "wag the dog" story.

And, remember, this was a year before the USS Cole. After that, it was confirmed that Al-Qaeda was deadly and serious. The Cole incident happened in Sept. 2000.

After that, a kill would have been justified.

[Mr_Spock]

103. Good summary of the climate at that time...

...funny how people forget...

[Canuckistanian]

104. I totally misread the OP

I felt really stupid. But, at the time (Clinton's presidency) there was a completely different mindset.

OBL then and OBL now, are completely different.

[Rex]

71. And?

So you're saying we should give Bill Clinton a pass because he's a Dem?

[lumberjack_jeff]

97. Two answers:

1) Yes.
2) A pass on what? He had OBL under constant surveillance - prior to the current President and his "who ever would have imagined that they'd hijack airliners?"

[nosferaustin]

113. No

No, not just because he's a Dem. Reason 2 is enough. We were monitoring the situation then, unlike when Shrub's admin came in and dropped the ball. At least Clinton considered the shot, like has been said elsewhere in this thread. Shrub is the one who let him go in Tora Bora to fight his little revenge war.

[Rex]

116. Then why wouldn't we mention Clinton?

Who cares what Repukers think?

[drm604]

101. I don't think that's the point of the OP.

The point isn't that they should have made the strike. The point is that UAE Royals consorted with the known leader of Al Quaeda. If so, then how can we consider them our allies and trust them with the running of some of our ports?

[Spiffarino]

114. Missing the point, are we?

Bin Laden. UAE princes. Hunting trip. Pals. Buddies. Goodfellas.

Is it sinking in?

[BikeWriter]

3. K&R Outrageous!

[merbex]

4. W needs a REASON about port deal? Fax this thread over asap

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. And the hits just keep on coming.

[joeunderdog]

6. Was Bush at the meeting too?

Hard to tell where one entity stops and the other starts. This incestuous group is running the world in tandem.

[leveymg]

7. Was this reported anywhere else?

I did a quick GOOGLE and couldn't find another article that carries this report about Tenet testifying to this. Also, there's no date of the reported meeting.

I'd feel a lot better kicking this if I saw some confirmation.

[kpete]

10. me too...

[Chi]

14. 9/11 Hearing Transcript

http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing8/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-03-23.htm

Text down on post 14

[trogdor]

39. The pertinent text.

The Desert Camp, February 1999. During the winter of 1998-99, intelligence reported that Bin Ladin frequently visited a camp in the desert, adjacent to a larger hunting camp in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located there, and apparently remained for more than a week. This was not in an urban area, so the risk of collateral damage was minimal. Intelligence provided a detailed description of the camps. National technical intelligence confirmed the description of the larger camp, and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the UAE. The CIA received reports that Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited with Emiratis. The location of this larger camp was confirmed by February 9, but the location of Bin Ladin's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely.

Preparations were made for a possible strike, against the larger camp, perhaps to target Bin Ladin during one of his visits. No strike was launched.

According to CIA officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike might kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Ladin or close by. The lead CIA official in the field felt the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable. The UBL unit chief at the time agrees. The field official believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Ladin before 9/11.

Clarke told us the strike was called off because the intelligence was dubious, and it seemed to him as if the CIA was presenting an option to attack America's best counterterrorism ally in the Gulf. Documentary evidence at the time shows that on February 10th Clarke detailed to Deputy National Security Advisor Donald Kerrick the intelligence placing UBL in the camp, informed him that DOD might be in a position to fire the next morning, and added that General Shelton was looking at other options that might be ready the following week. Clarke had just returned from a visit to the UAE, working on counterterrorism cooperation and following up on a May 1998 UAE agreement to buy F-16 aircraft from the United States.

On February 10th, Clarke reported that a top UAE official had vehemently denied that high-level UAE officials were in Afghanistan. Evidence subsequently confirmed that high-level UAE officials had been there.

(end clip)

You see, before Bush took over, we extended foreign heads of state (and their representatives) the courtesy of not dropping bombs on them without declaring war on them first. Bombing the living shit out of bin Laden while members of the UAE royal family were present would have been bad. Very bad.

[FatDave]

69. I hate to use the term "slam dunk"...

...but if the shoe fits...

I mean, there it is in the 9/11 commission report. Bin Laden met with UAE royals.

[Patsy Stone]

31. CBS News in an article about Michael Scheuer (Imperial Hubris)

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/11/12/60minutes/main655407.shtml

"In a letter to the House and Senate Intelligence Committees earlier this year, Scheuer says his agents provided the U.S. government with about ten opportunities to capture bin Laden before Sept. 11, and that all of them were rejected.

One of the last proposals, which he described to the 9/11 Commission in a closed-door session, involved a cruise missile attack against a remote hunting camp in the Afghan desert, where bin Laden was believed to be socializing with members of the royal family from the United Arab Emirates."

[annabanana]

8. I remember that...

I wish I could remember where I heard/saw it when it happened..

[Virginian]

9. So, if the UAE royal family

knows where OBL is and doesn't tell us, are they promoting terrorism? If they met with him, they obviously knew where he was. Why are their lives worth so much more than the tens of thousands of lives lost in Iraq trying to get Saddam?

Remember, Dubya said, "You're either with us or you're with the terrorists."

Our leaders need to be a little more consistent about the lies they tell us. We all know they aren't the truth, if they were, we would have found at least one of the reasons they told us we needed to go to war in Iraq.

We have figured out that they do NOT want to get OBL because he makes for a good Boogie man to scare the base into going to the polls or rallying around the Bushies. He seems to be willing to release a tape anytime the Bush Administration needs one. Isn't it odd that the last OBL tape was released in Egypt the same day Cheney visited there. Coincidence? Maybe, maybe not.

[Harald Ragnarsson]

11. They wiped out 20 in Pakistan not long ago because Zawakiri might

be there for dinner. So this really doesn't sound like much of an excuse to me.

Unless they are trying to say the lives of Royalty like them are worth more than the common unwashed masses. You don't think that's what they were saying do you?

[Che_Nuevara]

84. Clinton did not wipe out a royal family.

Bush bombed Pakistani children.


Do we see the difference?

[Harald Ragnarsson]

92. My reply had nothing to do with Clinton

I was pointing out that when a High Profile target is surrounded by Elites, he is safe. When he is surrounded by PEONS, then they can all be wasted at will.

See the difference there?

[The Stranger]

12. This UAE propaganda is really spreading.

[Chi]

Doesn't look like propanganda to me

"The Desert Camp, February 1999. During the winter of 1998-99, intelligence reported that Bin Ladin frequently visited a camp in the desert, adjacent to a larger hunting camp in Helmand Province of Afghanistan, used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located there, and apparently remained for more than a week. This was not in an urban area, so the risk of collateral damage was minimal. Intelligence provided a detailed description of the camps. National technical intelligence confirmed the description of the larger camp, and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the UAE. The CIA received reports that Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited with Emiratis. The location of this larger camp was confirmed by February 9, but the location of Bin Ladin's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely.

Preparations were made for a possible strike, against the larger camp, perhaps to target Bin Ladin during one of his visits. No strike was launched.

According to CIA officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike might kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Ladin or close by. The lead CIA official in the field felt the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable. The UBL unit chief at the time agrees. The field official believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Ladin before 9/11. "

http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing8/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-03-23.htm

[The Stranger]

24. Then follow it through.

The U.S. military (purportedly) seeks to avoid killing innocents in its air strikes.

If they did not make the attack, it would appear, they considered the non-named, mysterious visitors from a country that is also the home of a company seeking to perform work at U.S. ports, innocents.

Has anyone posted a link to any terrorist act performed by the company at issue?

[Chi]

25. Company is owned by the UAE gov't., and they have ties to terrorists

So I guess that would answer your question (I'm assuming no link is necessary for that one).

Non-named, mysterious visitors were reported as the UAE Royal Family.

Looks like the report is accurate to me.

[The Stranger]

46. No, because "ties" doesn't answer the question at all.

On the contrary, it begs the question.

Feel free to read the question again. I would be interested in seeing if there is evidence of any act by the entity at issue.

[Oilwellian]

64. Here you go

We'll just start when DP World took control:

2001: Dubai's Ports, Customs & Free Zone Corporation is established to take over customs operations from the Dubai Ports Authority and Jebel Ali Free Zone Authority.

June 2001: Bef Corp. allegedly exports photo finishing equipment to SK of Dubai, which transships the equipment to Iran, in violation of U.S. sanctions.

September 2001: The U.A.E.'s Advance Technical Systems purchases $16,000 of military radar components from the U.S. and transships them to Pakistan after declaring that they were for the Bangladeshi Air Force. Following guilty pleas delivered in June 2003 for the illegal export of parts for howitzers, radars and armored personnel carriers, two U.S. citizens and one Pakistani are imprisoned.

October 2001: A U.A.E.-based firm acts as an intermediary to facilitate the trade in ballistic missile-related goods from China to Iraq, according to the I.S.G.

May 2002: The German government warns its exporters that since 1998 Iraq has been increasingly engaging in procurement activities through Dubai. Germany believes that North Korea has also increased its operations in Dubai.

August 2002: The U.S. firm Mercator, Inc. agrees a $30,000 settlement with the U.S. Department of Commerce, which had alleged that Mercator had exported chemicals to Dubai with the knowledge that they would be re-exported to Iran without prior authorization.

December 2002: The U.S. Navy accuses Dubai's Naif Marine Services of smuggling to Iraq polymers that could be used to manufacture explosives.

2003: Ajman Port, which is adjacent to Ajman Free Zone, now serves over 1,000 ships a year.

January 2003: Spare parts for Mirage F-1 aircraft and Gazelle attack helicopters are transferred to Iraq. U.S. intelligence reportedly believes that parts were purchased from France by Dubai's Al Tamoor Trading Co., and then smuggled to Iraq through at third country, reportedly Turkey.

May 2003 - February 2004: U.A.E.-based Diamond Technology LLC and its managing director Mohammad Farahbakhsh allegedly export a U.S. satellite communications system to Iran without the required license.

June 2003: 311 companies attend the third U.A.E. Trade Exhibition in Iran. Trade with Iran exchanged through Dubai's ports was 12 billion dirhams in 2001, an increase from 4.3 billion in 1997.

October 2003: 66 triggered spark gaps, which can be used to detonate nuclear weapons, are shipped without the required license from the United States to Top-Cape Technology in South Africa. They are subsequently transshipped via Dubai to AJMC Lithographic Aid Society in Pakistan. In 2004 Asher Karni, an Israeli living in South Africa, pleads guilty to conspiring to export controlled commodities to Pakistan without validated export licenses. In 2005 the U.S. indicts Humayun Khan of the Pakistani company Pakland PME for violating export restrictions and being the ultimate purchaser.

October 2003: Five containers of centrifuge components, sent by B.S.A. Tahir and shipped through Dubai, are seized en route to Libya. The items are part of four shipments made by Malaysia's Scomi Precision Engineering (SCOPE) between 2002 and 2003 to Dubai's Aryash Trading Company. One of the four consignments lists the addressee as Gulf Technical Industries, but is diverted to Desert Electrical Equipment Factory, also based in Dubai.

October 2003: According to B.S.A. Tahir, the BBC China, the ship carrying the seized centrifuge components, was also transporting an aluminum casting and dynamo for Libya's centrifuge workshop. The consignment was allegedly sent via Dubai by TUT Shipping on behalf of Gunas Jireh of Turkey.

October 2003: Two weeks after the seizure of the centrifuge components, B.S.A. Tahir arranges the transshipment to Libya, via Dubai, of an electrical cabinet and power supplier-voltage regulator on behalf of Selim Alguadis, an associate of A.Q. Khan.

December 2003: Hamid Fathaloloomy, principal of Dubai's Akeed Trading Company, allegedly attempts to export U.S. pressure sensors to Iran.

http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countries/dubai/transshipment-milestones.html

[The Stranger]

74. They have that information for all non-White nuclear powers:

http://www.wisconsinproject.org/countryinfo.html

Country Info

Algeria

Israel

Brazil

Libya

China

North Korea

UAE
(Dubai)

Pakistan

Egypt

Russia

India

South Africa

Iran

Syria

Iraq

Taiwan

Also, that is list of various nations -- where is the specific act of terrorism committed by the entity at issue?

[Chi]

117. Actually, what I disagreed with, was your claim this post was propaganda

(Sorry for the delay, I haven't been around)

Since the basis for any propaganda is a systematic propagation of information,
you could just show what you based your assessment on.
(I searched for a source that would appear to be propagating this article, but couldn't find any)

[Wordie]

42. OK...that was 1998 or 1999, several years BEFORE 9/11...

It's my understanding that for many years, bin Laden was considered a hero in the Muslim world because of his efforts in expelling the Soviets from Afganistan. He was supported in this by the US, after all! We provided him weapons and financial support.

How do we even know that the UAE royals had really gotten the picure by the time that this socializing went on that ObL was now the enemy?

It seems to me that if this sort of socializing went on after 9/11, then that would be damning, but this was several years before that, when his reputation was changing from good guy to bad guy. We can't expect the royals of the UAE to have been mind readers, able to anticipate the damage that ObL would do to the US several years in advance.

I am no particular fan of the UAE, it's just that it seems we are jumping to conclusions quite a bit over this issue.

[Chi]

118. Sorry for the delay

You probably know this by now, but the reason for the article
was that the UAE Royals were interfering with a strike on UBL by the
Clinton Admin.
If they weren't already found to be responsible for terrorists actions
(African embassy's, etc.), they wouldn't have been targeted for bombing.

You can put on top of that being only 1 of 3 countries to acknowledge
the Taliban as being a legitimate government.

No need for being mind readers.

[EFerrari]

16. Maybe true, but this incident did happen. nt

[seemunkee]

13. The meeting was in 1999

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_11-4-2004_pg7_6

Steve Coll of the Washington Post who has just published a book on Afghanistan told a meeting at the Johns Hopkins University Friday that the US had reliable information in February 1999 that Osama bin Laden had arrived in a desert area south of Qandhar for a bustard shoot organised by some princes of the United Arab Emirates’ ruling house. The decision to bomb and destroy the elaborate camp the royal hunting party had set up in the desert was revoked because of the politically expensive “collateral damage” the US action could create. He said the quality of intelligence that Osama bin Laden was present at the camp was “120 percent sure.” However, another reason that the bombing was not undertaken was the absence of a second independent source confirming bin Laden’s presence at the camp.

[Stephanie]

18. that's ok - the fact that the royal family dines with bin Laden is enough

that's a relevant fact regardless of who failed to bomb bin Laden's camp.

[EVDebs]

29. And where OBL gets his medical treatment for kidney dialysis apparently

in July 2001.

[PaulaFarrell]

72. and Texas hosts the Taliban

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/west_asia/37021.stm

Taleban in Texas for talks on gas pipeline
image: < The 1,300km pipeline will carry gas across Afghanistan's harsh terrain >
The 1,300km pipeline will carry gas across Afghanistan's harsh terrain

A senior delegation from the Taleban movement in Afghanistan is in the United States for talks with an international energy company that wants to construct a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan across Afghanistan to Pakistan.

A spokesman for the company, Unocal, said the Taleban were expected to spend several days at the company's headquarters in Sugarland, Texas.



I guess Unocal supports terrorism and look at all the gas stations they own. What is Bush going to do about that?

[phusion]

15. Steve Coll mentioned this a while back

I went to a lecture a couple of years ago by Steve Coll, Pulitzer Prize winner and Managing Editor at the Washington Post. His book, Ghost Wars, details this decision and also provides some great information on the relationship between the US and the bin Ladens.

Here's an article about the would-be airstrike:
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_11-4-2004_pg7_6

[file83]

33. Ghost Wars was an EXCELLENT book. I use it as a reference quite often. nt

[Babel_17]

17. Here's another link (maybe)

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20349-2004Mar24.html

FIELDING: Well, yesterday we talked about the three events in '98 and '99 where there were occasions that it looked like there might be an opportunity which then, in each instance, was deemed not to be operational. And the one that I find the most intriguing and the one that's been labeled as perhaps the lost opportunity more than any was the February '99 hunting camp -- I guess it's been described -- the desert camp.

And yesterday in the staff statement that was read, we're told about that and we were told that the intelligence seemed pretty strong and that the preparations were made and then the strike was called off. And the lead CIA agent in the field felt that it was very reliable intelligence.

I guess, was there anything unique about the intelligence or the circumstances that necessitated that decision?

FIELDING: And who made that decision?

TENET: I don't have a recollection of the uniqueness of the intelligence in question at the time. I can go back and provide that for you. In fact, I'd like to go back and try and package up all the data at my disposal when we were thinking about these issues.

I believe this was a collective decision. I also believe this target went away because the camp was ultimately dismantled. So in reading through your staff inquiry -- your staff notes on this, I can't recall who made the call, but I know we were all in the same place about it, Mr. Fielding.

FIELDING: I would appreciate that on behalf of the commission, if you could do that because it seemed that this -- when the intelligence was so good and that by the time the camp was dismantled, days and days had passed. So I would appreciate that.

TENET: It's also a question, I believe, as to whether bin Laden was inside or outside the camp...

FIELDING: Of course.

TENET: ... the complicating issue in this whole thing and whether he was there or not. So there's a second complicating factor here.

The third complicating factor here is you might have wiped out half the royal family in the UAE in the process, which I'm sure entered into everybody's calculation in all this.

But in any event, I will try and reconstruct the data as best I can in terms of what I had in my possession at the time.

FIELDING: I would appreciate it. Thank you, and thank you for your testimony. I see that little red light is on.

[banana republican]

19. And these are the guy's we are selling our ports to?!?!?!?!?!?! n/t

[Noaell]

57. Investments & us

The other day when quickly running by FOXNews channel, I saw an ad for 'Kingdom Holding Company' Saudi Co... Here's more investment foreign news that many may not be aware of.

from:
UAE - The Official Web Site - News
small snippet excerpt:

Istithmar's acquisition of London's One Trafalgar Square for 155 million Pound Sterling, followed many such acquisitions by subsidiaries of Dubai Holdings. Currently, DP World, a part of Dubai's PCFC Group, is engaged in a takeover battle with Singapore's PSA for the control of British ports and ferry operator P and O.

Economists and financial analysts expect GCC investors to acquire substantial foreign assets this year. The exceptionally large oil export receipts will lead to substantial fiscal stimulus in the region which will result in huge government spending in the GCC region this year, said a recent research by International Institute of Finance (IIF).

"The GCC is in the midst of a period of exceptional economic performance. We are now forecasting aggregate GDP to expand by more than one-third for 2005 and 2006, while foreign assets are estimated to rise in these two years by more than USD360 billion,” the report said. (The Emirates News Agency, WAM) ]
http://www.uaeinteract.com/news/default.asp?cntDisplay=10&ID=13

[SaintLouisBlues]

20. Some of them have died since then anyhow

as per this thread:

There's something odd about the recent deaths in the UAE ruling family!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x487452

[FormerRepublican]

35. Actually, the person who supposedly met with bin Laden is now...

...the Emir of Dubai, and is also the owner of Dubai Ports World. He assumed the role upon the death of one of those mentioned in the thread you cite.

"After the Taliban takes control of the area around Kandahar, Afghanistan, in September 1994, prominent Persian Gulf state officials and businessmen, including high-ranking United Arab Emirates and Saudi government ministers, such as Saudi intelligence minister Prince Turki al-Faisal, frequently secretly fly into Kandahar on state and private jets for hunting expeditions. General Wayne Downing, Bush's former national director for combating terrorism, says: “They would go out and see Osama, spend some time with him, talk with him, you know, live out in the tents, eat the simple food, engage in falconing, some other pursuits, ride horses. One noted visitor is Sheik Mohammed ibn Rashid al Maktum, United Arab Emirates Defense Minister and Crown Prince for the emirate of Dubai.” While there, some develop ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda and give them money. Both bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Omar sometimes participate in these hunting trips. Former US and Afghan officials suspect that the dignitaries' outbound jets may also have smuggled out al-Qaeda and Taliban personnel. On one occasion, the US will decide not to attack bin Laden with a missile because he's falconing with important members of the United Arab Emirates' royal family (see February 1999)."

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/entity.jsp?id=1521846767-531

[reality based]

48. This current ruler of Dubai is also the Vice President and Prime Minister

of the United Arab Emirates. The Dick Cheney of the UAE.

[Norquist Nemesis]

21. So, are they holding him in ransom now?

Is that what this deal is about? They've got OBL and will turn him over as soon as the ink is dry on the port deal?

:tinfoilhat:

I hate to jump the bandwagon of conspiracy theories, but there has to be a reason for Bush to be so politcally stupid about this one. The only other answer for this deal is $$$$ ...which incidentally is what Chertoff was putting out there when he talked about economic interests.

Does anyone know if Dick was leading the meeting or involved?

[progressivebydesign]

83. Hmmm... that's the best theory I've heard in a while.

I promise to remember that if OBL suddenly turns up in time for the 2006 or 2008 elections.

[AzDar]

22. Jeebus! ...just, Jeebus! n/t

[kpete]

23. Here we go

The UAE desert hunting trip in Afghanistan, courtesy of the 911 Commission Report.

Udate on UAE. Here is a portion of the 9/11 Comission report dealing with the UAE/Bn Laden connection.

"The Desert Camp, February 1999
Early in 1999, the CIA received reporting that Bin Ladin was spending much of his time at one of several camps in the Afghan desert south of Kandahar. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located in the vicinity of the Sheikh Ali camp, a desert hunting camp being used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates.151

Reporting from the CIA's assets provided a detailed description of the hunting camp, including its size, location, resources, and security, as well as of Bin Ladin's smaller, adjacent camp.152 Because this was not in an urban area, missiles launched against it would have less risk of causing collateral damage. On February 8, the military began to ready itself for a possible strike.153 The next day, national technical intelligence confirmed the location and description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates. But the location of Bin Ladin's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely.154 The CIA did its best to answer a host of questions about the larger camp and its residents and about Bin Ladin's daily schedule and routines to support military contingency planning. According to reporting from the tribals, Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited the Emiratis; the tribals expected him to be at the hunting camp for such a visit at least until midmorning on February 11.155 Clarke wrote to Berger's deputy on February 10 that the military was then doing targeting work to hit the main camp with cruise missiles and should be in position to strike the following morning.156 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert appears to have been briefed on the situation.157"

http://www.faqs.org/docs/911/911Report-155.html

[progressivebydesign]

26. Pals of Osama Bin Forgotten are going to run our ports??

WTF? And people here have the nerve to accuse us of racism. pfft.

[Ian_rd]

27. Someone PLEASE post this at FreeperBedWetters.com (nt)

[elehhhhna]

108. I did yesterday. It got pulled in 15 minutes

[indeman]

28. So, its ok to kill tens of thousands of innocent common iraqis . . .

in the process of targeting purported "insurgents," but we must spare the precious lives of royal family members, even when they hob nob with the most dangerous terrorist in the world.

[FormerRepublican]

36. Different Presidents involved. Nuff said.

[im10ashus]

30. K&R!

kpete, you are quickly becoming my favorite poster here. :-)

:kick:

[Patsy Stone]

32. K&R

Thanks.

[file83]

34. Osama must be laughing his ass off right now at the American public.

That's a hunch. I have no links for you. So BACK OFF!!!

[katty]

37. yup, just posted this

[Skinner]

38. Anyone know anything else about this?

I went ahead and put this on the homepage, because I think it deserves exposure. But I would like to know a few things.

- Anyone know anything about this news source, rediff.com? I've never heard of it before.

- Does anyone have a link to this story on other news sources?

- I could be mistaken, but I don't think there is a single "royal family of the United Arab Emirates." I was under the impression that the UAE is made up of a number of emirates, each of which has its own royal family. Anyone know?

ON EDIT: I see that Chi has posted a quote from the 9/11 commission hearings above which seems to back this up: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=488962&mesg_id=489328

[kpete]

43. story also at Kos & Atrios, plus

Steve Coll's 'Ghost Wars'

Afghan war forced US to accept Pakistan's N-plan, says book

...
During the winter of 1998-99, the CIA learned that a large party of Persian Gulf dignitaries had flown into the Afghan desert for a falcon-hunting party. The report from CIA field agents said bin Laden had also joined the party.

The agency called for an attack on their encampment until Richard Clarke, President Clinton's counter-terrorism aide, discovered that among the hosts of the gathering was royalty from the United Arab Emirates.

Mr Clarke had been instrumental in a 1998 deal to sell 80 F-16 military jets to the UAE, which was also a crucial supplier of oil and gas to America and its allies. The strike was called off.

http://www.dawn.com/2004/11/19/top6.htm


911 report
http://www.9-11commission.gov/archive/hearing8/9-11Commission_Hearing_2004-03-24.htm

[kpete]

44. dupe

[Snivi Yllom]

53. it was in the 9/11 Commission report, here:

http://www.9-11commission.gov/report/911Report_Ch4.htm

The Desert Camp, February 1999
Early in 1999, the CIA received reporting that Bin Ladin was spending much of his time at one of several camps in the Afghan desert south of Kandahar. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located in the vicinity of the Sheikh Ali camp, a desert hunting camp being used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates.151

Reporting from the CIA's assets provided a detailed description of the hunting camp, including its size, location, resources, and security, as well as of Bin Ladin's smaller, adjacent camp.152 Because this was not in an urban area, missiles launched against it would have less risk of causing collateral damage. On February 8, the military began to ready itself for a possible strike.153 The next day, national technical intelligence confirmed the location and description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates. But the location of Bin Ladin's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely.154 The CIA did its best to answer a host of questions about the larger camp and its residents and about Bin Ladin's daily schedule and routines to support military contingency planning. According to reporting from the tribals, Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited the Emiratis; the tribals expected him to be at the hunting camp for such a visit at least until midmorning on February 11.155 Clarke wrote to Berger's deputy on February 10 that the military was then doing targeting work to hit the main camp with cruise missiles and should be in position to strike the following morning.156 Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert appears to have been briefed on the situation.157

No strike was launched. By February 12 Bin Ladin had apparently moved on, and the immediate strike plans became moot.158 According to CIA and Defense officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike would kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Ladin or close by. Clarke told us the strike was called off after consultations with Director Tenet because the intelligence was dubious, and it seemed to Clarke as if the CIA was presenting an option to attack America's best counterterrorism ally in the Gulf. The lead CIA official in the field, Gary Schroen, felt that the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable; the Bin Ladin unit chief, "Mike," agreed. Schroen believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Ladin before 9/11.159

Even after Bin Ladin's departure from the area, CIA officers hoped he might return, seeing the camp as a magnet that could draw him for as long as it was still set up. The military maintained readiness for another strike opportunity.160 On March 7, 1999, Clarke called a UAE official to express his concerns about possible associations between Emirati officials and Bin Ladin. Clarke later wrote in a memorandum of this conversation that the call had been approved at an interagency meeting and cleared with the CIA.161 When the former Bin Ladin unit chief found out about Clarke's call, he questioned CIA officials, who denied having given such a clearance.162 Imagery confirmed that less than a week after Clarke's phone call the camp was hurriedly dismantled, and the site was deserted.163 CIA officers, including Deputy Director for Operations Pavitt, were irate. "Mike" thought the dismantling of the camp erased a possible site for targeting Bin Ladin.164

The United Arab Emirates was becoming both a valued counterterrorism ally of the United States and a persistent counterterrorism problem. From 1999 through early 2001, the United States, and President Clinton personally, pressed the UAE, one of the Taliban's only travel and financial outlets to the outside world, to break off its ties and enforce sanctions, especially those relating to flights to and from Afghanistan.165 These efforts achieved little before 9/11.

In July 1999, UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hamdan bin Zayid threatened to break relations with the Taliban over Bin Ladin.166 The Taliban did not take him seriously, however. Bin Zayid later told an American diplomat that the UAE valued its relations with the Taliban because the Afghan radicals offered a counterbalance to "Iranian dangers" in the region, but he also noted that the UAE did not want to upset the United States.167

[Patsy Stone]

61. Here's what I found

Link from CBS I posted above:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=488962&mesg_id=491998

There are seven emirates which all joined together (http://www.uae.org.ae/general/index.htm) after 1971 when the Brits withdrew. Each may choose its own type of government. One of the rulers is elected president and one vice-president of the Supreme Council for five years. Abu Dhabi is the capital, and they have a royal family.

The leaders are listed as H.H. Sheikh... or "His Highness".

Hope this helps.

[sakabatou]

41. Who's your daddy, Bush?

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

45. This Is Absolutely Fascinatiing If True, and Damning.

Is this the only source for this? I can't spread it around based on that alone, but would send it to anyone I could if I could have it substantiated better.

How confident are we in the accuracy of this?

[eggman67]

50. See post 23

Quotes directly from the 9/11 report. Just be prepared to stay on topic when they point out who's watch this was on, cause you know they will.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

52. From What I Saw It Wasn't Even Related To This Incident.

It was in 1999 before * was even in office. That post seems to provide additional background, but I'm looking for further confirmation of the story itself.

Thanks for you help though.

[ima_sinnic]

56. it IS related to this incident, it shows who UAE is friends with

--we do NOT want them running our ports! next, they'll be "entertaining" bin Laden's contraband shipments.

[eggman67]

58. I'm confused

The story in the article in the OP and the story in the 9/11 report are referring to the same incident.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

59. Sorry, I Misinterpreted the OP

[kpete]

54. does not matter WHO was in charge

Members of the UAE Royal Family are friends with OBL - that is the point!

[eggman67]

55. I know it doesn't matter

I was just warning people to be aware and prepared for tha potential response. Forewarned is forearmed.

[katty]

47. Port bought by the $ from Americans sucking up Saudi oil

[pinniped]

60. I don't believe the 'real' OBL has been seen for years.

This is just another one of those "we could have had him stories."

What happened to all the "that's just collateral damage" talk?

[sabbat hunter]

62. when

it doesnt say when this meeting took place.

[eggman67]

65. 1999

See post 23 for details

[regnaD kciN]

63. So, we didn't take out half of the UAE royal family on a hunting party...

...several years before 9/11, because we couldn't confirm that ObL might have been there.

So far, it seems like there's pretty scant evidence that bin Ladin and the Emirati were even in contact.

But, of course, you need a much lower standard of proof when you're talking about the evil Ay-rabs, right? :eyes:

[yurbud]

67. freepers, do you get it now? Bush/terrorists

it's like the thugs who come threaten your store, then other thugs come and offer protection from first guys, but they are really in the same gang.

[KansDem]

77. That makes sense!

BushCo is nothing more than a gang selling protection!

I'd run this by a freeper or two to gage their reaction, if I knew a freeper or two...

[yurbud]

78. go to yahoo Coulter boards

[Megahurtz]

70. Oh How Sweet!

:sarcasm:
Our country IS BEING TOTALLY SOLD OUT!!!:argh:

[zbdent]

73. And, at the time of the chance to get OBL (even with "collateral damage"

to the Saudi Royals),

Repugnicons were in the midst of impeaching Bill Clinton (1/7/1999-2/12/1999), having already claimed that an attack of "a million-dollar missile to hit a $10 tent and a camel's butt" was a diversion to take media attention away FROM THE IMPEACHMENT . . .

[SlavesandBulldozers]

99. this is the central point.

republicans went on record saying that airstrikes were a diversion, that the war was a hoax. they have it both ways, as usual.

[Donald Ian Rankin]

75. USA in failure to start World War III Shock Horror!

I don't know how much credence to give this article, but certainly not bombing Osama bin Laden if it would mean killing most of the Saudi royal family seems to me to be what's colloquially refered to as a "no-brainer".

If you think the current civil war in Iraq, or the anger about the Danish cartoons, are bad, then multiply those by 5 and spread them across the whole middle east and probably a lot of the rest of the world and you might be getting close to what would have happened if the US had killed any of the Saudi royalty.

[yurbud]

80. the point in this case isn't that we didn't kill him but UAE royals

were even there.

[FreedomAngel82]

79. This is outrageous!

Didn't he also use one of their hospitals once? Bush and the BinLadin families working together again. (Well duh they never stopped silly me)

[savemefromdumbya]

81. I'm lost for words!!!

[rateyes]

87. !

[Texifornia]

93. There are Seven Royal Families in the U.A.E.

One for each Emirate. Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the richest. Abu Dhabi from oil aqnd gas, Dubai primarily from trade, being one of the few states on earth that used its now depleted oil reserves to build an economy not dependent on oil.

The others have no significant oil wealth and are supported by the royal families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai as well as the House of Saud and the royal family if Qatar. The degree of support is a mystery, as is the real production capacity or rates of oil and gas production.

Sharjah, a Wahabbist Emirate, wants into the westernization game. Sharjah's primary entry into the western economy is via real estate. Dubai, though wealthy, is small. Sharjah borders Dubai and is doin well as a suburb of Dubai. They are also opening a couple of first class resorts. Ras al Khaimah, where the Emir wants to build a sub-orbital space port, has been trying to emerge. Ajman, Umm al Quwain and Fujairah make up the balance of the Emirates and live pretty much on the largesse of the other heriditary powers in the region.

The Seven Royal Families inter-marry to varying degrees, but all real power resides with the Royal Families of Abu Dhabi and Dubai in that order.

Which one(s) were at this meeting win bin Laden?

[nebula]

94. I wouldn't put anything past Bush at this point

He and Osama are probably best buddies from the looks of things.

[GeorgeGist]

96. Note the date...

From the 9/11 Commission Report

"The Desert Camp, February 1999
During the winter of 1998-99, intelligence reported that Bin Ladin frequently visited a camp in the desert adjacent to a larger hunting camp in Helmand province of Afghanistan, used by visitors from a Gulf state. Public sources have stated that these visitors were from the United Arab Emirates. At the beginning of February, Bin Ladin was reportedly located there, and apparently remained for more than a week. This was not in an urban area, so the risk of collateral damage was minimal. Intelligence provided a detailed description of the camps. National technical intelligence confirmed the description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the UAE. The CIA received reports that Bin Ladin regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited with Emiratis. The location of this larger camp was confirmed by February 9, but the location of Bin Ladin’s quarters could not be pinned down so precisely. Preparations were made for a possible strike at least against the larger camp, perhaps to target Bin Ladin during one of his visits. No strike was launched.

According to CIA officials, policymakers were concerned about the danger that a strike might kill an Emirati prince or other senior officials who might be with Bin Ladin or close by. The lead CIA official in the field felt the intelligence reporting in this case was very reliable; the UBL unit chief at the time agrees. The field official believes today that this was a lost opportunity to kill Bin Ladin before 9/11. "

http://www.cooperativeresearch.org/timeline/2004/independentcommissionreport032404b.html

[Up2Late]

100. So, why is the ports deal a bad idea again?

It just keeps getting better and better, doesn't it? :crazy:

[gristy]

102. No one else on news.google.com is reporting this

Well, there was this one: http://www.freemarketnews.com/WorldNews.asp?nid=8131 but it simply links to the story you posted.

So did Tenet say this or not? If he did, why are NONE of the media reporting it? I repeat, NONE.

on edit: ahh, it was back in March of 04: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x488962#492719

[pauldp]

105. Jesus. Every other post on the front page these days

points to MIHOP.
It's kinda the only thing that makes sense any more.
Please don't tell me this is just incompetence.

:eyes:

[Peter Frank]

106. K & R For Genuine Democracy...

:kick:

[Ned_Devine]

107. That's old news. Clinton was in office and...

it would have caused an international incident if they had gotten the wrong guy. The CIA weren't 100% sure they had him.

[pauldp]

111. The point is the close ASSOCIATION between our declared #1 enemy and UAE.

Buddy buddy hunting pals.
bin Laden wasn't meeting with Saddam now was he?

[davekriss]

109. My gawd!

Not that we didn't strike (I'd have issue uf we started taking out heads of state, even if collateral), but the fact that UAE royal consorted with OBL in Afganistan. No time to open your link, but did it have a date for this event? Post 9-11 I assume?

[kpete]

112. Story in AP today!

Sept. 11 Report Ties Bin Laden to UAE By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer
18 minutes ago



WASHINGTON - The United States raised concerns with the United Arab Emirates seven years ago about possible ties between officials in that country and Osama bin Laden, according to a section of the Sept. 11 commission's report that details a possible missed opportunity to kill the al-Qaida leader.

Republicans and Democrats alike are raising concerns this week about the Bush administration's decision to let a UAE-operated company take over operations at six American ports, in part citing ties the Sept. 11 hijackers had to the Persian Gulf country.

President Bush has called the UAE a close partner on the war on terror since Sept. 11, and his aides have listed numerous examples of the country's help.

The Sept. 11 commission's report released last year also raised concerns UAE officials were directly associating with bin Laden as recently as 1999.

The report states U.S. intelligence believed that bin Laden was visiting an area in the Afghan desert in February 1999 near a hunting camp used by UAE officials, and that the U.S. military planned a missile strike.

Intelligence from local tribal sources indicated "bin Laden regularly went from his adjacent camp to the larger camp where he visited the Emiratis," the report said.

"National technical intelligence confirmed the location and description of the larger camp and showed the nearby presence of an official aircraft of the United Arab Emirates. But the location of bin Laden's quarters could not be pinned down so precisely," the report said.

The missile attack was never launched, and bin Laden moved on, the report said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060223/ap_on_go_ot/ports_bin_laden

[Dunvegan]

115. Hope Elizabeth and a few other MSM reporters are reading the liberal blogs

...and forums.

Newsfilter MSM is very hard to breach.

National Security and covert actions cover up much...that's the only reason we're reduced to triangulating the ugly truth from seemingly innocuous reports that are allowed to pass because on their own they do not point to anything that's purposefully hidden.