Posted by Frank James at 11:23 am CDT
Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) wants the Central Intelligence Agency to reopen its Osama bin Laden unit. It's a response to recent news reports that the CIA closed the unit in an effort to broaden its efforts in the Global War on Terror.
Here's the press release from Kerry's office.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 6, 2006
Kerry Calls for CIA’s bin Laden Unit to Reopen Immediately
Today Senator John Kerry sent a letter to Director of National Intelligence John Negroponte, outlining his concerns about reports that the CIA’s unit responsible for hunting down Osama bin Laden has been closed, and calling for the agency to open the unit immediately.
Below is the text of Kerry’s letter.
July 6, 2006
The Honorable John D. Negroponte
Director of National Intelligence
Office of the Director of National Intelligence
Washington, DC 20511
Dear Mr. Director:
I write to express my concern over recent reports that the CIA has closed down the unit responsible for hunting down Osama bin Laden. This unit should be reconstituted immediately and given all resources necessary to finish the job of holding bin Laden accountable and preventing him from organizing or inspiring future attacks against the United States and our allies.
There is no question that since 9/11, al Qaeda has morphed into a global terrorist movement that transcends any one individual. The decision to divert resources from the crucial fight against bin Laden and al Qaeda to wage war on Iraq has made the task of eradicating this increasingly diffuse threat more difficult. We now face a long, difficult and multi-faceted struggle against global terrorism and the hateful ideology that inspires it.
I fully support efforts to adapt our response to the evolving nature of the threat, but this is not a compelling rationale for curtailing efforts to bring this mass murderer to justice. In fact, we cannot lose sight of the fact that eliminating bin Laden would still strike a key blow against al Qaeda and represent a significant step forward in the war on terror. Given what is at stake, our intelligence community should be given sufficient resources to both pursue bin Laden and prosecute the broader war on terror.
Moreover, disbanding the bin Laden unit sends the message to the terrorists that they can kill thousands of Americans without being held to account. Given that Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was quoted this week as saying that “nobody has any idea” where bin Laden is, it is especially important that we send a clear message now that we have not given up the hunt. Reconstituting the bin Laden unit now would make it clear that we will never rest until he has been brought to justice.
Past failures to eliminate bin Laden at Tora Bora and in the nearly five years since 9/11 are no excuse for failing to do everything possible to find him now. The CIA’s bin Laden unit can play an important part of our effort to win the war on terror, and I urge you to revive and strengthen it as soon as possible.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
• 
• 
• 
Comments
It makes perfect sense that the candidate (Kerry) the American people rejected in 2004, and rejected in large part because the public distrusted him on national security, should now attempt to micromanage, from his senate office, the war.
What next: bringing in the French to advise us on how to win wars? Cubs management telling the Sox how to win pennants?
Posted by: bruce | July 6, 2006 11:40 AM
Clearly the Bush administration "moved on" long ago and had very little interest in crossing the Saudi families most intent on ensuring that Osama bin Laden remained free of America's prisons or the death penalty. The CIA closing down its operations is akin to giving Adolf Hitler a free pass after WWII. This clearly doesn't bother a lot of people who would rather focus the attention on John Kerry. Kerry's not the issue here. The CIA (i.e. the Bush administration) closing whatever "catch him dead or alive" shop it had going is the issue.
Posted by: Jorge from Bloomington | July 6, 2006 4:43 PM
Whew! Good thing John Kerry's on the job. We can all rest safely now. Heck, why leave the hunt for Bin Laden to professionals who have devoted their lives to the intelligence business when we can count on the man who voted for the war before he voted against it?
Posted by: Bill | July 7, 2006 9:13 AM
Phew! That was close... The other day I was thinking: "That was a stupid thing the CIA did!" Well, I guess "Ze French Gigolo" put me in my place once again. Heck! If he wants the CIA to put it's "Bin Laden Unit" back together, I guess they really did make the correct decision. Thanks, Jack! I always know which way to jump and who got it right when you open your mouth. Isn't he the most remarkable Reverse-Barometer you've ever seen? What a fella! How does he do it? Little wonder they keep sending him and "The BIG One" back to Washington. What a team! WHAT A TEAM!
Posted by: M.Murray | July 7, 2006 11:26 AM
Bruce, would you please go back under that rock you came out from? It’s just unbelievable the amount of blind Republican rhetoric you can spew out. First if you would just look at facts. Sen. Kerry is a decorated combat veteran that has more experience fighting than Bush, Cheney, Rummy, and the rest of that Administration put together. Did you forget the big speeches Bush made after 9/11 about how he would make sure that Bin Laden would be brought to justice? How the hell can Bush claim to be fighting a war on terrorism and at the same time let the perpetrator of the worst terrorist act committed on American soil go? How can the Bush Administration make you feel safe when the mass murderer is left alone to plot against us again? How can Republicans say “Democrats are weak on defense” when they (Republicans) give up the hunt for one of the biggest terrorist threats this country has ever been confronted with?
Posted by: Rory M | July 7, 2006 12:05 PM
somebody please reel kerry in from the ozone. if the cia actually had disbanded their effort to find bin laden they sure as hell wouldn't have told anyone about it. this is a ploy to diminsih his role in front of the world after having killed the other big shot recently. they want to show al-queda is not the big deal it once was . they are plating to the street level wannabes and trying to show bin laden as being out of touch with the control of al-queda to diminsih his reputaTION FOR HAVING ESCAPED CAPTURE FOR SO LONG. THEY CALL IT PSY-OPS.
Posted by: chris williamson | July 7, 2006 9:03 PM
to you Bruce, and all other stupid american who fall so easily in anti-french rhetoric
Do you only know the history of your short term country, ever heard, for exemple about
The Battle of Yorktown, Virginia, between September and October 19, 1781
eating hamburger, being obnoxious and inhuman seems the norms for too many of you... when are you finally going to start thinking before opening your fat mouths?
your country is the more hostile country on hearth, which provoqued political unrest wherever your governement or some powerful business men were involved,
I also believe that your government managed to kill thousands of your country men to pursue evel goals... not to mention the use of nukes, killing, murdering, raping, assassination, made under the name of the US troughout history.
so please, leavve the french alone, will you Bruce, as you are quite pathetic.
Posted by: pascal | January 22, 2007 4:20 AM