September 11, 2009
Al Qaeda Dirty Bomber Spotted in Middle East, Traveling on Saudi Diplomatic Passport?
The report is that Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, one of the FBI's most sought after al Qaeda suspects, has been spotted in the Middle East traveling under an assumed name on a Saudi diplomatic passport.
Called "Jafar al Tayar [Jafar the pilot]" by al Qaeda, Khalid Shiekh Mohammad identified Shukrijumah under "enhanced interrogation techniques" as a sleeper agent. For a time it was thought that Shukrijumah may be the leader of a dirty bomb plot against the US.
How reliable is this report? At first it looks like it's coming from ANI, but if you check down into the story a bit you realize that their source is actually Gerald Posner for The Daily Beast. Posner is pretty reliable in my book, but that's mostly because I thought Case Closed was such a great read. I don't have any other basis for an opinion on Posner, so take it for what you will.
Here's the heart of what Posner reports:
A senior CIA intelligence analyst told The Daily Beast that the agency had tracked Adnan “somewhere in late spring to early summer” on several trips in the Middle East. On those travels, he used an alias—which the analyst did not disclose—and traveled with relative impunity on a Saudi diplomatic passport....Happy 9/11 people. In case you didn't recall, we're still at war and douchebags like this are still walking free.
By Rusty at September 11, 2009 01:47 PM | | l digg this
