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Lies, damn lies, and Bin Laden's death

Stephen Lendman | 03.05.2011 18:18 | Analysis | Anti-militarism | Other Press | Sheffield | World

Calling Osama Bin Laden "the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world," President Obama announced his death Sunday night, declaring "justice has been done."

Highlighting 9/11, he painstakingly discussed everything but the truth. America's media repeated it. Celebratory crowds in front of the White House, in Times Square, and at "ground zero" cheered it past midnight, mindlessly believing a lie.

Clear evidence showed bin Laden died years ago, likely in December 2001. However, reporting it was concealed to pursue America's "war on terror."

As a result, "Enemy Number One" was used to stoke fear as pretext for imperial wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, perhaps others now planned, and numerous proxy ones in Somalia, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Central Africa, Colombia, and elsewhere.

Washington Post, 2 May 2011
Washington Post, 2 May 2011


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Lies, damn lies, and Bin Laden's death

by Stephen Lendman, 3 May 2011


Winston Churchill rightly explained that "(a) lie gets halfway around the world before the truth has a chance to get its pants on." He said it perhaps before television. For sure before 24-hour cable TV and modern technology instantly communicating globally.

It applies to Obama's latest lie, announced at 11:35PM EDT on bin Laden, saying:

"Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who's responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children."

Highlighting 9/11, he painstakingly discussed everything but the truth. America's media repeated it. Celebratory crowds in front of the White House, in Times Square, and at "ground zero" cheered it past midnight, mindlessly believing a lie. More on that below.

On May 1, New York Times writers Peter Baker, Helene Cooper and Mark Mazzetti headlined, "Bin Laden Is Dead, Obama says: continuing:

Calling him "the mastermind of the most devastating attack on American soil in modern times and the most hunted man in the world," Obama announced his death Sunday night, declaring "justice has been done."

Cheerleading, not reporting, Baker, Cooper and Mazzetti called his "demise....a defining moment in the American-led fight against terrorism, a symbolic stroke affirming the relentlessness of the pursuit of those who attacked New York and Washington on Sept. 11, 2001."

New Year's eve arrived early in America, celebrating a lie, the "bewildered herd" again seduced by presidential deception.

A USA Today editorial headlined, "At last, bin Laden is dead," saying:

"Could there be any more satisfying words to hear?"

The Boston Globe highlighted "a moment of unity" after nearly a decade of war, calling Obama's announcement a "vindication of a manhunt spanning presidential administrations, and involving numerous agencies and countless intelligence officers."

AP quoted Bill Clinton saying:

"I congratulate the president, the national security team and the members of our armed forces on bringing Osama bin Laden to justice after more than a decade of murderous al Qaeda attacks."

House speaker John Boehner (R. OH) said it was "great news..."

House Democrat leader Nancy Pelosi called it "historic."

Senate Democrat leader Harry Reid "reaffirm(ed) our resolve to defeat the terrorist forces that killed (9/11 victims) and thousands of others across the globe."

Expect lots more cheerleading ahead, led by major media reports doing what they do best, providing sanitized, managed news, not truth.

Separating Fact from Fiction

Post-9/11, bin Laden became "Enemy Number One," the nation's top "security threat." In fact, if he hadn't existed, he'd have been invented for political advantage.

In March 1985, after Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive (NSDD) 166 to arm Afghan Mujahideen fighters, Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) recruited bin Laden to fight Soviet Afghan forces as a CIA asset. He likely remained one until his death, while simultaneously called "Enemy Number One," using him advantageously both ways.

David Ray Griffin wrote seminal books on 9/11, including "The New Pearl Harbor," "The 9/11 Commission Report," "9/11 and American Empire," "9/11 Contradictions," "Mysterious Collapse of World Trade Center 7," and "Osama Bin Laden: Dead of Alive?"

It was also the title of his October 9, 2009 Global Research article, covering two types of evidence:

(1) Objective evidence that he's dead:

After December 13, 2001, his regularly intercepted messages stopped.

On December 26, 2001, according to "a leading Pakistani newspaper" story, a prominent Taliban official said he attended his funeral.

Bin Laden, in fact, was very ill with kidney disease. In September 2001, CBS News anchor Dan Rather reported that he was admitted to a Rawalpindi, Pakistan hospital on September 10, 2001, and France's Le Figaro said:

"Dubai....was the backdrop of a secret meeting between Osama bin Laden and the local CIA agent in July (2001). A partner of the administration of the American Hospital....claims that (bin Laden) stayed (there) between the 4th and 14th of July (and) received visits from many members of his family as well as prominent Saudis and Emiratis. (During the same period), the local CIA agent, known to many in Dubai, was seen taking (the hospital's) main elevator (to) bin Laden's room."

Why not if he was a valued asset.

In July 2002, "CNN reported that (his) bodyguards had been captured in February of that year, adding: 'Sources believe that if the bodyguards were captured away from bin Laden, it is likely the most wanted man in the world is dead."

Finally, despite Washington offering a $25 million reward for information leading to his capture or killing, no one came forward.

(2) Testimonial evidence of his death:

In 2002, influential "people in a position to know" that he died included:

-- Pakistan President Musharraf;

-- FBI counterterrorism head Dale Watson;

-- Oliver North saying, "I'm certain that Osama is dead....and so are all the other guys I stay in touch with;"

-- Afghanistan President Karzai;

-- Israeli intelligence saying supposed bin Laden messages were fake; and

-- Pakistan's ISI "confirm(ing) the death of....Osama bin Laden (and) attribut(ing) the reasons behind Washington's hiding (the truth) to the desire of (America's hawks) to use the issue of al Qaeda and international terrorism to invade Iraq."

Other evidence includes former CIA case officer Robert Baer telling National Public Radio (NPR): "Of course he's dead."

Then in March 2009, "former Foreign Service officer Angelo Codevilla published an essay in the American Spectator entitled 'Osama bin Elvis,' " saying:

"Seven years after (bin Laden's) last verifiable appearance among the living, there is more evidence of Elvis's presence among us than for his."

Griffin also explained fake messages and videos, saying today's advanced technology can fool experts, but not all of them.

For years, bin Laden tapes surfaced at strategically-timed moments. Consider one on Friday, September 7, 2007 ahead the sixth 9/11 anniversary. Hector Factor's Neal Krawetz, a digital image forensics expert, said it was full of low quality visual and audio splices, a likely fake.

Striking also was bin Laden's beard that was gray in recent images. In this one, it was black. In addition, he was dressed in a white hat and shirt, as well as a yellow sweater, the same attire as on an October 29, 2004 video. Moreover, the background, lighting, desk and camera angle were identical.

Krawetz noted that "if you overlay the 2007 and 2004 videos, bin Laden's face is the same (unaged)." Only his beard was darker, and the picture contrast was adjusted. Most important are the edits showing obvious splices, at least six video ones in all. Even more audio ones were used that appeared to be words and phrases spliced together, making Krawetz suspect a vocal imitator was used.

A Final Comment

Clear evidence showed bin Laden died years ago, likely in December 2001. However, reporting it was concealed to pursue America's "war on terror."

As a result, "Enemy Number One" was used to stoke fear as pretext for imperial wars on Afghanistan, Iraq, Pakistan, Libya, perhaps others now planned, and numerous proxy ones in Somalia, Yemen, Bahrain, Palestine, Central Africa, Colombia, and elsewhere.

Griffin wrote his bin Laden book, hoping to shorten America's wars. He also wished to expose "fake bin Laden tapes (used as) one part of an extensive propaganda operation....furthering the militarization of America and its foreign policy" while popular needs go begging.

Obama's latest lie left America's imperial agenda unchanged. In fact, his announcement likely bolsters public support for what's clearly become unpopular, saying:

"(T)hink back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11," urging people to show it again despite how militarism harms their security, well-being and futures by draining funds badly needed for domestic needs.

Instead, expect increasing amounts used for corporate handouts and wars, Obama as uncaring about human needs as extremist Republicans. He's also an inveterate liar.



* Stephen Lendman lives in Chicago and can be reached at  lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net. Also visit his blog site at sjlendman.blogspot.com and listen to cutting-edge discussions with distinguished guests on the Progressive Radio News Hour on the Progressive Radio Network Thursdays at 10AM US Central time and Saturdays and Sundays at noon. All programs are archived for easy listening.
 http://www.progressiveradionetwork.com/the-progressive-news-hour/.

Stephen Lendman
- e-mail: lendmanstephen@sbcglobal.net
- Homepage: http://sjlendman.blogspot.com/2011/05/lies-damn-lies-and-bin-ladens-death.html

Comments

Hide the following 3 comments

Truth will be weirder

03.05.2011 22:41

In terms of the individuals, organisations and hearsay quoted I would like to know further why these particular people were in a more informed position to be sure of Bin Laden’s death all those years ago, rather than the mainstream account? Also why such people as Oliver North, Dale Winton, Robert Baer, Israeli intelligence, “a leading Pakistani newspaper” should be regarded as trustworthy and not circulating this information/opinion/disinformation at a particular time for their own reasons?

In 2001 and 2002 there were countless rumours going round about Bin Laden, a lot of it was about war vilification, filling airtime, selling papers.

We only have here the opinion of Neal Krawetz quoted on the videos. It's easy to agree that they are not consistent with lapses in time and show signs of manipulation but to prove their origins in some US intelligence/propaganda deception needs much more detailed evidence.

At the same time you would have to have the critical faculties of a shopping channel addict to believe what you are hearing in the media at the moment represents the truth.

The assassination has clearly been stage managed and timed with global media impact the FOREMOST consideration. Didn’t happen at 11.00 on the 29th April did it? Might not have had maximum effect at this time.

It facilitates closure on the "war on terror"/Afghan occupation fiasco (if required) which is useful in the current political climate, both in the US domestically and in the Arab world.

But haven’t there been many fortuitous opportunities to assassinate an already dead Bin Laden and perhaps save a few of the careers/reputations ruined in the intervening years?

The truth is probably crazier than the theories but I reckon negligence, obstruction and complacency will have played a bigger part in Bin Laden's charmed existence/managed demise than this article gives credit for.

Not quite


Second edition.

04.05.2011 11:02

Washington Post Osama Bn Laden Dead Front Page
Washington Post Osama Bn Laden Dead Front Page

Still no evidence to support this claim that Bin Laden is dead.

Hilary Clinton.


more more bin laden

04.05.2011 14:35

sooooo. let me get this right. This CIA Bin Laden bloke........responsible for 9/11...GM crops, Chernobyl fallout, Fukushima and Plymouth getting relegated...to name but a few...has NOW died or been killed HOW MANY reported times????????? - 10, 12, 15 perhaps?

What a guy. Way to go Bin Laden...

IF ONLY you HAD existed in real life anyway...what a character you would be....sorry. ARE.

Look out behind you Mr. Bush....yes....its BL the boogeyman...and he is coming to get you...and your like....

ha, ha, ha, ha, ha..HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, etc,etc and so on.

tut tut tut boogeyman