Is bin Laden’s concern for flood victims a ruse to destabilise Pakistan?
We seek him here, we seek him there,
Those Yankees seek him everywhere.
Is he in heaven?—Is he in hell?
That damned, elusive bin Laden
VIDEO LINK:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjZL80ic2Es&feature=player_embedded
By: Maidhc Ó Cathail 
If we are to believe the Associated Press, that demmed elusive Osama bin Laden has spoken again.
According to the world’s oldest and largest newsgathering organization, the fugitive al-Qaeda leader, who some intelligence experts believe has been dead since December 2001, has just released an audiotape in which he calls for the creation of a new relief body to help Muslims affected by this summer’s devastating floods in Pakistan. Bin Laden, AP suggests, is “seeking to exploit discontent … by depicting the region’s governments as uncaring.”
Seemingly unfazed by news of the CIA’s 3,000-strong Counterterrorism Pursuit Teams hot on its trail, al-Qaeda has, in recent weeks, according to the AP report, put out three messages, including the one featuring bin Laden, concerning the massive floods that affected around 20 million people in Pakistan, “signaling a concentrated campaign by the terror group to tap into anger over the flooding to rally support.”
AP’s sole source for the 11-minute tape, with the oddly contemplative title “Reflections on the Method of Relief Work,” is SITE Intelligence Group. The U.S.-based group, which purportedly “monitors jihadi forums,” provided AP with a copy of the message that it claims was posted on unnamed “Islamic militant websites.”
There are questions, however, about whether SITE Intelligence is the most objective source of information about terrorism.
SITE co-founder Rita Katz, an Israeli Defense Forces veteran, is an Iraqi-born Jew, whose father was publicly hanged in Iraq after the 1967 Six-Day War as an Israeli spy. Considering Tel Aviv’s obvious interest in having the world’s only superpower fight a “global war on terror” against the Jewish state’s Muslim neighbours, it somehow never occurred to Associated Press, or other mainstream media outlets, to ask the question, Like father, like daughter?
Moreover, there are reasonable grounds for suspicion about al-Qaeda’s other pronouncements on the floods in Pakistan.
In a recent video, presumably also found online by Rita Katz’s SITE, al-Qaeda’s California-born spokesman, Adam Gadahn, castigated Islamabad for its “sluggish and halfhearted” response to the floods, and called on Muslims in Pakistan to join the Islamist militants fighting the government.
Gadahn, who has since 2001 run al-Qaeda’s media wing, As-Sahab, found his way to the Islamic Society of Orange County while living with his grandfather, Carl Pearlman, a board member of the Anti-Defamation League. Ostensibly a civil rights organization set up to fight anti-Semitism, the ADL is a de facto adjunct of the Israeli government which, significantly, has been caught spying on American critics of Israel. Like grandpa, like grandson?
In a previous video, Ayman al-Zawahiri, said to be al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, also incited Pakistanis to rise up against their government due to its “failure” to provide relief to flood victims.
But when Neal Krawetz, a researcher and computer security consultant, analysed a 2006 video of al-Zawahiri for alterations and enhancements, he discovered that the logos of As-Sahab and IntelCenter (the other group supposedly tracking terrorists online) had been added at the same time.
IntelCenter is run by Ben Venzke, former director of intelligence at iDefense, a VeriSign company. VeriSign is a partner of Verint, formerly known as Comverse Infosys, which was founded by former Israeli intelligence officer Jacob “Kobi” Alexander. In 2006, Alexander fled to Namibia after the U.S. Department of Justice indicted him on multiple counts of fraud. Comverse/Verint, one of a number of Israeli eavesdropping and surveillance companies created by veterans of Unit 8200, the technology intel unit of the Israeli Defense Forces Intelligence Corps, has been widely suspected of spying on Americans.
If, as seems likely, the al-Qaeda messages concerning this summer’s floods in Pakistan are fakes, they would seem to provide further evidence of an Israeli-inspired campaign to destabilise the world’s only Islamic nuclear power.
The question then becomes, what, if anything, Islamabad will do to counter such efforts before it too goes the way of Afghanistan and Iraq.
(Maidhc Ó Cathail is a widely published writer based in Japan).
NOTE:A version of this article earlier appeared in Khaleej Times.
Pakpotpourri2's Blog 
Comments
OBL is dead. Kindly listen to this video. Stop at 6.5 time belt to hear BB talk of his death:
No Bin laden ruse is not to destabilize Pakistan, it is the multitude of Jew agents including the writer who confuse what is the ground reality. Firstly, there is no Bin Laden, he is long dead. He is used by the CIA, Neocons and Jews to create a smear campaign against the Muslims and Arabs in general and Pakistan in particular. Whom are they trying to fool? Come of it and stop this flagrant propaganda. The enemies have a wish list; but unfortunately for them Pakistan will come out stronger from all these western and Jewish efforts to break it. let them be more worried about their other client state India for whom they work so assiduously, does not break up first first.
Dear Ata Sahib
Maidhc believes OBL to be very much dead.If you read many of his articles posted here and on the other pp2 blog, you will see, he has a soft corner for Pakistan too.
Best
YAA
Thank you for your comments.
You don’t have to convince me that OBL is dead. After all, I recently wrote an article entitled “Bin Laden is Dead; Long Live ‘Bin Laden.'”
Syed, you seem to have misunderstood the gist of my article, to wit:
“If, as seems likely, the al-Qaeda messages concerning this summer’s floods in Pakistan are fakes, they would seem to provide further evidence of an Israeli-inspired campaign to destabilise the world’s only Islamic nuclear power. “
I agree about the “messages” here with you Maidhc. I agree completely that USA is not acting like a responsible nation in handling with issues related to the region.But this, I feel has more to do with their interests in the Region rather than a deliberate effort to destabilize nuclear Pakistan.The effect gets compounded with wrong decisions by those who do not really know Pakistan the way they claim to.
General Talat Masood, says,”These attacks are very serious for Pakistan. It goes to show [coalition forces] are expanding their zone of conflict and violating Pakistan’s territorial sovereignty,” he says.
“This war against militants is not just a question of using force – you have to get the whole country to support you. You should not alienate the people in such a way which can be very harmful,” he says, adding that such strikes have the power to “destabilize” Pakistan.”
It’s more wrong decisions based on bad info. I would say.
Of course I may be wrong?
“SITE co-founder Rita Katz is an Iraqi-born Jew, whose father was publicly hanged in Iraq after the 1967 War as an Israeli spy. Katz, who served in the Israeli Defense Forces, tries to downplay the significance of her background but is not always successful. “When you grow up in a place like Iraq,” she told Spiegel, “you understand maybe a little bit about how Arabs think, and also what they are capable of.”
When Neal Krawetz, a researcher and computer security consultant, analysed a 2006 al-Qaeda video of Ayman al-Zawahiri for alterations and enhancements, he discovered that the As-Sahab and IntelCenter logos had been added at the same time.
Attempting to make light of the understandable suspicions that the “terror trackers” are working for Israeli intelligence, the Spiegel article jokes: “And the conspiracy theories pontificating that SITE and IntelCenter shoot the bin Laden videos themselves will continue to exist in the future. And Katz, Venzke and Devon will continue to see the humor in such theories: Yep, this is Mossad Headquarters. Exactly!”
But with the hunt for the elusive bin Laden having already cost thousands of lives and trillions of dollars, perhaps Americans should demand conclusive proof that Israel hasn’t conned them into fighting a phoney “war on terror.” ”
Familiar Maidhc? I enjoyed this article by you!
Dear Maidhc
Personally I do not believe it will lead to a full fledged invasion of Pakistan by USA. First, Obama is keen to leave Afghanistan, he knows, the longer he stays there, the more he becomes bogged down & smirches his legacy. However, with mid term elections looming, US Senators do not want to appear soft in the terrorists so yes, I do believe,concentrated attacks on pockets in Pakistan will increase.Three, if Nuclear Pakistan is destabilized,the region is destabilized,can the world afford that?
I look forward to your input before going further.
Oh come Maidhc! Is this not over dramatizing?
U.S. triples aid to Pakistan, Pakistan sneers and calls it “peanuts,”
and USA wants to destabilize Pakistan after spending that kind of money on these ungrateful people?Gimme a BREAK!
Mark,
You are a man after my own heart. Well said.
I await Turkman’s presence- to tear these Pakis to pieces. He’s one hell of a knowledgeable Indian.
Kai Krishin Ji ki!
TYPO:JAI KRISHAN JI KI.
Sartaj,
You are not wrong about “more wrong decisions based on bad info.” The question is, what is the source of that “bad info” that gets America into endless wars that are not in its interests? See my “Kristol Clear: The Source of America’s Wars” for some answers.
Tarar,
Thank you for your kind words. As you point out, this latest article covers much the same ground as the “Bin Laden is Dead” one.
Raheel,
Whether the world can afford a destabilised Pakistan or not seems to be of little concern to those who are framing the country as the next target in the “global war on terror.” Some people have been doing very well out of all this misery.
Thank you for taking he question Maidhc-are U seriously of the view that USA will invade Pakistan from the front? What advantage does this afford to them,if so?
Does not USA hold,the major share of the war equipment production industry of the world?
How & where will USA sell her wares if wars are not fought?
But a full fledged invasion?
What advantage did it afford the US to invade Afghanistan or Iraq? None. It was induced into those disastrous wars by Israel and its agents, assets and sayanim in America. And if the US gets into even more disastrous wars with Iran and/or Pakistan, it will no doubt be traced to the same source.
Delighted Maidhc.Enjoy write ups by you & Eric Margolis. Very realistic, usually,write ups by foreigners on our country are divorced from reality.It is a pleasure to read some one well informed-for a change!
Oil,Maidhc,Oil.
Access to warm waters.
Threatening presence for China’s rising as a Super Power-destabilizing Pakistan,China’s erstwhile friend,establishing a two nation friendship between herself & India.
“I think this is just to malign Pakistan so that US can continue drone attacks”
I am reminded of a saying here: “The jaws of power are always open to devour, and her arm is always stretched out, if possible, to destroy the freedom of thinking, speaking, and writing.”
John Adams
Little did he know this would apply to his own country!
America is a large ferocious dog in a small room. Every time it wags its tail angrily, it knocks over a chair.
The US is not colonizing Afghanistan. We want no part of that backwards hell-hole. We are there to kill the Taliban and deny terrorists a place from which to operate. It is a huge mistake not to simply clean out the problem areas in Pakistan too.
I do not care much about some backward 15th century Afghan tribesmen who think they have the right, in the 21st century, to oppress women, hack off hands, impose feudalism on the people, deny girls the right to attend school, hang homosexuals and provide a homeland for terrorists. If they get broken in the process of protecting my country then so be it.
I believe that were the US to “colonize” these barbarians they would ultimately benefit from it. I also believe that there are enough enlightened people in Afghanistan, who see the future differently, and that if we stay the course the country can be pacified if not civilized.
We do not need to apologize for the drone strikes. If the Pakistani government were not sold out to the terrorists they would clean the place up or assist us in doing it. And they are more to blame for the deaths of whoever is near the terrorist animals than we ever will be.
Today we sent a Pakistani terrorist to prison for life. He is the lucky one. He may live some time in prison. I would guess not long. It may sound odd coming from a liberal but the only good terrorist is a dead terrorist.
SCARLET PIMPERNEL…one of my favourite all time character!!:))
GB
Dear Maidhc
In the same context of your article, I share with you front page news from the widely read newspaper THE NEWS. Your comments will be appreciated:
Pak Army, govt unwilling to confront al-Qaeda: US
Pak Army, govt unwilling to confront al-Qaeda: US
WASHINGTON: A new White House assessment steps up criticism of Pakistan’s campaign against militants, stating bluntly that its government and military have been unwilling to take action against al-Qaeda and like-minded terrorists.
The aggressive language of the report — which also criticizes the leadership of President Asif Ali Zardari — could further strain difficult relations with a key ally and undercut support in Congress for providing billions of dollars in aid to Islamabad.
The report, viewed by The Wall Street Journal, also raises questions about the US-led coalition’s progress battling the Taliban and improving governance in Afghanistan two months before the White House will review its war strategy.
The administration and Pentagon have until now tried to keep their harshest criticisms of Pakistan private to avoid a public rift, but the report shows growing US frustration, officials said. “The report reflects that there are real challenges we have with Pakistan,” said an Obama administration official. Officials at all levels are in talks with Pakistan to address these issues, the official added.
President Barack Obama, in a letter to Congress accompanying the report, said he doesn’t see the need for any adjustments in Afghanistan-Pakistan strategy “at this time”.
“While administration officials have publicly played down the need for adjustments in strategy, they have made some changes, including a recently stepped-up campaign of strikes in Pakistan by Central Intelligence Agency drones against militants whom the US sees Islamabad as unable or unwilling to attack. Pakistani officials have said they don’t lack the will and that they have generally stepped up their efforts in response to US requests, getting too little credit for it.
But they say their army is already stretched thin — a problem exacerbated when soldiers were diverted to respond this summer to the worst flooding in the country’s history. “The Pakistan military continued to avoid military engagements that would put it in direct conflict with Afghan Taliban or al-Qaeda forces in North Waziristan,” the White House concludes, referring to the Pakistani tribal region that US officials say is being used as a staging ground for attacks on troops in Afghanistan, as well as to plot attacks on targets in Europe.
The US officials say they are increasingly frustrated by Pakistan’s decision not to send large numbers of ground forces into North Waziristan. “This is as much a political choice as it is a reflection of an under-resourced military prioritising its targets,” the unclassified, 27-page report finds. In the neighbouring tribal region of SouthWaziristan, “Pakistani military operations advanced slowly” because they haven’t been able to stabilize areas after they clear them of militants, the White House found.
There, “the military largely stayed close to the roads and did not engage against those [Pakistani Taliban] militants who returned after fleeing into North Waziristan.” While the Pakistani military has dedicated 140,000 forces to the tribal areas, “the Pakistan military was nonetheless constrained to disrupting and displacing extremists groups without making lasting gains against the insurgency.” The report, issued by the National Security Council in response to a congressional requirement for regular progress updates, reflects the input of numerous agencies, including the State Department, Pentagon and intelligence agencies.
Questions about aid to Pakistan have been growing in Congress in recent months, and congressional aides said the downbeat assessment could fuel lawmakers’ qualms and calls for putting more conditions on US funding. The US-Pakistan tensions are already high. The limited US military presence in Pakistan, restricted to training and advising the country’s security forces, is particularly sensitive. A series of cross-border raids by North Atlantic Treaty Organization helicopter gunships from Afghanistan, including one that killed three Pakistani border guards who fired their weapons to wave off a coalition helicopter, have inflamed anti-American sentiment and prompted Islamabad to shut a key crossing used to deliver supplies to the US-led coalition.
The report doesn’t limit its criticism to the military efforts. It says Pakistan’s civilian leadership faces “broad-based” challenges that “have the potential to impact the stability of the government.
“Massive floods and tensions between political parties have compounded problems facing President Zardari,” it says. The government’s clumsy response to the flooding has greatly undermined the already shaky public support for Zardari, the report says.
“President Zardari’s decision to travel to Europe despite the floods exacerbated inter-party tensions, civil-military relations, and damaged his image in the domestic and international media,” the report says, noting that local polls shows that the public considers the civilian government’s response to be slow and inadequate. Even before the flooding, Zardari faced “broad lack of political support,” the White House says, in addition to a fragile economy and difficult relations with the military.
The report notes the wide gap in public esteem for civilian and military institutions. Confidence in the civilian government has fallen from 38% at the end of 2009 to 31% in mid-2010, while confidence in the military has grown from 75% to 82% during the same time period. Lack of will has also hampered Pakistan’s budget management, the report concludes. While the Pakistani government has worked closely with the US Embassy to improve the use of US aid, “a lack of political will on budget implementation and overall donor assistance continues to be a major challenge.”
Thanks, Yasmeen.
You’re going to see a lot more articles like that one, as those seeking to destabilise the country advance the narrative that Pakistan is an “ambivalent ally” in the “global war on terror.”
Here’s another one:
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2010/oct/4/congress-frustrated-with-pakistan-as-a-war-ally/?page=1
Tragically, there only a few genuinely patriotic and well-informed Americans like Eric Margolis writing about Pakistan, and they rarely if ever get into the major media.
Another notable exception is Philip Giraldi, who in today’s Antiwar.com writes:
And then there is Pakistan, where, we learn, measures are being considered to make sure that its nuclear arsenal doesn’t fall into the wrong hands. Those steps clearly include some kind of American armed intervention. World War III anyone? The Washington Post print edition featured a front page headline on September 30th that was astonishing: “Worries Grow Over Pakistan Stability”. The article suggested that there is something wrong with those Pakistanis in that they can’t put their house in order. Well, it might seem churlish to suggest that the thing they can’t fix is their unfortunate close embrace by the United States. Since 2001, Washington has threatened them, interfered in their internal politics, pressured them repeatedly to take actions that destabilized the country, and, most recently, begun killing them in large numbers by aerial drones without any declaration of war or even much of an admission that the undeclared war is taking place.
http://original.antiwar.com/giraldi/2010/10/06/six-more-years/