A US cable, released by WikiLeaks on many social websites including Twitter, has revealed that the US spy agency operatives knew since year 2008 that Al Qaeda chief Usama Bin Laden’s family had been hiding in Abbottabad. However, the question is why the US took three long years to apprehend Usama?
Abu Faraj al-Libi, who was also known as Mustafa Faraj Muhammad, a Libyan national, told his captors in Guantanamo Bay in year 2008 that he was the operational chief of Al Qaeda and had long-term associations with Usama Bin Laden (UBL) and Dr Ayman al-Zawahiri. He managed Al Qaeda operations, including Al Qaeda operations in Iraq, after Khalid Shaykh Muhammad’s capture.
Though the cable is very long but the relevant part of the cable is as under:
CLASSIFIED BY: MULTIPLE SOURCES REASON: E.O. 12958, AS AMENDED, SECTION 1.4(C) DECLASSIFY ON: 20330910
S E C R E T / / NOFORN / / 20330910
Detainee fled to Kandahar in late December 2001 and met his wife who was residing there. Detainee travelled to Gardez, AF to assist between 100 and 200 fighters move from Gardez to Kandahar. He spent the next nine to ten months in hiding with his family in Pakistan. 11 (S//NF) In October 2002, Nashwan Abd al-Razzaq Abd al-Baqi, aka (Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi), ISN US9IZ-010026DP (IZ-10026), contacted and asked detainee to work with him in Peshawar.
Detainee accepted the offer and spent the next five to six months working under IZ-10026 organising the purchase of supplies for fighters including medicine, lights, batteries, food, and clothing. In July 2003, detainee received a letter from Osama’s designated courier, Maulawi Abd al-Khaliq Jan, requesting detainee take on the responsibility of collecting donations, organising travel, and distributing funds to families in Pakistan. Osama stated detainee would be the official messenger between him and others in Pakistan.
In mid-2003, detainee moved his family to Abbottabad, PK and worked between Abbottabad and Peshawar. 13 (S//NF) Between August 2003 and February 2004, detainee travelled to Shkai, PK on three occasions. While at Shkai, detainee met with Al Qaeda’s Shari’a Council, delivered funds to fighters, met with Hamza Rabia, and visited IZ-10026. In mid 2004, detainee moved his family from Abbottabad to Bajaur, PK. During October 2004, detainee received a letter from UBL asking about the [financial] situations in Pakistan and Waziristan. In addition to the letter, there was a video tape of UBL speeches.
In December 2004, detainee met with Shawqi Marzuq Abd al-Alam Dabbas, aka (Khalid Habib), in Bajaur. They discussed possible future operations against US interests in Poland. 14 In mid-March 2005, Abu Ubaydah al-Masri 15 instructed detainee to meet with Abd al-Khaliq Jan in Mardan, PK. The meeting did not take place.
