World Threats

A blockbuster report from the Asia Times that is getting little attention claims that there are new, “strong tip-offs” about the location of Osama Bin Laden, resulting in CIA covert operations to find him in the Hindu Kush Mountains in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

In “the past few weeks,” several intelligence agencies operating in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia have received “top-grade accounts…from the inner circles of militant camps.” Only weeks ago, Osama Bin Laden met with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, an Iranian-backed insurgent leader in a terrorist camp on the borders of Kunar and Bajaur Provinces of Afghanistan. News of the meeting spread from top terrorist commanders in Bajaur to leaders in North Waziristan.

The information is relatively specific and relatively recent, but learning about something that happened in recent weeks isn’t good enough if Osama Bin Laden is quickly traveling around. If the meeting was indeed in Afghanistan (and this isn’t Pakistani disinformation meant to relieve the heat on them), then he isn’t bound to stay there long. The Hindu Kush Mountains are a huge area. It’s encouraging that we’re finally getting some sort of information about his travels that appears credible, but it’ll take more than this and a good bit of luck to take Osama out.