Osama bin Laden complained of al Qaeda 'disaster'
President Barack Obama's top counter-terrorism advisor John Brennan said al Qaeda was losing "badly" under a huge US assault, was a "shadow" of its former self and that its core leadership would soon be "no longer relevant."
Brennan said in a speech in Washington that the al Qaeda leader's frustration poured out in documents seized from his compound by US Navy SEAL special forces who killed him a year ago.
"He confessed to 'disaster after disaster,'" Brennan said, saying that some of the captured material would be published online this week by the Combating Terrorism Center at the US Military Academy at West Point.
On the eve of the anniversary of Bin Laden's death, Brennan argued that a relentless US drone campaign and other pressure had left al Qaeda seriously weakened, and unable to replace wiped-out leaders.
"Under intense pressure in the tribal regions of Pakistan, they have fewer places to train and groom the next generation of operatives, they're struggling to attract new recruits.
"Morale is low," Brennan said in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson Center for International Scholars, which was briefly interrupted by a Code Pink anti-war demonstrator who was hauled out of the room by a burly policeman.
Brennan said that the documents gathered at bin Laden's lair in Abbottabad, outside Islamabad, show that the late al Qaeda leader urged his subordinates to flee Pakistani tribal regions for places "away from aircraft photography and bombardment."
Things got so bad for the group which plotted the September 11 attacks in 2001, the deadliest terror strike in US history, that bin Laden considered changing the group's name, he said.
"In short, al Qaeda is losing, badly. And Bin Laden knew it," he said, adding that Bin Laden had complained at the Obama administration's decision to stop using the phrase "war on terror."
Brennan also claimed that the administration's tactics against al Qaeda had made it harder than ever for "core" al Qaeda to plan and execute large-scale, potentially catastrophic attacks.
"Today, it is increasingly clear that-compared to 9/11, the core al Qaeda leadership is a shadow of its former self," Brennan said.
"Al Qaeda has been left with just a handful of capable leaders and operatives, and with continued pressure is on the path to its destruction.
"And for the first time since this fight began, we can look ahead and envision a world in which the al Qaeda core is simply no longer relevant."
Brennan's speech amounted to the administration's most comprehensive public survey about the state of the struggle against al Qaeda.
He spent considerable time defending strikes by unmanned US drones in nations like Pakistan, crediting them with dismantling al Qaeda's top leadership and causing bin Laden's distress.
Despite lauding the administration's achievements in hammering top al Qaeda leaders and the group's capacity, Brennan also warned that global terror threats were still potent, particularly those emanating from Africa.
"As the al Qaeda core falters, it continues to look to its affiliates and adherents to carry on its murderous cause," Brennan said, warning that the group's merger with the Shahbab group in Somalia was "worrying."
He said that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) remained a threat, despite the strike that took out radical US-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who directed its external operations.
COMMENTS (9)
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@kabulwallah
No we don't revere our terrorists. Where would you get a distorted view like that? A large part of our population isn't fond of American actions or its foreign policy (not like there are many LOVERS of foreign policy chanting in its name all over the world) but no, we don't revere our terrorists. We want our country back. From foreign interests and from our own corrupt politicians. We're frustrated. But no, we don't revere any terrorists.
And also about your foreign policy - do you not realise that if it was well crafted and reasonable that you wouldn't need to constantly defend and explain yourselves to everyone all over the world? Why do you think America constantly has to explain its actions?
You can eliminate al-qaeda but you can't eliminate threats to US interests as long as US is full heartedly supporting jewish opressions in middle east.
@Mirza... Why you people don't understand that America is never our friend.. All of us are leaving in fools paradise. Actually its America who does all the terror in our country on the name of Taliban and eventually on the name of Islam..
The Americans are day dreaming. The Al Qaeda has many franchisees who subscribe to its philosophy and World view. They may keep changing their names and sometimes call themselves charities too to avoid detection and slide under the radar. However in Law a murderer is a criminal irrespective of his philosophy or whether he was charitable or a Robin Hood.
This article will not go down very well with the majority of Pakistan. They, for some bewildering reason, revere their terrorists. The principle reason for Pakistan's objection to drone attacks is that the 'strategic' force is being whittled away one hit at a time. They don't care what happens to their own nation as long as their trainees can harm the neighbors.
They'll disband and join the Pakistan Army. Officially this time.
no obama fan here. obama has done what dumbya refused to do. get bin laden. he should be proud. any other president would be using the bin laden death as a positive as well. it is disingenuous for anyone to suggest different. obama has also taken the initiative bush never had the cojones to do in weakening al kayda.
Keep on the good work, we the civilians of Pakistan appreciate your efforts to clean out the terrorists from our soil. Thanks a bunch.
yes and my name is Bond.