U.S. Release documents related to Bin Laden killing

The Combating Terrorism Center at the United States Military Academy released a selection of documents discovered during the 2011 raid in Abbottabbad, Pakistan, that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden. As an article by Peter Baker in the New York Times details, the documents include information about rifts in the Al Qaeda’s top  leadership about tactics and marketing(!) The Times posts selections from the documents.

By Peter Baker

“A decade after the terrorist attacks that brought down the World Trade Center and demolished part of the Pentagon, leaders of the terrorist group debated how closely to affiliate with other extremist organizations, how much it should target the United States, how to win the support of Muslims, whether to attack drug runners to steal their money and even whether the infamous network should change its name.

One document found in Bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, suggested that the name Al Qaeda had “lessened Muslims’ feelings that we belong to them” and lacked any religious connection. The name, Arabic for “The Base,” was first used to refer to some of the muhajedeen fighting the Soviets in the 1980s.”…..

“’ He was at pains advising them to abort domestic attacks that cause Muslim civilian casualties and instead focus on the United States, ‘our desired goal,’ ” the center’s report said. “Bin Laden’s frustration with regional jihadi groups and his seeming inability to exercise control over their actions and public statements is the most compelling story to be told on the basis of the 17 declassified documents.” “