Almost four year following the death of Osama bin Laden, the United States government has decided to release declassified material from the raid held at the compound in Pakistan. Released material includes a list of English language books, material published by other militant groups, articles on the media, and software and technical manuals.
Why have they decided to release the documents now?
JaaiR (JR)
Twitter | Instagram
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence said in a statement that the release of the documents followed a “rigorous” review by US government agencies and “aligns with the president’s call for increased transparency consistent with national security prerogatives”.
“It is in the interest of the American public for citizens, academics, journalists and historians to have the opportunity to read and understand Bin Laden’s documents,” US House of Representatives intelligence committee chairman Devin Nunes said in a statement. Apparently, the public was putting pressure on the government to be able to have access to bin Laden’s documents.
Among the documents was a 2008 letter to bin Laden’s wife, stating his final wishes before his death. “My will: If I get killed, and you want to return to your family, then that is okay, but you have to raise my children properly, and to watch them, and be careful of bad company for them, especially after puberty, especially the girls `Asma`…,” he wrote.
Among writing, reading seemed to also be a pastime for the terrorist. Here is a list of some of his articles on the media.
Foreign Policy in Focus, “Prospects for al-Qaeda” (24 Jan 2003)
Foreign Policy (Jan-Feb 2008)
Foreign Policy (March-Apr 2008)
Foreign Policy (May-June 2008)
Foreign Policy (Nov-Dec 2008)
Foreign Policy (Sept-Oct 2008)
Heft, “The Taliban, al-Qaeda, and the Determination of Illegal Combatants,” Issue 4 (2002)
“The Impact of the War in Iraq on Islamist Groups and the Culture of Global Jihad,” by Reuven Paz, Project for the Research of Islamist Movements (2004)
International News, “Governments’ Successful Measures against Terrorism” (21 Aug 2009)
Journal of International Security Affairs, “Future Terrorism, Mutant Jihads” by Walid Phares
Los Angeles Times, “Is al-Qaeda Just Bush’s Boogeyman? (11 Jan 2005)
Middle East Policy, “Terrorist Recruitment and Radicalization in Saudi Arabia” (Winter 2006)
Military Review, “Changing the Army for Counterinsurgency Operations” (Nov-Dec 2005)
Newsweek, part of an article on an attack within Israel
Check out the gallery for more.
Osama bin Laden, the leader of the militant organization responsible for the 9/11 attacks, was killed during the raid in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad.
SOURCE: The Guardian
PHOTO CREDIT: CNN
