- Emails describe how Osama bin Laden’s body was washed, wrapped in a white sheet and slid into the sea after religious remarks in Arabic
- Defense Department says it cannot find any images or videos of bin Laden’s aboard USS Carl Vinson
- Pentagon failed to produce autopsy report, death certificate or results of DNA tests
- Military officials referred to bin Laden’s body as ‘package’ in coded missives
- Release of emails mark first public disclosure of information about bin Laden’s May 1, 2011 death
Internal emails among U.S. military officers indicate that no American sailors watched Osama bin Laden’s burial at sea from the USS Carl Vinson, and traditional Islamic procedures were followed during the secret ceremony.
The emails, obtained by The Associated Press through the Freedom of Information Act, are heavily blacked out, but are the first public disclosure of government information about the al-Qaida leader’s death. The emails were released Wednesday by the Defense Department.
Bin Laden was killed on May 1, 2011, by a Navy SEAL team that assaulted his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
One email stamped secret and sent on May 2 by a senior Navy officer briefly describes how bin Laden’s body was washed, wrapped in a white sheet, and then placed in a weighted bag.
According to another message from the Vinson’s public affairs officer, only a small group of the ship’s leadership was informed of the burial.
‘Traditional procedures for Islamic burial was followed,’ the May 2 email from Rear Adm. Charles Gaouette reads. ‘The deceased’s body was washed (ablution) then placed in a white sheet. The body was placed in a weighted bag.
‘A military officer read prepared religious remarks, which were translated into Arabic by a native speaker. After the words were complete, the body was placed on a prepared flat board, tipped up, whereupon the deceased’s body slid into the sea.’
Final destination: Bin Laden’s body was taken to an unknown location aboard USS Carl Vinson and dropped into the sea, but the Defense Department says that it cannot find any images showing the terrorist mastermind’s remains on the ship
Fallen mastermind: In this undated file image from video seized from bin Laden’s walled compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, the al Qaeda leader watches TV
Stronghold: Members of the anti-terrorism squad are seen surrounding the compound where bin Laden was killed by Navy SEAL Team 6 in Abbottabad May 4, 2011The email also included a cryptic reference to the intense secrecy surrounding the mission.
‘The paucity of documentary evidence in our possession is a reflection of the emphasis placed on operational security during the execution of this phase of the operation,’ Gaouette’s message reads.
Long-awaited news: U.S. President Barack Obama is pictured after announcing live on television the death of Osama bin Laden from the East Room of the White House in Washington May 1, 2011Recipients of the email included Adm. Mike Mullen, then the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and Gen. James Mattis, the top officer at U.S. Central Command. Mullen retired from the military in September 2011.
Earlier, Gaouette, then the deputy commander of the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, and another officer used code words to discuss whether the helicopters carrying the SEALs and bin Laden’s body had arrived on the Vinson.
‘Any news on the package for us?’ he asked Rear Adm. Samuel Perez, commander of the carrier strike group that included the Vinson.
‘FEDEX delivered the package,’ Perez responded. ‘Both trucks are safely enroute home base.’
Although the Obama administration has pledged to be the most transparent in American history, it is keeping a tight hold on materials related to the bin Laden raid.
In a response to separate requests from the AP for information about the mission, the Defense Department said in March that it could not locate any photographs or video taken during the raid or showing bin Laden’s body. It also said it could not find any images of bin Laden’s body on the Vinson.
The Pentagon also said it could not find any death certificate, autopsy report or results of DNA identification tests for bin Laden, or any pre-raid materials discussing how the government planned to dispose of bin Laden’s body if he were killed.
Historic moment: In this May 1, 2011, image, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden receive an update on the bin Laden mission in the Situation Room
The Defense Department also refused to confirm or deny the existence of helicopter maintenance logs and reports about the performance of military gear used in the raid.
One of the stealth helicopters that carried the SEALs to Abbottabad crashed during the mission and its wreckage was left behind. People who lived near bin Laden’s compound took photos of the disabled chopper.
The CIA, which ran the bin Laden raid and has special legal authority to keep information from ever being made public, has not responded to AP’s request for records about the mission
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/
The very word “secrecy” is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment.
The News source Al Jazeera reported in 2002 that Osama Bin Laden died. There was Benazir Bhutto a political figure in the region that spoke of his death in 2006 she was assassinated.
How ofter have we been lied to in a big way? Well The Gulf of Tonkin incident that took the USA into Viet Nam never happened and that is a matter of record readily readable now. Then there was the Oklahoma city bombing that supposedly Timothy MC Veigh caused, how ever more than a dozen more unexploded bombs were found in the building. Timmy did not plant those in a secure federal building (matter of record). Then there were the dozens of bombs found in Colombine. The young man who was blamed for that could not have planted all those bombs as well. The of course there was the NIST report of 9/11 that never mentioned the third building that came down in it’s own footprint, WTC-7 48 stories in 6.8 seconds. When asked about explosions the director said there were no explosions and when asked about explosives he said there were no explosives. However when asked if any testing was done for explosives he said “No”.
Hmmmm?
Firemen reported explosions, news reporters recorded explosions, Police reported explosions. Molten metal was found 3 weeks later. Hmmm how does that happen? Then and here is the BIG THEN . . . . the US Army War College leaks that Moussad was responsible for wiring the WTC for demolition.
But a bunch of cave dwelling nomads flew jet airliners into buildings. Santa Clause is real and so is the Easter Bunny too!
How long will Americans allow this to happen ad their rights are taken away?
Just wondering.
A quote from a video of General Wesley Clark:
General Wesley Clark:
Because I had been through the Pentagon right after 9/11. About ten days after 9/11, I went through the Pentagon and I saw Secretary Rumsfeld and Deputy Secretary Wolfowitz. I went downstairs just to say hello to some of the people on the Joint Staff who used to work for me, and one of the generals called me in. He said, “Sir, you’ve got to come in and talk to me a second.” I said, “Well, you’re too busy.” He said, “No, no.” He says, “We’ve made the decision we’re going to war with Iraq.” This was on or about the 20th of September. I said, “We’re going to war with Iraq? Why?” He said, “I don’t know.” He said, “I guess they don’t know what else to do.” So I said, “Well, did they find some information connecting Saddam to al-Qaeda?” He said, “No, no.” He says, “There’s nothing new that way. They just made the decision to go to war with Iraq.” He said, “I guess it’s like we don’t know what to do about terrorists, but we’ve got a good military and we can take down governments.” And he said, “I guess if the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem has to look like a nail.”
So I came back to see him a few weeks later, and by that time we were bombing in Afghanistan. I said, “Are we still going to war with Iraq?” And he said, “Oh, it’s worse than that.” He reached over on his desk. He picked up a piece of paper. And he said, “I just got this down from upstairs” — meaning the Secretary of Defense’s office — “today.” And he said, “This is a memo that describes how we’re going to take out seven countries in five years, starting with Iraq, and then Syria, Lebanon, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and, finishing off, Iran.” I said, “Is it classified?” He said, “Yes, sir.” I said, “Well, don’t show it to me.” And I saw him a year or so ago, and I said, “You remember that?” He said, “Sir, I didn’t show you that memo! I didn’t show it to you!”
Watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=9RC1Mepk_Sw
Usama bin Laden has died a peaceful death due to an untreated lung complication, the Pakistan Observer reported, citing a Taliban leader who allegedly attended the funeral of the Al Qaeda leader.
[Fox News. December 26, 2001]
By DAVID CRARY:
NEW YORK (AP) – The killing of Osama bin Laden during a raid by Navy SEALs on his hideout in Pakistan was the top news story of 2011, followed by Japan‘s earthquake/tsunami/meltdown disaster, according to The Associated Press‘ annual poll of U.S. editors and news directors.
http://politicalvelcraft.org/2012/05/03/obamas-big-ruse-osama-bin-laden-died-11-years-ago/