Abu Zubaydah - The Changing Depiction of Abu Zubaydah - U.S. Government Accounts of Abu Zubaydah's Importance

U.S. Government Accounts of Abu Zubaydah's Importance

After Abu Zubaydah's capture, officials from the U.S. Government spoke out publicly about Abu Zubaydah's supposed role in al-Qaeda. However, as would later be reported in 2009, the U.S. Government's depiction of Abu Zubaydah was overly inflated and he was, as Justice Department Officials stated, "he above ground support... To make him the mastermind of anything is ridiculous", a "personnel clerk", a "logistics chief", and a "travel agent." In fact, the CIA reportedly told Abu Zubaydah during his interrogation that they discovered he was not an al-Qaeda fighter, partner, or even a member.

The allegations included:

  • Abu Zubaydah was "sinister" and "here is evidence that he is a planner and a manager as well. I think he’s a major player.” – Former State Department director of counter-terrorism, Michael Sheehan
  • Abu Zubaydah was “extremely dangerous” and a planner of 9/11. – John B. Bellinger III in a June 2007 briefing on Guantanamo Bay.
  • Abu Zubaydah was a trainer, a recruiter, understood bomb-making, was a forger, a logistician, and someone who made things happen, and made “al-Qaeda function.” – Former CIA station chief, Bob Grenier
  • “I don’t think there’s any doubt but a man named Abu Zubaydah is a close associate of UBL’s, and if not the number two, very close to the number two person in the organization. I think that’s well established.” -Donald Rumsfeld
  • Abu Zubaydah was “a very senior al Qaeda official who has been intimately involved in a range of activities for the al Qaeda.” – Donald Rumsfeld
  • Abu Zubaydah was a “very senior al Qaeda operative.” – Donald Rumsfeld
  • Abu Zubaydah was a “key terrorist recruiter and operational planner and member of Osama bin Laden’s inner circle.” – White House spokesman Ari Fleischer
  • The capture of Abu Zubaydah was a “very serious blow” to al-Qaeda and that one of al-Qaeda's “many tentacles" was "cut off.” – White House spokesman Ari Fleischer
  • Abu Zubaydah was “one of the top operatives plotting and planning death and destruction on the United States.” – Former President George W. Bush
  • Abu Zubaydah was “one of al-Qaeda’s top leaders” who was “spending a lot of time as one of the top operating officials of al Qaeda, plotting and planning murder.” – Former President George W. Bush
  • Abu Zubaydah was “al Qaeda’s chief of operations.” – President George W. Bush
  • “Abu Zubaydah was one of the top three leaders” in al-Qaeda. – President George W. Bush
  • Abu Zubaydah’s interrogation “led to reliable information”, that Abu Zubaydah was a “prolific producer” of information, and that roughly 25 percent of the information on al Qaeda that came from human sources originated from Abu Zubaydah. – Michael Hayden
  • Abu Zubaydah was one of three individuals “best positioned to know about impending terrorist atrocities.” – Michael Hayden
  • Abu Zubaydah is someone who was “carefully trained in techniques of disinformation.” – Richard C. Shelby
  • Nancy Pelosi, the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee would describe Abu Zubaydah as being “very skilled at avoiding interrogation. He is an agent of disinformation.”

Numerous anonymous U.S. officials have also made allegations against Abu Zubaydah in the press, including:

  • “One Abu Zubaydah is worth a ton of guys at Gitmo.”
  • He was a “senior bin Laden official” and the “former head of Egypt-based Islamic Jihad.”
  • He “played a key role in the East Africa embassy attacks.”
  • He was listed as a “trusted aide” to bin Laden with “growing power.”
  • Western officials believed al-Qaeda may have been under the control of Abu Zubaydah.
  • Abu Zubaydah was an aide of bin Laden who ran training camps in Afghanistan and “coordinated terror cells in Europe and North America.”
  • Abu Zubaydah was a “key terrorist recruiter, operational planner, and member of Osama Bin Laden’s inner circle.”
  • Abu Zubaydah was “bin Laden’s CEO”, “a central figure in Al Qaeda”, and a “bin Laden lieutenant.”
  • Abu Zubaydah is Bin Laden’s “travel planner.”
  • Abu Zubaydah is one of bin Laden’s “confidants.”
  • Abu Zubaydah is “one of a handful of men entrusted with running the terrorism network in the event of Osama bin Laden’s death or capture.”
  • Abu Zubaydah was a senior bin Laden lieutenant who was believed “to be organizing al Qaida resources to carry out attacks on American targets.”
  • Abu Zubaydah was the fourth ranking member of al Qaida behind Bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and Muhamed Atef.
  • Abu Zubaydah was the “successor as chief of operations for al Qaida” after Muhamed Atef’s death.
  • Abu Zubaydah knows the identities of “thousands” of terrorists that passed through al Qaida training camps in Afghanistan.
  • Abu Zubaydah briefed Richard Reid, the shoe-bomber.
  • Abu Zubaydah was one of bin Laden’s top planners of terrorist operations who knew of al Qaida plots and cells.
  • Abu Zubaydah stated al-Qaeda knew how to smuggle a dirty-bomb into the United States. Abu Zubaydah’s information was further proof al-Qaeda was attempting to acquire weapons of mass destruction.
  • Abu Zubaydah is the “connection between bin Laden and many of al-Qaida’s operational cells.”
  • Abu Zubaydah is linked to plots to detonate apartment buildings.
  • Abu Zubaydah confirmed the fourth September 11 flight, UA 93, was intended to hit the White House. (His claim is contradicted by Khalid Sheikh Mohamed and Ramzi Bin al Shibh though, who stated UA 93 was on its way to the capitol, not the White House.)
  • Osama bin Laden wrote a handwritten note to Abu Zubaydah in December 2001. The letter allegedly tells Abu Zubaydah to continue fighting the United States if bin Laden passes away.

While Abu Zubaydah would provide important intelligence on the War on Terror, his value as an intel source was greatly inflated, much like his role in the global terror network.

Despite all of these allegations the U.S. Government has not officially charged Abu Zubaydah with any crimes.

Read more about this topic:  Abu Zubaydah, The Changing Depiction of Abu Zubaydah

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