5 yrs after Osama catch, CIA chief eyes IS chief

Washington, May 2

Five years after killing Osama bin Laden, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) chief John Brennan said taking out the head of the Islamic State group would have “great impact”.

US special forces killed Al-Qaida founder bin Laden in Pakistan on May 2, 2011.

As the CIA live-tweeted the events as they unfolded five years ago, Brennan warned that Al-Qaida remained a threat and that IS was not just an organisation but a phenomenon.

“We have destroyed a large part of Al-Qaida. It’s not completely eliminated. So we have to stay focused on what it can do,” Brennan told NBC’s “Meet the Press” talk show.

“Now, with the new phenomenon of (IS), this is going to challenge us for years to come,” he said.

Asked if removing IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi from action was as important as bin Laden, Brennan, who does not often do interviews, was direct. “He is important, and we will destroy IS; I have no doubt in my mind. We have to remove the leadership that directs the organisation to carry out these horrific attacks,” he said.

“If we got Baghdadi, I think it would have a great impact on the organisation. And it will be felt by them,” he said, adding: “But this is large. It’s not just an organization but a phenomenon. We see it not just in Syria and Iraq, but in Libya, Nigeria, and other countries as well. We’re going to remain focused on destroying all elements of the organisation.” — AFP

  For Dr Afridi’s release, US uses carrot & stick policy

• The US Congress is persuading Islamabad to release Dr Shakil Afridi who assisted US efforts in tracking down Osama bin Laden
• Considered a hero in the US, Dr Afridi is serving 23-year prison term in Pakistan
• The Dawn reports that a group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers are working on a new measure to use aid cuts to get Dr Afridi out of prison
• In January 2014, President Barack Obama signed a Bill that proposed to withhold $33 million from assistance to Pakistan over Dr Afridi’s detention