Remember a little story from last summer about an Al-Qaeda mole who was inadvertently outed by the U.S. government? The result was a hurried scramble by the British to round up the Al Qaeda members he had fingered and a lot of hand-wringing about lost opportunities.
An article from Reuters at the time had the following to say:
The screw-up was extensively discussed on this message board in this thread.
Well, now we know just how big a security screw-up it really was. The mole was none other than Naeem Noor Khan, whose name has just been linked to the recent London subway bombings. The hurried arrests last August were in Luton, the city where the subway bombers were based, and Khan’s laptop contained the plans for a bomb attack on the London subway.
Here’s an article from ABC News about the current state of the investigation into the subway bombings.
Here’s Condoleeza Rice on CNN confirming that the Bush administration leaked Khan’s name on background.
If Khan had remained a mole he would have been in the perfect position to provide us with the information necessary to stop this attack. Because his cover was blown, that opportunity was lost.
How can we fight a war on terror if people in the White House can’t keep their yaps shut?
You’ll scream “KHAAAAN,” right? I’ll get my earplugs, because I heard ABC News mention Khan in their story about the bombers this evening. I recognized him from, uh, having his face on the cover of Newsweek as an Al Qaeda agent who was “flipped” by the CIA.
The linkage between last summer’s intelligence bungle and the London attacks is just beginning to ripple through the blogosphere. I don’t think it’s made it to the mainstream media yet. But it shouldn’t take long … .
The Brits will totally freak. And I couldn’t blame them one bit.
As much as I wish dreary confusion on the Bushiviks, I find myself hoping that its not true. Because its just too fucking awful. Damn, the Brits are about the only friends we got that we didn’t buy. We will look like the world’s biggest assholes.
Through various beat downs in the Pit, I’ve learned to try to get all the info before jumping in. Tonight, I’m aware that I’m really not thinking clearly (fucking meds) so can I ask for a simple break-down of a bust/flip/whatever is going on form last year that led to the bombings?
The accusation sounds like it’s the US’s fault. I can’t concentrate right now to get through the cites clearly, so any help would be appreciated.
Ack! I read the OP when it was posted, but figured, as others have said, on NOT screaming until I could track this on several news sources after some sleep.
Now I think I might be screaming shortly.
Can’t be, though? Just TOO much like a trashy novel, no?
Hmm, I failed to convince myself there.
Cock-up Theory of History, here we come.
Hell, it really would be funny were it not for the little “people being KILLED” detail.
Off to look for news items on this, hoping it can turn out somehow not to be the way the OP said, and oh, yes, that would mean not being the way that Reuters said, and well … I shall just not hope to much then, I think. Perhaps some shouting and screaming practice instead?
( … when arrested for breach of the peace, Ms Celyn refused to say anything, on the grounds that too much furious shouting had caused her to lose her voice … and now for a look at today’s weather. )
Speaking as a subject of your loyal ally I can safely say we’re only too pleased to be blown to bits by the dozen if it means Bushco can grab a moment of cheap publicity through leaking information on turned suspects.
It’s the asshats who aren’t here, the ones who see no damn wrong in anything Bush does I’m ranting at. I don’t see any of the usual moronic, disengenuous, lying sacks of shit here.
Just add it to the other “little accidents” such as the Israeli leak and Plame. When will someone do something about this? Why won’t someone put a stop to this? Since when does political expediency or revenge trump national security?