Search for Bin Laden Called Off?

by: koleary

Tue Jul 04, 2006 at 12:01:27 PM EDT

In yesterday's New York Times there was a story about the CIA unit that for at least a decade, and long before September 11th had devoted all of its time and energy toward tracking Osama Bin Laden.  That unit of  has now been disbanded.  Agency officials gave the reasoning for such a move

Agency officials said that tracking Mr. bin Laden and his deputies remained a high priority, and that the decision to disband the unit was not a sign that the effort had slackened. Instead, the officials said, it reflects a belief that the agency can better deal with high-level threats by focusing on regional trends rather than on specific organizations or individuals.

Michael Scheuer a former CIA official who also ran the unit devoted to tracking Bin Laden disagreed.

Michael Scheuer, a former senior C.I.A. official who was the first head of the unit, said the move reflected a view within the agency that Mr. bin Laden was no longer the threat he once was.

Mr. Scheuer said that view was mistaken.

"This will clearly denigrate our operations against Al Qaeda," he said. "These days at the agency, bin Laden and Al Qaeda appear to be treated merely as first among equals." here