07 March 2012

Rumors Osama bin Laden was not buried at sea

I first saw the rumor in RT this morning-
The body of Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was not buried at sea, according to leaked emails of intelligence firm Stratfor, as revealed by WikiLeaks.

Stratfor’s vice-president for intelligence, Fred Burton, believes the body was “bound for Dover, [Delaware] on [a] CIA plane” and then onward to the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology in Bethesda [Maryland],” an email says...

"If body dumped at sea, which I doubt, the touch is very Adolph Eichman like. The Tribe did the same thing with the Nazi's ashes," Burton commented in another email...

Stratfor is a US-based intelligence firm called the “shadow CIA” by some media. Among its clients are several US agencies and many big companies. The company relies on paid tips from informants placed in high circles of business, government and security all around the world.
I also found a commentary on the rumor in the Atlantic Wire, where it is roundly dismissed:
It would be an intriguing story—if only there was a shred of evidence substantiating it...

First off: It's telling what each story doesn't tell you about the emails. In RT, the Russian-subsidized news service that was picked up by Drudge, there's no mention of the first email Burton sent where he says "Reportedly, we took the body with us. Thank goodness. Sent via Blackberry by AT&T" That first word suggests he's just reading news reports and passing along information. That last sentence suggests he's spouting off text messages. It certainly doesn't suggest he's running his own reconnaissance operation...

Second, and most importantly: reports like Business Insider's fail to mention that Burton himself actually reverses himself later on...
This joins other Osama bin Laden death conspiracy theories, which are nicely summarized at Wikipedia.

1 comment:

  1. 'The Tribe'? Is this how he refers to Israelis? And what should/can one infer from this descriptor?

    ReplyDelete