Fortunately, former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld was wrong when he suggested that we might never find Osama Bin Laden. In death, Bin Laden is now being referred to as Usama rather than Osama for some reason – perhaps because the initials that were used to reference him in national security memos were, “UBL”.
We have been informed that the “lead”, which successfully directed United States Navy Seals to bring down Bin Laden, came last August. I can’t help but wonder whether the work done by UCLA geography professors Thomas W. Gillespie and John A. Agnew ultimately led to the discovery of Bin Laden’s hideout. In February of 2009, Gillespie and Agnew published a study using “biogeographic theories” and satellite imagery to pinpoint the al-Qaeda leader’s hideout. Although the location singled-out by Gillespie and Agnew (Kurram, Pakistan) ultimately turned out to be incorrect, the question remains as to whether our intelligence analysts relied on the Gillespie – Agnew technique to identify Bin Laden’s actual location. The chart below was included in the Gillespie – Agnew report. It focused on the likely hideout structure’s characteristics, based on Bin Laden’s needs:
TABLE 1: LIFE HISTORY CHARACTERISTICS OF OSAMA BIN LADEN AND ASSOCIATED PHYSICAL STRUCTURE ATTRIBUTES
Life History Characteristics | Physical Structure Attribute |
Is 6’4” tall | Tall building |
Requires a dialysis machine that uses electricity | Electric grid hookup or generator |
Prefers physical protection | Walls over three meters high |
Enjoys personal privacy | Space between structures |
Retains a small number of body guards | More than three rooms |
Prefers to remain protected from aerial view | Trees for cover when outside |
Two nagging questions being voiced by many commentators at this point are:
“How could the government of Pakistan not have known that Bin Laden was living in that compound?”
— and —
“Why was the Pakistani government keeping Bin Laden’s location a secret?”
Time will tell.
Nevertheless, we know where Bin Laden is now: burning in Hell.