Topic: John Brennan
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'Extensive' porn stash: Three ways US has tried to sully bin Laden's image
For years, Osama bin Laden has been portrayed as the world’s worst terrorist – mastermind of the deaths of thousands of people, including nearly 3,000 on US soil in 9/11. Since US Navy SEALs killed him last week, however, the image of the Al Qaeda leader – now a martyr to his followers – has taken several calculated hits. Here are three attempts by the Obama administration to recast the perception of Mr. bin Laden.
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WikiLeaks: The five strangest stories...so far
The release of US diplomatic cables by WikiLeaks contains some serious stuff. Other cables are not so earth-shaking, but they nonetheless reveal personalities and events that are comical, surprising, or just plain weird. Here's our top five.
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Terrorism & Security
Yemen vows to defy Al Qaeda's intimidation campaign
As Yemen celebrated a national holiday with a parade in Sanaa today, President Hadi said that recent attacks, including a bombing yesterday that killed more than 90 people, would not derail his government's campaign against terrorism.
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Could airport scanners detect latest Al Qaeda non-metal bomb? (+video)
A covert CIA operation in Yemen intercepted an 'undetectable' bomb intended to blow up an airplane. Authorities suspect it was the work of master bomb maker Ibrahim Hassan al-Asiri. Al-Asiri, who built the first underwear bomb.
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Osama bin Laden raid documents available online today
Documents recovered from Osama bin Laden's Pakistan compound will show bin Laden's strategy for overthrowing Afghanistan.
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Backchannels
One year after Osama bin Laden's killing, Al Qaeda is in tatters
While his murderous ideology persists in pockets of the Middle East and beyond, Al Qaeda as it was understood after Sept. 11 has failed.
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President Obama to mark anniversary of Bin Laden's death
He's responded forcefully to Republican claims that it is a "celebration", criticizing Romney for statements from the 2008 campaign.
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Cybersecurity bill (CISPA): After House passage, what will Senate do?
Sen. John McCain is pushing a voluntary cybersecurity approach, while another CISPA-type bill would require companies like electric utilities to meet federal cybersecurity standards.
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White House counterterrorism adviser Brennan "concerned" about Libyan weapon stockpiles
John Brennan, the White House's chief counterterrorism adviser told reporters at a breakfast sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor that he was "concerned" about Libyan weapons getting "into the hands of terrorists." Brennan also said he had not seen any evidence that Pakistan had helped hide Osama bin Laden in his Abbottabad compound.
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Model plane bomb plot tests US antiterrorism strategy at home
Rezwan Ferdaus, a US citizen and would-be jihadist, is indicted Thursday in connection with a model plane bomb plot to attack the Pentagon and the Capitol. His arrest is the latest example of what authorities warn is home-grown violent extremism.
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How 9/11 made Barack Obama a war president
Many expected Barack Obama to be an antiwar president. But he embraced his role as commander in chief of the world's most powerful military, escalating the fight against the Taliban and Al Qaeda.
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Is Libya an 'arms bazaar' for terrorists?
Counterterrorism chief John Brennan says it is now much harder for Al Qaeda to carry out an attack in the US. But he's keeping an eye on Libya's weapons stockpiles.
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9/11 lessons not learned: three failed reforms
Most of the 9/11 commission's recommendations have been implemented, but three reforms, in particular, have failed to fully take shape since 2001.
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US unveils new counterterrorism strategy: three key parts
The new counterterrorism strategy replaces one from 2006 and calls for pursuing with ‘laser focus’ the approach that the Obama administration has already been taking.
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Yemen, Sudan, Libya: Can US douse flames of Middle East hot spots?
With the euphoria over the Arab Spring wearing off, President Obama is sending top aides to the Middle East to address worsening violence in Yemen and fears of renewed civil strife in Sudan.
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'Extensive' porn stash: Three ways US has tried to sully bin Laden's image
For years, Osama bin Laden has been portrayed as the world’s worst terrorist – mastermind of the deaths of thousands of people, including nearly 3,000 on US soil in 9/11. Since US Navy SEALs killed him last week, however, the image of the Al Qaeda leader – now a martyr to his followers – has taken several calculated hits. Here are three attempts by the Obama administration to recast the perception of Mr. bin Laden.
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Why an accurate US account of the bin Laden attack is so important
The fumbled recountings of the attack on the bin Laden compound undermine the operation itself and the credibility of the US government, analysts say. It also helped to fuel conspiracy theories.
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Backchannels
Debunking 4 myths around bin Laden killing: torture, cowering, CIA, and Pakistan's involvement
A few things that caught my attention.
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Did harsh interrogation tactics help US find Osama bin Laden?
Many Bush administration officials say yes. Obama officials say there was a 'mosaic of sources' that led to Osama bin Laden – no single confession. Documents offer some insight into who said what – and how they were treated.
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US won't release bin Laden photo: 'We're not interested in ... trophies.'
Concerns that release of a 'gruesome' bin Laden photo could spark a backlash in the Muslim world won out over a desire to defuse conspiracy theories that Al Qaeda's leader was still alive.
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How long will Al Qaeda live beyond bin Laden? Lessons from Latin America.
A real-world example of why Al Qaeda could live well beyond Osama bin Laden, Latin America has found limited results from taking out leaders of deadly ideological insurgencies.
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On Osama bin Laden and Al Qaeda, US and Pakistan really are on the same team
US and Pakistani interests do diverge in some areas, but combating Al Qeada isn't one of them. In fact, the speculation around Pakistan's complicity following the killing of Osama bin Laden is misplaced and harmful to our future cooperation with Pakistan, making us less safe.
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Terrorism & Security
Obama doubles down on refusal to release bin Laden photos
The White House seems to have decided that satisfying skeptics is not worth the risk of releasing 'gruesome' photos of Osama bin Laden, which could enrage radicals.
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Bin Laden alive? To debunk latest myth, White House near release of photo.
The US had reasons to bury Osama bin Laden at sea. But now conspiracy theories are cropping up that he is not dead, adding to domestic pressure on the US to release a photo of his body.
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Were Navy SEALs justified in shooting an unarmed Osama bin Laden?
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney announced Tuesday that Osama bin Laden was unarmed when shot by Navy SEALs. But under the law of war, the Al Qaeda leader was a legitimate military target, say legal experts.
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Can US and Taliban cut a deal in Afghanistan?
Even before Osama bin Laden's killing, the Taliban were softening their image while the US, Pakistan, and Afghanistan set the stage for talks. Now the US must decide if it's worth years of further military and diplomatic effort to hammer out an agreement.
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Bin Laden tape, photos release weighed by US
Bin Laden tape: White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said in a series of appearances on morning television: 'This needs to be done thoughtfully,' with careful consideration given to what kind of reaction the images might provoke.
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