Osama's Great Escape: Disguised as a Woman

In a startling disclosure, former CIA officer John Kiriakou has revealed that Osama bin Laden, the notorious Al-Qaeda leader, managed to escape from Afghanistan's Tora Bora hills by disguising himself as a woman. Speaking in an exclusive interview with ANI, Kiriakou, who served in the CIA for 15 years and led counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, detailed the infiltration of Al-Qaeda operatives within US military ranks.

Kiriakou explained that the United States was largely reactive post-9/11, waiting over a month before launching a bombing campaign in Afghanistan to avoid hasty decisions clouded by emotion. He recounted how a trusted translator, later discovered to be an Al-Qaeda infiltrator, convinced commander General Franks to allow a delay in capturing bin Laden, ultimately enabling his escape to Pakistan.

The escape led the US to shift its counterterrorism focus towards Pakistan. Kiriakou described the 'transactional' relationship with then-Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, who allowed US operations in exchange for significant economic and military aid. The CIA also discovered links between Pakistani group Lashkar-e-Taiba and Al-Qaeda, marking a significant intelligence milestone.