Bin Laden’s son fatal liking (на английском)

27 декабря 2013 — Ваагн Карапетян

"Yes, Mr. President, I understand… We’re doing everything we can… We have a catch, we’re working on it… I shall make a report”. George Tenet, Director of Central Intelligence for the CIA, put down the receiver and pondered, tapping the table nervously.

Barack Obama, the President of the United States, increased the sound in his player. He was listening to the famous jazzman Miles Davis. Then he took a cigarette and lit it. You couldn’t see him doing that often, especially lately.

In a minute he called the CIA director again: "George, get to me at around four, will you?”

"I will, Mr. President”.

From force of habit the CIA director arrived at the President’s office thirty minutes earlier. As soon as he entered the reception-room, Susan, the President’s secretary, greeted him courteously and suggested that he should go in. Seeing Tenet’s confusion and how he looked at his watch, she said: "Mr. President asked you to come in as soon as you arrive”, and she added smiling "He knows you always come earlier”.

The President was writing something, but when he saw George Tenet, he put his writing aside and asked him to take a sit. "Can you tell me in brief about that catch you’ve got?” he asked.

"Certainly, Mr. President. One of our agents is involved in checking the legal receipts on the accounts of one Russian, well, of Berezovsky. So, while investigating all of this he had a meeting with Lee Chong, a gem dealer. And he, trying to look important, mentioned that among his regular clients was the eldest son of "Geronimo” – Khalid, who had once ordered a magnetic sticker on a platinum base with diamonds for $400,000 with quotations form the Koran. When our agent asked him why he needed such a thing, Lee Chong said:

"Oh, Bin Laden’s son is a big lover and collector of magnetic stickers. And, Mr. President, we certainly know that Khalid is the only son, who lives with his father

"I see, this could really be the catch”, the President agreed.

"And we already have a plan, we’re working on details now”.

"By the way, I also collect magnetic stickers. Perhaps I should ask Khalid to trade with me?” the President’s face lit up and he asked Tenet with interest "Are you a collector, George, by chance?”

"No, Mr. President”, the CIA director looked embarrassed, "but our fridge does carry a dozen of magnetic stikers, they are my wifes hobby.

I used to collect badges as a boy, and then passed my collection to my daughter. Strange as it may seem, she took a great interest in it and is seriously collecting them sins then”.

"And do you still believe he’s hiding in Abbottabad?” the President returned to the main theme of their conversation.

"Yes, Mr. President. Everything supports this. Even though we still can’t understand how he was able to get away. In six days during the anti-terrorist operation over sixty targets have been eliminated in the Zavar Kili region, where he was supposed to be. The Brits fired over three hundred Tomahawks from their ships, and our B-52 bombed the place heavily. Two weeks of constant bombardment razed the Tora Bora mountains to the ground. Half, if not more of his thugs were cut down by our pursuit planes during escape. Only a handful survived that fire. And he happened to be one of them”, George Tenet, who could usually control himself, made a helpless gesture with vexation.

"Well, we’ll get him this year for sure”, the President reassured him. "They are no doubts you would use the information to your advantage”.

***

The next day, April 6^th, 2011, the CIA headquarters gathered the heads of the agency: George Tenet, the director, Stephen Kappes, the deputy director, deputy Michael Morell, Max Bolter, the head of the special operations forces and his deputy – tall, dark-haired Rebecca Thompson.

Max Bolter made a report on the work done and presented the plan to catch the Terrorist #1. Having studied all the operation carefully and in detail, with much coffee and smoke, they have approved the plan. George Tenet sighed, closed the Top Secret file, smiled and said:

"By the way, the President collects magnetic stickers as well”.

Rebecca Thompson closed her case and said "So did both Clinton and Bush”.

"Retail stale news”, exclaimed Michael Morell. "You should also add Reagan and Carter to this list”.

"In a word”, said George Tenet, "if you want to be a president, you have to collect magnetic stickers”. Everybody laughed and stood up.

***

Abbottabad with the population of some 150,000 people was in reality a garrison town: it stationed several large military units and housed headquarters of the influential ISI secret agency as well as the Kakul military academy.

When a small souvenir store with a very bright shop windows had Been opened on the market square, it immediately drew attention to itself. Its owner, judging by his clothes, was one of the Darwesh Khel from the mountainous regions of Waziristan. His good manners at once won the favor of the local people, especially children, who liked all sorts of trinkets, magnets, badges, t-shirts, colorful mugs and so on.

Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti, one of the many unremarkable citizens of Abbottabad, was leaving the market, driving on his heavy-loaded donkey, when he saw the store. He took the lead, stopped his animal, and began reviewing the contents of the store window from afar More closely he examined the part where the magnetic stickers were stored then he suddenly recollected something and hurried along.

The next day Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti drove to the store and, not bothering to barter, bought a dozen magnets. He carefully put them into his camel-skin bag and went along the fruit and vegetable counters. Then he dropped the lead and the donkey slowly made his way to a plain three-storied building, without landline telephone or Internet service, some 30 feet from the Kakul military academy.

It seemed that nobody lives in this house, even though every day above-mentioned Abu Ahmed delivered there a considerable amount of products.

***

The very next day the American military base in Jalalabad was all in commotion: the long expected information on the location of Geronimo has finally arrived. In a week, on April 30^th, 2011, Barack Obama, the President of the US, under pressure from military departments and, especially, Hillary Clinton, the Secretary of the State, approved the operation.

The same day's night he owner of the store, whose name none ever found out (though it was known to the selected few), loaded all his souvenirs into a small car and drove somewhere none knew where. ( Later, to misinform the Pakistan government, a piece of information was spread that the location of the Terrorist #1 had been determined with the help of doctors conducting vaccination in the town. Unfortunately for him, vaccination in bin Laden’s house was conducted by a Pakistani physician Shakil Afridi, who didn’t suspect anything. Later he was sentenced by the Pakistan authorities to 33 years imprisonment.)

On May the 2^nd, at midnight two Black Hawks with 23 DEVGRU commandos on board took off from Jalalabad and in some 90 minutes reached the grey three-storied building. In 15 minutes, as the result of a quick raid, the Terrorist #1 was eliminated. After the sound of shots stopped officer Matt Bissonette approached to the refrigerator cover with magnetic stickers, took a few of them and twirling one with the Mosque of Omar and a hidden micro-chip officer Matt Bissonette handed it over to Admiral McRaven, commander of the Pentagon’s Joint Special Operations Command: "For God and country, I have found Geronimo, bin Laden is killed”.

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