Blackwater USA Hired By CIA To Kill al Qaeda Leaders – Report

A secret CIA program to kill top al-Qaeda leaders with assassination teams was outsourced in 2004 to Blackwater USA, the private security contractor whose operations in Iraq prompted intense scrutiny, according to two former intelligence officials familiar with the events.

Editor’s Note – This operation was originally launched in 2001, shortly after al Qaeda killed over 3,000 Americans on 911. Why wouldn’t we go after their leadership using any and all available options?

The North Carolina-based company was given operational responsibility for targeting terrorist commanders and was awarded millions of dollars for training and weaponry, but the program was canceled before any missions were conducted, the two officials said.

The assassination program — revealed to Congress in June by CIA Director Leon Panetta — was initially launched in 2001 as a CIA-led effort to kill or capture top al-Qaeda members using the agency’s paramilitary forces. But in 2004, after briefly terminating the program, agency officials decided to revive it under a different code name, using outside contractors, the officials said.

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Israel Issues Terror Warning

Israel’s counter-terrorism bureau warned Sunday night of a “concrete, high-level threat” that the Lebanese Hezbollah guerrilla group planned an attack against Israelis to avenge the February 2008 assassination of Imad Mughniyah, its deputy leader. “The Hezbollah organization is apparently prepared to carry out a serious attack (assassination, kidnapping) against an Israeli target, including abroad. This attack threatens every Israeli, especially those holding senior position,” a statement from the counter-terrorism bureau said.

The statement warned Israelis travelling overseas to take precautions, and to avoid visiting countries the bureau has warned against.

Israelis abroad should be on the alert and avoid, for example, tempting offers, whether for business or pleasure, from suspicious or unfamiliar persons, and should refrain from unscheduled meetings in remote areas after dark.

Israelis staying abroad for long periods of time should also vary their routine, for example by changing hotels or switching between restaurants and other venues visited frequently.