4 Threat Matrix: LWJ Series: Analyzing the bin Laden documents

Written by Thomas Joscelyn on May 2, 2012 9:32 AM to 4 Threat Matrix

Available online at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/threat-matrix/archives/2012/05/lwj_series_analyzing_the_bin_l.php

Beginning tomorrow, the Combating Terrorism Center (CTC) at West Point is going to release hundreds of pages of documents from Osama bin Laden's files online. Given what has been reported thus far on the documents, they appear to undermine many claims that have been made about al Qaeda's operations and the depth of its alliances with other jihadist groups.

We will be reporting at Threat Matrix and Long War Journal on the documents, highlighting what we think are the key pieces of intelligence within them.

But we also wanted to note that, as we understand it, the CTC documents are not close to being the entire collection from bin Laden's compound. We think nearly the entire collection should be released online, while making as few exceptions as possible for truly operationally sensitive material. Let's see as many of the documents as possible.