Would-be Al Qaeda bomber was CIA informant, officials say

[txradioguy]

WASHINGTON –  The would-be bomber in the airline plot was actually working as a U.S. intelligence informant, but the CIA had Al Qaeda fooled from the start.

Fox News has learned that a government source familiar with intelligence confirmed that an international sting operation infiltrated the Al Qaeda cell. The informant was apparently one and the same as the bomber got the device out.

Last month, U.S. intelligence learned that Al Qaeda's Yemen branch hoped to launch a spectacular attack using a new, nearly undetectable bomb aboard an airliner bound for America, officials say.

But the man the terrorists were counting on to carry out the attack was actually working for the CIA and Saudi intelligence, U.S. and Yemeni officials told The Associated Press on Tuesday.

The dramatic sting operation thwarted the attack before it had a chance to succeed.

It was the latest misfire for Al Qaeda, which has repeatedly come close to detonating a bomb aboard an airliner. For the United State, it was a victory that delivered the bomb intact to U.S. intelligence.

The officials spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the operation. The cooperation of the would-be bomber was first reported Tuesday evening by The Los Angeles Times.

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/05/08/al-qaeda-bomber-was-cia-informant-officials-say/

[NHSparky]

So he's changing sides more often than he changes his underwear.  Great.

But on a more serious note, why would the administration divulge this--and make no mistake, this wasn't just a, "Hey, look what I found!" kind of deal on the part of the LA Times.

[thundley4]

So he's changing sides more often than he changes his underwear.  Great.

But on a more serious note, why would the administration divulge this--and make no mistake, this wasn't just a, "Hey, look what I found!" kind of deal on the part of the LA Times.

This was another case of Obama tooting his own horn.  How much intel will be lost by blowing the cover of the operative?   This was just as stupid as the administration claiming to have found lots of intel when Rambama went to Pakistan and killed bin Laden.

[Eupher]

So he's changing sides more often than he changes his underwear.  Great.

But on a more serious note, why would the administration divulge this--and make no mistake, this wasn't just a, "Hey, look what I found!" kind of deal on the part of the LA Times.

Leaking information is the responsibility of a cabinet-level secretary, whose name cannot be divulged.

No, that's a lie. The Chief Leaker in the Oministration is Joe "Plugs" Biden. I mean, what else does he have to do? Getting out of bed in the morning might work for a short period of time, but even Joe has to carry the torch for a while.

[vlad335]

This is pathetic. The information was leaked for one reason only. An attempt to help Obama's foreign policy credentials. Its all politics, all the time with this bunch.

[JohnnyReb]

Al Qaeda will be looking for other possible traitors in it's organization now.

Heads inside Al Qaeda will roll....literally.

[thundley4]

Why the hell is the FBI investigating this bomb and trying to figure it out? Shouldn't this be the job of the CIA or the the Dept. Defense?

[JohnnyReb]

Why the hell is the FBI investigating this bomb and trying to figure it out? Shouldn't this be the job of the CIA or the the Dept. Defense?

Because the (cough-cough) justice department has better control over the FBI than the other departments.

[obumazombie]

Desperation is the word of the day.