Washington :
Osama bin Laden maintained operational control of Al-Qaeda and was active in
making tactical decisions within the group from his compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, a senior U.S.
intelligence official has said.
"This compound in Abbottabad was an active command and control center for
Al-Qaeda's leader. He was active in operational planning and in driving tactical
decisions within Al-Qaeda," Politico quoted the official, as saying.
Many analysts believed Osama's operational control over Al-Qaeda eroded in
recent years due to his being in hiding and the increased decentralization of
those planning terror plots.
Some said Osama had become little more than an inspirational figure, as well
as an occasional propagandist for the anti-American terror movement.
But, the official said that this was not the case and Osama had complete
control over his groups' activities.
The official said intelligence analysts are still looking at the massive
amount of information seized from the compound.
But he also said that intelligence analysts
would not discuss whether any of this has led to information about the
whereabouts of other Al-Qaeda leaders, including Ayman al-Zawahiri, the group's
No. 2 and bin Laden's presumed successor. ANI
