This is fascinating - does Director of National Intelligence John M. McConnell hold any indirect sway over President Musharraf's decisions regarding the deals made with pro-Taleban tribal leaders?

Does ABC News want to politically bust the Pakistani government's chops?

So can we take this to mean that they do not think they got OBL and Zawahiri in the Mandaghel strike?

If true, this should not be in the news. Shame on you ABC News.

So our beloved leader is under pressure because of the treatment of our Heroes when they come home needing our help.

So all of a sudden we think we might know where OBL and his henchmen might be.

I think Karl (I didn't leak the identity of the CIA agent honest) Rove has been on the telephones again.

When OBL's head is on a platter at the Rose Garden at the White House will i believe a word of these so called leaders.

So what's the deal? Are we close to catching Osama or not?

What next?-a map showing the exact location of the CIA operatives in Pakistan? Shame on ABC..

Yeah! right! I will belive it when OBL and Ai Zawari is killed or captured. Remember ISI (Pakistani Intelligence) is the mother of Taliban and Al-Quida.

I certianly hope this pans out...Capturing one or both of them would provide a moral and psychological victory over militants everywhere, although I doubt it will stop attacks in Afghanistan, Iraq, Europe or even the US again.. it looks like decenteralization has become the norm

Why on earth would you post this on the web? These people need to be found and killed. Why on earth you would do this we'll never know.

Again, How old is Osama. Its the cause ,not the leader, that motivates those against the US.Do away with 1 leader and leave the cause and another takes his place. United states out of Saudi Arabia was what was first demanded. Now its west out of the mideast.Their territory,their country,their choice.We will fight forever if we stay. Marty Young combat Vietnam veteran

The very well-documented on-line video "Loose Change" very convincingly proves that Osama Bin Laden was, and has been, very well-protected by the CIA even before 9/11. More than that, he most likely had less to do with 9/11 than our own gov't officials who set up the "terror attack" to scare people into supporting the Patriot Act and giving up many of our civil liberties. I'm sure OBL is still being protected by the CIA in return for him being Bush'es scapegoat for 9/11

Osama Bin Laden is dead!! He died of kidney failure. This is all just crap that the Bush administration puts out there to give his war on "terror" a leg to stand on. He got his hand in the pocket of the Bin Laden family pocket way to deep for him to want to catch him even if he was alive...And oh yeah, Bin Laden is alive and we know where he is so lets tell the whole world we are going to this area to get him too. This whole thing reeks of more Bush Bull!

If it's in the news, it was meant to be. ABC is just complying.

Why in the world would the media even report information such as this?? OBL and Zawahiri read the news the same as we do, and this only aids them in their run and hide tactics. I second Steve's comment of "shame on you, ABC news!"

I agree, shame on ABC news. Responsible journalism has become an oxymoron

now if i was a terrorist and i read this, i would beat feet over to pakistan and offer my help...am i the only one to see this?

For sure it would be great to get these people - but how many of our young people will to die to accomplish this goal. I don't believe the 3172+ lives lost in Iraq justify the gains of the mission. I no longer trust the motives or the decision making abilities of the Bush/Cheney White House.

Thank you for posting this information. I am sure that no one in Bin Laden's group has internet access so this is no big deal. Good job ABC.

Great.....glad we broadcast our war plans...again. "CIA sources close to the operation"...That term should never be used.

I imagine this is in the news for a reason. And not to inform the rest of us that the CIA is rushing resources into Pakistan.

Outstanding! No need to keep this closehold, otherwise he might not get away....

Nice counter-intelligence through the press CIA! That oughta flush out what you need.

Bin Laden's dead. This is just misinformation.

It's not hard to see why a new push is being made to find Bin Laden. Just look at Bush's political situation. He definily would like to get him before he's out of office, and catching him would definitly take Iraq off of the front page, at least for a while.

Really getting tired of our press outing this information to the enemy.

If true, this was leaked to ABC News by the administration. Use your brain, Steve. It's in the news because the feds want it in the news.

Bryan Ross has a history of exposing these things. The American people do not need to know this.

Osama thanks you for the heads up,
ABC.

Yet more irresponsible, anonymously-sourced reporting from our MSM.

This information should have been kept secret, now Bin Ladin will know we have operatives in Pakistan and will be searching them out!

So, why is this on a web site so everyone knows what we are doing. Whatever happen to the time when stuff like this would not be printed....
Tell us when he is in a body bag!

I agree, ABC should keep their mouth shut for the time being instead of possibly causing the slightest bit of heat within Pakistani politics.

So lets tell everyone!!!!! Why not? So when it fails, the media can once again go after bad policy decisions and poor execution. Nice job ABC.

This should put to rest the absurd left wing kannard that Bush has stopped looking for bin laden. Wait, I think it was, no one in the government is trying to find him.

LIES!!

Now why in the world would you publish this story if you really wanted to catch him? Geeez. Nice work guys.....really.

So if Bush gets Bin Laden, the Surge works, and the USA continues not to be attacked will 'W' get the respect he deserves?

If it would increase the likelihood that OBL will be caught I would rather not have this information until AFTER THE FACT.

It looks like the US intelligence community is doing a fine job.
God Bless America.

Is this news?
Should I rush to the coffee shop and tell everyone that the big news of the day is that we are pushing resources into a hunt for Bin Laden? Should they be surprised? Or excited?
Probably, they'd look at me as if I was mad for bothering to tell them something so obvious.
Thanks ABC, for your interesting story (!).

Why is this being reported in the news? Why tip off Bin Laden?

Bin Laden? Who cares?

If I can read it so can OBL. When are journalists going to take responsibility for there actions?

now let me see...this information came from the Bush Administration?...did it come off of an Aircraft carrier? Did it come from a military hospital...the commanding general of a military hospital...no! no! i've got it Karl Rove has come out of hiding...

Shame on US officials for even talking about it, assuming it is true.

Don't talk just do.

I'd say Osama is with W(yes, Waldo!). He might even be with W's administration since nobody there seems to know what anyone else is doing. Best wishes to our CIA and military in their prusuit and finally(hopefully) a successful capture or kill.

How can leaks like this possible be a good thing? Do we not think Bin Laden uses the internet???? Dumb and Dumber.....

I agree. Shame on you to say the least.

ABC is clearly not leaking any highly classified information. They are quoting U.S officials who absolutely know what they say will be released to press sources. U.S intelligence would not release anything that would hinder there hunt for Osama, but are more likely using the media as tool in their hunt for Osama.

So, the CIA has been hot-on-the-trail of Bin Laden? They've been looking for over 4 years now, so gettng closer is a relative term, but it makes good PR for the agency I guess.

To Brians "If True" Statement, the only way that it would be released to the media outlets is if Al Quada new the CIA was there anyway.

There is such a thing as "need to know," and neither we (Americans), or UBL need to know CIA planns prior to his capture. Let us know after the fact please.

I am assuming this supposedly new info was "leaked", which means that it is disinformation designed to mask what we "really" know, or some idiot in the CIA thinks that it would be good for our public to know that we are still hot on OBL trail. Why not catch him first and then leak all of the stories that describe what a great job the CIA did. What was the true purpose of this disclosure of "we know more than we've been letting on".

why is this being put out? If there is truly a chance to catch these murderers, why are you printing it? THINK!!!

GWBush is grasping for straws. and this report is just another attempt to justify the president's wanton abuse and mis-handling of authority. we shouldn't be talking about it after all this time.

Great - and now that this news will reach them either the Pakistani government will have to withdraw its support for our penetrations of the region or the locals will clam up and OBL and Zawahiri will go deeper underground.

Great job, ABC News. The same news organization that will complain when we don't capture them after they report on us closing in.

Would the CIA tell the truth about where they think he is. Maybe the CIA just wants OBL to think they think he is in Pakistan.

Why would you put sensitive information out like this.

Is there any way this can help our country catch UBL?

Obviously you are more concerned with appearing to have a "scoop" than winning this war.

Are you also trying to warn these people so they can be extra vigilant? Do you ever think of the consequences to the men who are risking their lives over there when you put something like this out? Do you think they don't see what's on the internet? Inexcusable.

dont they realize that Bin Laden is a myth?

I mean c'mon

To Steve - US gov't could very well want this to be in the news (to observe certain people's reaction). Chances are this was a planned leak

Ummm, isn't it a little late to worry about catching Bin Laden?

Al Qaeda is far more than just one man, now that they have a real Middle East war in which to train their soldiers!

Agreed, and shame on Drudge Report for putting it in huge type across the home page. Is Drudge against America and its war on terror?

I think he's playing right field for the Orioles this year.

This is good news if true but possibly so good that the public shouldn't be knowing about it advance. Catch my drift Mr. Ross?

Are you guys nuts, or what?
Why in the world would you publish this if it is true?
Gee, let's just tell the world where our CIA people are so the bad guys can kill them, huh??
No wonder the public doesn't trust the media.

ABC,
Why are you publishing this information? Completely reckless. And don't give me the standard "Freedom of Press" line. This is just stupid and irresponsible.

Could this be just another example of Republican BS? Every time we are near an election, there is always an incident like this.

Thanks for letting OBL and ALZW know about the CIA Leads/Leaks. ABC and other outlets are half the problem...why don't you put your effort into investigating OBL's whereabouts and actually give him to us....oh I forgot, u r the news media. Gotta make a buck.

Thanks for giving OBL the heads-up ABC!!!

Why do they tell us that we are on his trail when he can move after he reads it? No wonder we cannot fine him because he is always warned before the capture. Tell us after he is captured. Neither the press nor the people need to know this before it happyens

I mean, haven't our intelligence agencies learned their lesson? We announce everything publicly before something actually happens. It's ridiculous. When will we learn our lesson and operate without this stupidity?

The only thing I can think of that would be rational by doing all this is if they thought such an announcement could induced bin Laden movement that could be seen via satellite. But I don't expect any tactically wise decisions from these people whatsoever.

Why would any American newspaper print this information?

Why would Drudge put it on his website?

What's going on here?

I would like to see bin Laden brought to justice as much as the next person, but should you post this much information about tracking him? I believe this just gives him more ways to elude our forces. I agree with poster Steve... shame on the media.

Well if they were going to sneak up on OBL you gave that away just to get a headline. ABC What is wrong with you people did you forget about 911

The Teams will never officially get "him" in Pakistan, they will move him back into Afganistan for disclosure. OBL will also be destroyed after being captured, we will not go through the mess of the courts with that nut. Godspeed brothers.

Tell the director of ABC News the people don't want to here about the chase. WE WANT TO HEAR ABOUT THE CAPTURE!!!!!!

ABC should stop trying to MAKE the news, Just report it. Back to FOX news for me.

If it wasn't for the effort against Iraq we would have Bin Laden by now...

Hey Steve, are you such a Republican that you'll do anything to blame the media? The shame belongs on the current administration, for still not catching Bin Laden after nearly 6 years.

If this were true it ould not be disclosed to ABC.
Remember in a war the first casualty is the truth and the news channel are just willing participants in the repeated killing of the truth.

Think about it folks -- the US govt isn't going to tell ABC News anything about covert operations unless it is part of a greater information/disinformation strategy. Statements like this are not made casually or accidentally. This isn't news -- it's another move in the game and not worth speculation.

No kidding. Pretty hard for the CIA to operate secretly in Pakistan when it's right here for the world to read. When did the media all become such complete morons.

I thnk OBL and the Z-Man are in Iran myself.

The real problem is how to get OBL without toppling the Pakistani government into the hands of ISI. Pakistan, as you know, has nuclear bombs + missiles. If catching OBL by CIA directly leads to riots that topple Musharraf and hand the nukes to Gul et al, it will be a very pyrrhyc victory

The enemy within.

Any pressure on the Pakistanis to cough up Bin Ladin 5 1/2 years after his atrocity is welcome, whether it comes from the CIA, Cheney or ABC News.

This is the problem with todays media. Transparency of the government is great. But to 'scoop' military info and place it in the headlines is dangerous. Thanks for looking out for us.

The CIA "WAS" secretly operating in Pakistan. Did the official who gave out this information do so annonimously because he wasn't authorized to speak publicly about classified information.

We have known that Osama and Zawahri are in Pakistan for years. Musharraf is a two faced liar. He claims to be a friend to America but continues to allow Al-Qaida and the Taliban operate in his country. I really believe he could deliver Osama to America any time if he wished to do so.

Again we just don't get it, you guys are giving out information that needs to remain secret.

They now know we are on a new search for this bum.

Remeber they also have access to ABC, CNN, FOX, NBC, and all of our other news sources.

Sometimes it's better to KEEP YOUR MOUTHS AND PRINT SHUT!

Hmmm, could they be trying to flush him out or at least see if there are any disernable changes in chatter? This is the first news of this kind in some time, no?

He is dead. He died over five years ago.

If not true, this should not be in the news. If true, the shame lies with the leaker, not ABC news.

What ever happened to loose lips sink ships? You and the rest of the media have got to stop. History is going to judge you harshly.

Blah blah. Oooh. Maybe we'll get him someday...