“The Search for the Chinese Widow” is a fascinating thriller that is based on the true story of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. Khalid was an active CIA operative in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Khalid kept a diary during his time in the CIA, and we are going to look at some of the interesting entries and insights in the book.
One entry in the book describes a number of secret meetings between Khalid and Osama Bin Laden. Khalid states he spent a lot of time interviewing Bin Laden because he was one of the few people who had the answers to Al Qaeda’s problems. It is a fact that Osama Bin Laden gave Khalid access to vast amounts of information about Al Qaeda. I would submit that these documents are legitimate, and I believe the current American government will eventually release all of the information that Khalid kept regarding Al Qaeda.
Another interesting entry in the book describes a meeting in the Bush Administration, where some of the Department of Defense wanted to turn Al Qaeda into a “fire and forget” issue. Although this might sound funny it was not a joke. According to one source the whole “fire and forget” concept went against the central directive of the War on Terror. Now, these are just rumors, but you never know.
During his period in the CIA, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed also met with some of his employees who worked for Bin Laden. The sources who were present during this meeting state that they did not discuss the 9-11 attacks. These individuals knew Khalid had been trying to keep a record of the meetings, so they did not feel they could tell him about the events. They described it as a pleasant encounter.
Khalid writes that while he was in prison there was a group of people who were very cooperative. One of them was a former head of state of South Africa. The source states that this man took Khalid aside and told him to watch his step. This is not something I have ever heard before.
A person who did research on Khalid stated that this document is authentic and that he does indeed belong to the National Intelligence Agency. In fact Khalid Sheikh Mohammed is also mentioned in the book by name. The CIA should be reviewing this entry to confirm its authenticity.
Another fascinating thing that is noted in the book is that when some foreign officers would visit the prison to interrogate Khalid, he was given all sorts of goodies. After all, these foreigners were an important part of our national security. The fact that he was given these goodies, has led some to believe that we might have been able to avoid the September 11 attacks. Some people suggest this particular item might be an attempt to cover up any knowledge that Khalid has regarding Al Qaeda’s activities.
In the letter, Khalid told Al Qaeda not to destroy the World Trade Center. He also warned them to stop fighting each other. Khalid noted that the people from America would fight to prevent terrorism. And, he said that he wanted to meet again with bin Laden, and that the North Koreans should also get in touch with him.
