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'Motherlode' of Data Seized At Bin Laden Compound

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the i-saw-an-unclelode-once dept.

itwbennett writes "The raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Pakistan Sunday also turned up an 'intelligence harvest' of computer-based data that was described by an anonymous government source as 'the motherlode of intelligence.' The data is being sifted through at a secret site in Afghanistan. An unnamed official was quoted by Politico as saying: 'Hundreds of people are going through it now. It's going to be great even if only 10 percent of it is actionable. They cleaned it out. Can you imagine what's on Osama bin Laden's hard drive?'"

3 of 718 comments (clear)

  1. It could be a trap by davidwr · · Score: 4, Interesting

    If he's smart he would've not only encrypted everything but most of the information would be intentionally misleading or low-value, making whoever got it not only have to work to decrypt it but to have sort out what's real and useful and what's not.

    --
    Knowledge is how to play a game, intelligence is how to win, wisdom is knowing what game to play.
  2. Re:Truecrypt by Cytotoxic · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Hopefully (if it were encrypted and we cracked it), we would continue to put out statements in the media that we couldn't crack it...

    (while we were kicking doors at his safehouses and rounding up the remainder of his minions around the world)

    Agreed! Didn't we learn anything from the whole "we tracked him by his cell phone" braggadocio fiasco? STFU about your intel sources. Sheesh....

  3. A selfish man who had others die for him. by MarkvW · · Score: 4, Interesting

    A selfish man who had others die for him is not likely to be overmuch careful about protecting the people who remain alive after he is dead.

    I bet he was really sloppy and undisciplined.