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Two Canadian journalists mentioned in bin Laden documents
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Eric Margolis, Gwynne Dyer among journalists mentioned in al-Qaida documents found at bin Laden compound.
The U.S. Combating Terrorism Center has released 17 documents captured during the raid on former al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad, Pakistan compound one year ago, and Canadian journalists Eric Margolis and Gwynne Dyer feature prominently.
One of the documents, penned by al-Qaida spokesman Adam Gadahn, was essentially a media plan for the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
In one paragraph, Gadahn writes about including Margolis and Dyer on their distribution list.
"I suggest that we send material or materials to a group of writers and professional or independent journalists who have shown interest in al-Qaida issues, from different countries," notes one passage.
"In Britain two journalists, Atwan and Fisk, and probably others, in America Brian Russ, Simon Hirsh, and Jerry Van Dyke, and others, in Canada Eric Margolis and Gwynne Dyer."
In an email exchange with Yahoo! Canada News, Margolis says he isn't surprised that he and Dyer are mentioned in the letter.
"I have covered al-Qaida from Pakistan since its beginnings in the mid-1980's and written about it and bin Laden for 35 years, plus in two books. I have written for leading Pakistani newspapers for 25 years," he said.
"I was well known to the Afghan mujahidin in the 1980's, from whose ranks came many al-Qaida members. I interviewed the founder of al-Qaida, Sheik Azzam.
"I have long had the reputation of being a western journalist who understands in depth the Mideast and South Asia, and who writes about it objectively and impartially, not through a North American lens. I have always refused to follow the media party line on Afghanistan and al-Qaida. I never sympathized with it or defended its actions, but did insist that our understanding of it was deficient and needed to be reviewed and improved."
Margolis emphasizes that he's not certain of the authenticity of this document and that he has never received any communication from al-Qaida.
Other documents released Wednesday include a memo from Osama bin Laden outlining his aim to focus attacks on the United States and his frustrations with his lack of control over his follower's actions.
Another document, according to the UK's Daily Telegraph, includes a list of 170 al-Qaeda members disclosing the various fates of the terrorist movement's followers.
Isolated in his Pakistani compound, bin Laden was limited to paper letters, which would be delivered by his courier, in order to avoid detection by United States forces.
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