TL;DR: Former CIA officer John Kiriakou revealed in a new interview that Osama bin Laden fled Afghanistan in 2001 disguised as a woman, escaping US forces at Tora Bora with help from an Al-Qaeda infiltrator inside the US military.
What Happened
- Former CIA officer John Kiriakou told ANI that Osama bin Laden escaped Tora Bora in 2001 disguised as a woman, fleeing to Pakistan in a pickup truck.
- Kiriakou said the CIA believed bin Laden and Al-Qaeda leaders were cornered in Tora Bora, but they escaped overnight because their translator was actually an Al-Qaeda operative infiltrating the US military.
- The translator convinced US commanders to delay their assault until dawn, claiming they needed time to evacuate women and children.
- By morning, bin Laden and his men had vanished, leading to a years-long manhunt ending with his death in 2011 in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
US-Pakistan Relations
- Kiriakou claimed the US “essentially purchased Musharraf,” saying Washington gave millions in aid to Pakistan’s then-President Pervez Musharraf to ensure cooperation.
- He added, “The United States loves working with dictators... we essentially just purchased Musharraf.”
- Kiriakou said Musharraf cooperated closely with the US but also had to manage internal military and political pressures.
Background and Reactions
- The interview aired on October 24, 2025, as part of ANI’s “Former CIA Agent & Whistleblower John Kiriakou” series.
- Kiriakou, who spent 15 years in the CIA and led counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, also discussed Al-Qaeda links with Lashkar-e-Taiba and the regional fallout post-9/11.
- While bin Laden’s escape from Tora Bora is a verified historical fact, the claim about the disguise remains unconfirmed by other official or independent sources.