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Bounties a Bust in Hunt for Al-Qaeda
Jaber Elbaneh, a U.S.-Yemeni citizen with a $5 million U.S. bounty on his head, walks into court in Sanaa, Yemen, where officials have refused to arrest or extradite him.
(By Craig Whitlock -- The Washington Post)
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"We were at zero," Kirk said. "I couldn't believe it."
According to Kirk, embassy officials said they were consumed with broader priorities, such as assisting U.S. troops in Afghanistan, easing tensions between India and Pakistan and containing the spread of Islamic radicalism in the region.
"In the grand scheme of things, the hunt for Osama bin Laden should be an item of theological importance for people in the U.S. government," Kirk said. "But the key thing about the Rewards for Justice program is that no one in a rural area -- anywhere -- knows about it."
In contrast, the State Department has often gone trolling for tips in parts of the world where al-Qaeda sightings have been rare.
In December 2006, for example, Rewards for Justice kicked off an advertising blitz in dozens of airports. It distributed hundreds of wanted posters featuring 26 suspects, including bin Laden and other al-Qaeda leaders.
The ad campaign, timed to coincide with the Christmas and New Year's holiday periods, was limited to the United States. Airports blanketed with the posters included Londonderry, N.H., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and several in Hawaii.
"Increasing an airline traveler's awareness of wanted terrorists is part of the U.S. government's mission in fighting the war on terror," Richard J. Griffin, then assistant secretary of state for diplomatic security, said at the time.
Advertising in the wrong places, however, can bog down investigators by encouraging calls from crackpots, people familiar with the program said.
"We'd get a lot of tips that were totally off the wall," said Deering, the former State Department official. "You're looking for the proverbial diamond in a haystack."
Deering said he remained a fan of the concept behind Rewards for Justice but questioned how well it had been managed.
"Putting out Web sites and posters in embassies and consulates is good," he said. "But if you're not getting to the audience, there are problems."
Too Abstract a Concept
In 2004, Congress passed a law authorizing the State Department to post rewards as high as $50 million apiece -- a provision with bin Laden in mind. Last fall, Rep. Dan Boren (D-Okla.) went further, introducing a bill that would raise the cap to $500 million.
