Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden had a hit list that included US President Barack Obama, International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) Commander David Petraeus and a major US sporting event, according to the treasure trove of intelligence found at his compound in Pakistan’s Abbottabad city.
US officials said that bin Laden was trying to hatch a plan to kill Obama by shooting down Air Force One or Marine One, the president’s plane and helicopter.
The Al-Qaeda chief also hoped to kill Petraeus the same way, either in a helicopter or fixed wing airplane with a missile or rocket propelled grenade.
“It’s difficult, but not impossible, to shoot down either General Petraeus or the president’s plane. But the reality is because of the countermeasures and other planes and helicopters in the air, it’s not a likely scenario,” ABC News quoted former FBI special agent Brad Garrett, as saying. .
Officials also believe that bin Laden wanted to fly a small plane into a sporting event to cause mass casualties.
“We have so many small airports, you could fly below radar. That’s possibly doable,” Garrett said.
An initial analysis of the evidence had earlier revealed that Al-Qaeda hoped to attack trains in the US, possibly on the 10th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks.
The US Navy SEALs had recovered a handwritten journal, five computers, 10 hard drives and 110 thumb drives from Laden’s hideout in Abbotabad, after he was killed on May 2.
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