Local Expert Talks Possible Evidence Taken From Bin Laden Hideout
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- U.S. Navy SEALs seized a number of items during the 45-minute raid of Osama bin Laden's compound which could be a big help to U.S. intelligence.
"We need to find out as much as we can about their plans, especially any plans that would have to do with eminent attacks … we would have to find that out," La Roche Professor Larry Likar said. "Then they're going to have to find out [about] personnel. How big is this group – apart from the people we've killed here?"
Reportedly during the raid, agents removed computers and other data to be studied and reviewed over the next few weeks. Other things they may have taken and what they will learn may not be quite so obvious.
"What they'd be doing – hair brushes – they'd be throwing that in a bag. They would probably take computer keyboards because fingerprints," Likar said. "They're going to look for toothbrushes to throw them in there. All these stuffs are going to have identification evidence, DNA evidence or fingerprints."
Likar says intelligence is often developed over a span of several years, so fingerprints or partial prints are collected and stored and become part of a bigger picture.
He also suggests that just because Osama bin Laden didn't use the internet or have a telephone and opted to use couriers as a primary method of communication, doesn't mean there isn't a way to track his correspondence.
"It's very hard to plan without writing things down," Likar said.
And according to Likar, on a mission like this one, everyone would most likely have had a specifically assigned responsibility or area because time was of the essence to gather as much evidence as possible and then get out.
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