"So the fire that bin Laden was trying to set is what we are beginning to see around the world and, unfortunately, nowhere more than in the West," he said.
He said the closure of the unit reflected a myopia in an intelligence community uncomfortable with the independence of the agents who championed bin Laden's pursuit.
"From the very beginning, Alec was an anomaly in that it was not subordinated to any area division, and it was given the authority to communicate with overseas stations -- with or without the permission of area divisions. That caused a great deal of heartburn among very senior leaders at the agency," he said.
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