Former CIA Officer Reveals How Osama bin Laden Escaped Tora Bora Disguised as a Woman

Oct 25, 2025 11:32 am CST

A former CIA counterterrorism officer has revealed that Osama bin Laden escaped US forces in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountains by disguising himself as a woman, aided by an Al-Qaeda operative who had infiltrated as a translator. John Kiriakou, who led CIA operations in Pakistan, also disclosed previously unknown connections between Pakistan's government, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Al-Qaeda that were downplayed for strategic reasons.