U.S. General in Kabul: Capture of Bin Laden "not essential"

posted by ewing2001 on Saturday November 22, @08:28AM

U.S. General Says Bin Laden 'Out of the Picture'

Reuters -Fri Nov 21

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A senior U.S. general said on Friday that al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden had "taken himself out of the picture" and that his capture was not essential to winning the "war on terror."

General Peter Pace, vice chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at U.S. military headquarters just north of Kabul that the 11,500-strong U.S.-led force hunting al Qaeda and Taliban militants was not focusing on individuals.

"He (bin Laden) has taken himself out of the picture," Pace told reporters after visiting U.S. troops serving in Afghanistan.

"It is not an individual that is as important as is the ongoing campaign of the coalition against terrorists," he said.

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Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff -Bio

General Peter Pace is the Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. In this capacity, he is a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Nation's second highest ranking military officer. General Pace is the sixth officer to hold the position and the first Marine.

As the Vice Chairman, General Pace serves as the Chairman of the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, Vice Chairman of the Defense Acquisition Board, and as a member of the National Security Council Deputies Committee and the Nuclear Weapons Council. In addition, he acts for the Chairman in all aspects of the Planning, Programming and Budgeting System to include participating in meetings of the Defense Resources Board.

General Pace was born in Brooklyn, N. Y., and raised in Teaneck, New Jersey. He received his commission in June 1967, following graduation from the United States Naval Academy. He also holds a Master's Degree in Business Administration from George Washington University and attended Harvard University for the Senior Executives in National and International Security program.

...General Pace was advanced to Major General on June 21, 1994, and was assigned as the Deputy Commander/Chief of Staff, U. S. Forces, Japan. He was promoted to Lieutenant General and assigned as the Director for Operations (J-3), Joint Staff, Washington, D. C., on August 5, 1996.

General Pace served as the Commander, U. S. Marine Corps Forces, Atlantic/Europe/South from 23 November 1997 to 8 September 2000. He was promoted to General and assumed duties as the Commander in Chief, United States Southern Command on 8 September 2000 until 30 September 2001.

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