Bin Laden Ignored Own "Hiding Places" Rules

MAY 2--While an al Qaeda training manual offered tips on “hiding places” for jihadists on the run, Osama bin Laden appears to have ignored a couple of his own suggestions when it came to hitting the mattresses.

The terrorism manual, "Military Studies in the Jihad Against the Tyrants," was seized during a raid on the Manchester, England home of a bin Laden follower. An English translation of the 180-page Arabic document was prepared by federal investigators.

The manual’s “Fourth Lesson,” seen here, addressed “Apartments--Hiding Places” for disciples of the al Qaeda leader.

Bin Laden was killed yesterday when U.S. forces stormed his walled compound outside the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. The residence (pictured at right) was built several years ago in the Bilal Town development, about two miles from the center of Abbottabad.

The terror manual notes that it is preferable to live in apartments or houses “in newly developed areas where people do not know one another. Usually, in older quarters people know one another and strangers are easily identified, especially since these quarters have many informers.”

But such new construction did have a drawback, according to the manual: “In a newer apartment, avoid talking loud because prefabricated ceilings and walls…do not have the same thickness as those in old ones.”

Despite the manual stipulating that “avoiding police stations and government buildings” was a must, bin Laden’s Abbottabad roost was adjacent to a Pakistani military training facility.

Hiding places, bin Laden instructed, were to include “secret locations” where “documents, records, arms, and other important items” could be hidden. But when the al Qaeda leader’s residence was raided, U.S. forces scooped up computer equipment and other prospective intelligence information that apparently was out in the open.

The “Military Studies” manual also suggested that the radicalized prepare “ways of vacating the apartment in case of a surprise attack.” Judging by the early reports, however, bin Laden’s Abbottabad “security precautions” did not include him attempting to flee with the aid of one of those suggested stands or “wooden ladders.” (4 pages)