2 Days Before 9/11, Al Qaeda Killed Osama Bin Laden's Biggest Taliban Rival

The assassination of Ahmad Shah Massoud on September 9, 2001, removed one of the Taliban's strongest rivals days before the 9/11 attacks. The killing was carried out at the behest of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as a favour to his Taliban hosts. Massoud, who led Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, was killed while speaking to two men who had arrived at his camp in the Panjshir Valley, posing as Belgian television journalists. The visitors had gone through security checks before meeting him. They carried explosives hidden inside their video camera. The attack took place two days before the September 11 attacks in the United States. The Northern Alliance did not publicly confirm Massoud's death until September 15. Massoud was a key figure in the fight against the Taliban, having built an insurgent network in northern Afghanistan. His leadership and popularity made him an important figure for those opposing the group. Bin Laden was reportedly aware of the threat Massoud posed and targeted him as a way to remove a potential rival. Removing Massoud was seen as useful to bin Laden and his allies. The news of Massoud's assassination also worried the CIA, with Gary Berntsen recalling that it made him feel sick to his stomach. CIA director George Tenet believed the agency still had other contacts in Afghanistan. Tenet recalled a meeting with Pakistani intelligence chief Gen. Mahmood Ahmed on September 9, where Mahmood defended Mullah Omar and suggested trying to bribe Taliban officials to hand over bin Laden. Mahmood later met US officials after the September 11 attacks as Washington pushed Pakistan to cooperate in its campaign against terrorism. US forces were also secretly deployed in Pakistani territory soon after.