Former CIA Agent: al-Libbi Arrest 'Good Victory'

May 4, 2005 -- -- Former CIA operative Gary Schroen led the hunt for Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks. Schoen, who has chronicled that mission in a new book, "First In: An Insider's Account of How the CIA Spearheaded the War on Terror in Afghanistan," spoke with "Nightline's" Ted Koppel to discuss the war on terror.

The following is an excerpt of their conversation, focusing on today's announcement that suspected senior al Qaeda leader Abu Farraj al-Libbi was captured in Pakistan. President Bush called the capture a "critical victory" against al Qaeda.

KOPPEL: The Pakistanis today captured a man who is believed to be the number three man in al Qaeda.

(CROSSTALK)

SCHROEN: Mr. al-Libbi.

KOPPEL: Libbi.

SCHROEN: The Libyan.

If indeed he is the fellow they captured, it's a very, very significant arrest and a good victory for us.

He took over after Khalid Sheik Mohammed was captured as the key planner, and is credited with two assassination -- of planning two assassination attempts against President Musharraf of Pakistan.

The fact that he was captured in the Bashour (ph) tribal district I think is significant.

KOPPEL: It's right along the border with Afghanistan?

SCHROEN: It's along the border of Afghanistan, but north of Peshawar, far north of Waziristan, where we have been looking for bin Laden.

And I have for years thought that, that was the area that bin Laden would have chosen to hide, and I think because it is a rugged, really rough area where the tribals hate any form of government, Pakistani or U.S. or Afghan, and would be perfectly willing to support someone of bin Laden's caliber and with a checkbook of his size, and I believed he's been up there.

So the capture in Bashour (ph) I think is significant.

KOPPEL: Assuming that you are right, and assuming that this man now provides some confirmation of that, is there enough money, enough willingness both on the U.S. government's part and on the Pakistani government's part to go in with adequate forces to get him?