Gary Berntsen Says His 800 Rangers Never Reached Tora Bora
Berntsen commanded the CIA paramilitary team that hunted bin Laden at Tora Bora in December 2001.
- He asked for 800 Army Rangers to block mountain passes leading into Pakistan.
- The Rangers never came, and bin Laden crossed into Pakistan, free until 2011.
- He told this to Lara Logan on Going Rogue, episode 98, released September 11, 2026.
Why it matters: Denying a battlefield request from thousands of miles away turned a winnable capture into a ten-year manhunt.
Lara Logan, "Going Rogue" Ep 98 with Gary Berntsen ↗ · Sep 13, 20269/13/26