Introduction

Aamir Qureshi/Agence France-Presse -- Getty Images

In 2005, when asked why the United States had been unsuccessful in locating Osama bin Laden, President Bush said, "Because he's hiding."

Why did it take nearly a decade to find Bin Laden? Some analysts note that counterterrorism forces were diverted as early as 2002 to prepare for the American war against Iraq and Saddam Hussein. Others say that American diplomats were too soft on the Pakistanis. Was it the difficult nature of obtaining accurate intelligence that allowed him to elude American forces, or were other factors involved?