2: 7. Targeting and Tragedy: The Death of Jennifer Matthews and the Courier Hunt Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA In the post-9/11 era, finding bin Laden became

7. Targeting and Tragedy: The Death of Jennifer Matthews and the Courier Hunt Liza Mundy Book: The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA In the post-9/11 era, finding bin Laden became the CIA's primary targeting task. Jennifer Matthews, a dedicated member of Alec Station since the mid-1990s, was chief of station at Khost, Afghanistan, providing targeting information for drone attacks. In 2009, Matthews and several other CIA officers were tragically killed when a source they believed would lead them to bin Laden revealed himself to be a suicide bomber (sent directly from bin Laden). This galvanized the hunt. Since bin Laden avoided 21st-century technology, targeters like Rachel and Maya (pseudonyms) had to develop methods to trace him indirectly. This involved sifting old data, using new technology, and tracing the human relationships of his couriers—the people who used technology and communicated with the inner circle. They ultimately identified Ibrahim Saeed Ahmed, bin Laden's courier and bodyguard, and began tracking his movements.