The CIA's harebrained scheme to fight terrorism with an Osama bin Laden toy

The CIA's harebrained scheme to fight terrorism with an Osama bin Laden toy
(Image credit: Kevin Lee/Getty Images)

From The Washington Post, a story about a ludicrous CIA plot to counter Al Qaeda's influence by manufacturing an Osama bin Laden toy whose face morphed into that of a demon:

Beginning in about 2005, the CIA began secretly developing a custom-made Osama bin Laden action figure, according to people familiar with the project. The faces of the figures were painted with a heat-dissolving material, designed to peel off and reveal a red-faced bin Laden who looked like a demon, with piercing green eyes and black facial markings.

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Ryu Spaeth is deputy editor at TheWeek.com. Follow him on Twitter.