"Frankly when I resigned in November, there wasn't anyone, " Scheuer says, adding that he doubts anything has changed.

CNN: Who's in charge of hunt for bin Laden?

"I think that consumers are still very much looking forward to celebrating the holiday, " federation spokeswoman Sarah Scheuer said.

CNN: Halloween may offer welcome diversion

Michael Scheuer, the former senior CIA agent in charge of the Bin Laden tracking unit, is a maverick in Washington's foreign policy establishment.

BBC: The drum beat of an unwanted war

As for Ibn Sheikh al Libi, who ran the camp where Nasiri trained, Scheuer says Nasiri offers the best portrait of al Libi he has seen.

CNN: Inside the Jihad

Sociologist Benoit Scheuer told La Libre Belgique that it was fine for the king to warn of the dangers of populism, although he believed the major democratic parties should speak out as well.

BBC: Europe

Scheuer says he isn't sure.

CNN: Who's in charge of hunt for bin Laden?

Scheuer used to be head of the bin Laden unit at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center (which is different from the newer National Counterterrorism Center), and he says he thinks his successor is the person leading the day-to-day hunt for bin Laden and the rest of al Qaeda's leadership.

CNN: Who's in charge of hunt for bin Laden?

In an earlier interview, former CIA analyst Michael Scheuer said the Italian military secret service had approved the operation involving Hassan, and CIA sources who refused to be named told CNN in 2005 that the agency had briefed and sought approval from its Italian counterpart for such an abduction.

CNN: Berlusconi may be called in CIA 'kidnap' trial