Scheuer's book "Imperial Hubris," which the CIA allowed him to publish anonymously earlier this year, was touted during the presidential campaign by critics of President Bush based on its claim that the U.S. is losing the war on terrorism. Scheuer ran the agency's bin Laden unit from 1996 to 1999.

While he insisted he didn't mean to praise bin Laden, moments later the ex-CIA man told host Tim Russert that the al-Qaida chief was "an admirable man. If he was on our side, he would be dining at the White House."

"He would be a freedom fighter, a resistance fighter," Scheuer added, suggesting that the U.S. would welcome an ally who killed 3,000 innocent office workers in a kamikaze sneak attack.

In more revealing comments, Scheuer went on to blame America's "unqualified support for Israel" for bin Laden's rise.

"There is a perception in the Muslim world, and I think there's a perception on the part of many Americans, that the tail is leading the dog on this case," he told NBC. "And perception, for better or worse, is often reality."

In fact, bin Laden bombed U.S. embassies in East Africa, attacked the USS Cole and planned the 9/11 attacks during the height of the Clinton administration's efforts to pressure Israel to cede territory to the Palestinians, a proposal accepted by then-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak but rejected by Yasser Arafat.

Scheuer continued as a senior analyst with the CIA's bin Laden unit until Nov. 12, when he went public with his complaints.

Editor's note: