Pakistan Military Knew About Bin Laden Raid Well In Advance Of Attack | Forbs

The Pakistani Street has also grown tired of what they perceive as the over-involvement of the United States in their affairs over the last decade and are particularly unhappy with the constant drone attacks being conducted in their country by Americans – many resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians.

Ahmadiyya Times | News Watch | US Desk
Source/Credit: Forbs | Asia
By Rick Ungar | May. 6 2011

Evidence is now emerging that the Pakistani government and military not only knew of America’s plans to launch an attack on Osama bin Laden’s compound far in advance, but assisted the United States in the effort.

According to GlobalPost, the Pakistan government’s willingness to continue the narrative that they were caught totally by surprise is in response to their fear of a popular backlash among the Pakistani people were they to know that their government and military had helped the Americans execute the raid.

    One senior military official, who asked not to be named because he is not permitted to speak to the press, said that Pakistani army troops were in fact providing backup support when the United States began its operations inside the compound where bin Laden had been staying, including sealing off the neighborhood where the compound was located.”


    Via Global Post

Adding further support to the notion that Pakistan was in on the mission, a number of local residents have confirmed to the BBC that they were visited by Pakistani army personnel two hours before the attack commenced, ordering them to switch off the lights inside and outside their homes and instructing them to stay indoors until they were informed it was safe to come out.

The report goes on to add-

    Gen. David Petraeus paid an extraordinary visit to Islamabad on April 25,” said a senior military official said. The official said Petraeus held a one-on-one meeting with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Pakistan’s army chief of staff, in which they discussed the details of the operation.

    The next day, Pakistan’s top military body — the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee — held its quarterly session, which was attended by Lt. Gen. Ahmed Shuja Pasha, the country’s intelligence chief, who is not a regular member of the body. Pasha had visited the United States to meet with the head of the Central Intelligence Agency, Leon Panetta, on April 11.”

General Patraeus, who is preparing to take over as CIA Director, has yet to confirm or deny the report.

So, why would the Pakistani government endure the embarrassment and charges of incompetency that have come with appearing not to know the U.S. was conducting a raid on their soil without permission?

To answer the question, it is important to understand the current political environment in the country and the growing displeasure among the population with the presence of American military and ongoing CIA operations within Pakistan’s borders.

These feelings are particular sensitive in the wake of the recent killing of two Pakistanis by a CIA contractor who claimed that the deceased were attempting to rob him.

The Pakistani Street has also grown tired of what they perceive as the over-involvement of the United States in their affairs over the last decade and are particularly unhappy with the constant drone attacks being conducted in their country by Americans – many resulting in the deaths of innocent civilians.

Were it to be known that the Pakistani military and government was assisting the United States in taking out Bin Laden, the government would not only face the potential of a popular uprising but would also be forced to deal with the displeasure of many of its Arab nation allies who would not approve of their cooperation.

The revelations come on the heels of today’s disclosure that the CIA had maintained a ’safe-house’ within eyesight of bin Laden’s Abbotabad compound since August, 2010 in order to keep an eye on the location. Again, Pakistani officials deny any knowledge of the CIA presence in the area.

Like so many of the difficulties faced by Pakistan in its awkward relationship with the United States, the government may have, again, found themselves in a ‘no win’ situation.

If the Pakistani government did know what was coming, the current disclosures may only be the tip of the iceberg as top members of the military are said to be angry over appearing to be incompetent in the eyes of the public.



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