Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani
A day after U.S. President Barack Obama announced that Osama bin Laden was killed in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad in a May 1st U.S. operation, Pakistani newspapers, writing in cautious tones, began raising questions over the top Pakistani military officials' alleged lack of knowledge about the Al-Qaeda leader's presence in the vicinity of a Pakistani military academy.
In an analytical report titled "Pak Military Caught in the Crossfire," the liberal newspaper Dawn questioned how much Pakistan Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani knew about the presence of Osama bin Laden near the Kakul military academy in Abbottabad. In another report titled 'Has Our Civil, Military Leadership Failed Totally?" senior Pakistani editor Ansar Abbasi wondered why Osama bin Laden was not tried in Pakistan.
Abbasi wrote in The News: "It does not matter whether the operation was conducted with the cooperation of the Pakistan Army leadership, or without its information; in both cases it's a charge-sheet against the military establishment. Why should we raise and sustain the world's seventh largest army, costing more than 600 billion Pakistani Rupees per year, if it could not or does not counter such a foreign invasion?"
Abbasi was also sharply critical of the U.S., stating that if Osama bin Laden was declared a terrorist for killing innocent people, "then following the same principle why is the U.S., which is responsible for killing more than a million innocent Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, not termed a terrorist state?" He added: "If Osama, without a trial, could be condemned and killed, then why aren't the killer states involved in the assassination of innocent Muslims in Indian-Held Kashmir and Palestinians – India and Israel – declared terrorist states for killing innocents."
In another article in The Express Tribune, noted strategic affairs analyst Ayesha Siddiqa noted that Osama bin Laden was living so close to the Pakistani capital Islamabad that many people will get an opportunity to point a finger at Pakistan. Siddiqa also observed: "It is certainly a good opportunity for policymakers, especially military commanders, to review the national and military strategies on fighting forces of terror…"
She also warned that a number of Al-Qaeda affiliates nurtured by the Pakistani military establishment over the years could launch attacks in Pakistan. She noted: "Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are some of the many organizations that were allowed to spread their network and physical infrastructure into the 'settled' areas of Pakistan such as Punjab and Sindh. These organizations have deep links with Al-Qaeda and have allegedly collaborated with Osama bin Laden's terror network against targets in Pakistan and South Asia at large."
"Was… [Pakistan Army chief General Kayani] Completely Unaware that the Most Wanted Man Lived But a Short Distance Away?
Following are excerpts from the Dawn article:[1]
"As the United States announced the death of Osama bin Laden, the Pakistani state, especially its military, struggled to explain the role it played in the momentous event and contain the domestic political fallout on Monday.
"In a damage control exercise, the Pakistan military tried to find refuge in 'intelligence failure' as the elusive Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed in a CIA-led helicopter borne raid on a house right under the nose of Pakistan military's training academy. 'We had been looking for him in no-go areas, unaware that he was living so close to an installation of ours. Yes, it is an intelligence failure,' a senior military official told Dawn in a background session on OBL's death in an operation carried out by a U.S. Navy SEAL strike team under CIA command.
"Even as military officials tried to downplay Osama's killing in a compound less than a kilometer away from Kakul Academy [where Pakistani soldiers are trained], they found very few takers of their explanation.
"This was surprising, as it is hard to believe that the paranoid security agencies never conducted a reconnaissance of the vicinity of their main training facility during times when military installations faced a continuous threat of terrorist attacks. Odder still is the fact that the military authorities or the intelligence sleuths never felt the need to find out who was using a heavily guarded structure that was protected by barded wires and fortified walls and had the extra precaution of surveillance cameras.
"It is in fact tragically comical that this compound was at a stone's throw from where Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani attended a parade around a week ago; when he said publicly that his soldiers had broken the back of militants. Was the general completely unaware that the most wanted man lived but a short distance away? Did he also not have a clue about what was to happen in the coming days in that town?
"Military officials vehemently insist that they had not been taken on board by the Americans about the operation. In hindsight, the flurry of activity that took place in the past week or so indicates that something was up.
"ISAF Commander General [David] Petraeus paid an extraordinary visit to Islamabad last Monday (April 25), when he is said to have held 'a short and crisp' discussion with Gen. Kayani at an unusual meeting venue – Chaklala Airbase. The two generals are even said to have taken a short trip to an undisclosed location on board an aircraft. The same night Gen. Petraeus had through teleconferencing attended a White House meeting chaired by President Barack Obama.
"Observers feel that President Obama referred to that meeting in his speech on Monday morning, in which he announced the death of Osama…
"The very next day, Pakistan's top military coordination body – Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee – held its quarterly session, which was attended among others by ISI Chief Gen. Shuja Pasha, who otherwise isn't a regular member of the body. The meeting was unscheduled…"
"It is Not Just the Denial of the Pakistan Army of Any Prior Knowledge of the Operation that is Raising Eyebrows"
"However, it is not just the denial of the Pakistan army of any prior knowledge of the operation that is raising eyebrows.
"Another anomaly in the Pakistan military's account of the raid is their explanation of how four U.S. helicopters evaded the country's air defense system for about an hour (almost 30 minutes each side) as they flew in from Bagram and returned after a 40-minute long foray.
"One official claimed that the helicopters succeeded in avoiding detection through 'Nap of the earth flight' – a military tactic involving low-altitude flying to evade air defense systems. Yet another maintained that the air defense systems had been jammed by the Americans.
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"If this sequence of events is to be believed then why did President Obama appreciate Pakistan's cooperation in the operation? Was it out of love for the country? 'But it's important to note that our counter-terrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding,' Mr. Obama said.
"Whatever the case, Pakistani commanders took heart from President Obama's and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's statements on the incident. They think that the statements had provided Pakistan with a way out of the awkward situation and given the space for both sides to continue with their war on militancy cooperation.
"It was in line with this assessment of the situation and the subsequent American stance that the [Pakistani] Foreign Office statement on Osama's killing was drafted. The carefully worded statement renewed its pledge to continue cooperation with the U.S. in fight against militancy… The statement had hailed the operation as 'a major setback to terrorist organizations around the world.'
"Evident from the statement were the worries in the foreign ministry and among the civilian leadership and among military command about the questions that would be asked, especially about the violation of country's sovereignty during the conduct of the operation. Hence, it took recourse to America's right of defense and international law…
"The statement emphasized that the operation had been carried out by the U.S. forces, and not Pakistani troops. This is also the line pushed by the civilian government, whose Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan said the operation was carried out by the U.S. in exercise of UNSC [United Nations Security Council] mandate."
"A Leading Pakistani Journalist Claims that the Operation was a Shock for the Pakistan Army"
Following are excerpts from Ansar Abbasi' article:[2]
"When they told us he is a great jihadi hero, we treated him like a prince. When they said he is the main architect of 9/11, we blindly believed them and cursed him. When they stated he is the world's top 'terrorist,' he instantly became a terrorist for us too. And now they claim they have killed him within Pakistani territory and have thrown his body into the sea, we also took it as the gospel truth and are jubilant because they are delighted.
"Pakistan is really a sold nation. We have truly become America's voice. We have no decision of our own. We have stopped thinking and acting independently, and we can't believe Pakistan can survive without Washington's support.
"It was President Obama, who… confirmed that the U.S. Special Forces conducted the operation against what is claimed as Osama bin Laden's hideout, just adjacent to Pakistan's top military academy Kakul in Abbottabad. Our Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani termed it a 'great victory' hours after Obama's announcement but did not feel, even slightly, about the flagrant breach of Pakistan's sovereignty by the U.S. forces.
"The Americans say it was an operation, carried out by 25 U.S. Marines in two fighting helicopters, one of which was shot down but not even a single Marine was injured or dead. We and our rulers buy everything that Washington sells without raising any fundamental question. From which part of Pakistan did these helicopters fly, and where were the U.S. Marines stationed? Did they come from across the border? In any case, Pakistan's sovereignty was breached yet again, but it did not bother any of the government or military leaders.
"According to reports, while the American Special Forces opted to conduct the operations, the Pakistani soldiers were made to cordon off the area to ensure no one interrupted it. A leading Pakistani journalist claims that the operation was a shock for the Pakistan Army, which was not informed prior to it."
"It's a Charge-Sheet Against the Military Establishment; Why Should We Raise and Sustain the World's Seventh Largest Army…"
"Within weeks of the shame Pakistan earned over the Raymond Davis episode, this is yet another serious case of national humiliation that we have attracted at the hands of our civilian and military leadership. Why did the president and prime minister allow foreign troops to conduct a ground operation within Pakistan? Certainly, by doing this they have not violated the oath of their office.
"While the political leaders have been generally seen as a 'sold commodity,' what is now left for Pakistan's military establishment to say? Within 48 hours of Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani's statement that the dignity and honor of Pakistan and its people would not be compromised to achieve prosperity, the get-Osama operation was conducted by the U.S. Marines. The nation was in the process of gradually healing up the deep wound inflicted by Davis's release in a shameful manner that it received a yet another much deeper wound.
"It does not matter whether the operation was conducted with the cooperation of the Pakistan Army leadership or without its information, in both cases it's a charge-sheet against the military establishment. Why should we raise and sustain the world's seventh largest Army, costing more than 600 billion Pakistani Rupees per year, if it could not or does not counter such a foreign invasion?"
"If Osama was Considered a Terrorist by the Pakistani Government… Why was Not He Apprehended by Our Own Forces? He Should Have been Tried and Sentenced Here"
"If Osama was considered a terrorist by the Pakistani government just because of being convinced by Washington's propaganda, then why was not he apprehended by our own forces? He should have been tried and sentenced here if he was doing anything in violation of the law of the land.
"Osama was branded a terrorist by the U.S. after his alleged involvement in the 9/11 attack, which resulted in the killing of a few thousand innocent Americans. So, the principle is that those who kill innocents are terrorists. Therefore, if Osama was a terrorist for his alleged involvement in the 9/11 episode, then following the same principle why the U.S., which is responsible for killing more than a million innocent Muslims in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Pakistan, is not termed a terrorist state?
"If Osama, without a trial, could be condemned and killed, then why aren't the killer states involved in the assassination of innocent Muslims in Indian-Held Kashmir and Palestinians – India and Israel –declared terrorist states for killing innocents?
"The Pakistani leadership might have thought that it would pocket more dollars in exchange for the latest shame earned for the nation. But in reality Pakistan might soon find itself between the devil and the deep sea. Instead of getting dollars, the whole world has already started discussing Pakistan as the epicenter of terrorism. And what Al-Qaeda and the Taliban would do with Pakistan is anybody's guess."
"The Fact That… [Bin Laden] was Living So Close to the Capital City [Islamabad] Undetected for So Long will Give Cause for Many to Point a Finger at Pakistan"
Following are excerpts from Ayesha Siddiqa's article:[3]
"In the days to come, the death Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad at the hands of the U.S. military is likely to raise more questions about Pakistan's intention in fighting terrorism than as a major achievement of Pakistan-U.S. cooperation in the war on terror.
"Islamabad, as is obvious from the bland tone of the Foreign Office statement, cannot even openly claim any deep responsibility out of fear of repercussion from supporters of Al-Qaeda and militant jihadis within the country. The fact that he was living so close to the capital city [Islamabad] undetected for so long will give cause for many to point a finger at Pakistan and say 'didn't we always say that?'
"The pro-jihad, pro-GHQ [General Headquarters of the Pakistani Army] media will most likely spring into action and decry the story as yet another propaganda campaign…
"While analysts are likely to focus more on what will this mean for the future of U.S.-Pakistan relations, there is a need to look at the event as opening up possibilities for the country. It is certainly a good opportunity for policymakers, especially military commanders, to review the national and military strategies on fighting forces of terror…"
"Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Lashkar-e-Taiba… were Allowed to Spread Their Network…; These Organizations have Deep Links with Al-Qaeda"
"However, the most important consequence is that Islamabad would have to think about building its own capability to fight networks of terror that that sprung up and strengthened inside Pakistan – some of which are even Al-Qaeda franchises.
"Harkatul Jihad Al-Islami, Jaish-e-Muhammad, Sipah-e-Sahaba, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, and Lashkar-e-Taiba are some of the many organizations that were allowed to spread their network and physical infrastructure into the 'settled' areas of Pakistan such as Punjab and Sindh.
"These organizations have deep links with Al-Qaeda and have allegedly collaborated with Osama bin Laden's terror network against targets in Pakistan and South Asia at large. The larger Asian region is concerned about the linkages as recent stories have emerged regarding individuals coming from Indonesia and many countries in Europe to train in Pakistan.
"From a broader perspective, this may be an opportunity for the various elements of the Pakistani state to consolidate their thinking on how to fight the menace. It could develop the will to fight terrorism and keep people better informed about the militant elements which have penetrated the state and society at large."
"Most of the Militant Outfits Now have Developed Influential Ties within the Mainstream Political Parties as Well"
"Most of the militant outfits now have developed influential ties within the mainstream political parties as well. These militant forces might not conduct a vicious attack on the Pakistani state just yet. But they are likely to use the chaos to re-group and consolidate through manipulating the public discourse on terrorism run through the private and public media.
"What is most certain is that the right-wing media (which is actually the bulk of mainstream media) will begin turning the event around on its head to classify this as some sort of super conspiracy against Pakistan.
"The bottom-line is that the capture of Osama is a historical event which may not necessarily streamline Pakistan's own policy on fighting the war on terror. That is unfortunate because with reduced U.S. interest in Afghanistan, Islamabad would increasingly face the consequences of dealing with the local militant elements.
"These private warriors, viewed by some as 'strategic assets,' may now prove costly for the state's security because Islamabad will have to fight this battle alone."
