Posted on 01/28/2006 5:00:16 PM PST by Dog
Prevarication by the Pakistani government cost America the chance to kill Osama bin Laden in an airstrike near the Afghan border two years ago, the Sunday Telegraph has been told.
A CIA lead that the al-Qaeda leader was hiding in a remote province was squandered because the Pakistani government delayed giving permission for the attack on its soil, according to a senior Western diplomat.
By the time US officials got the go-ahead, bin Laden had left the suspected hideout in Zhob, in the Baluchistan province of south-west Pakistan.
The near-miss was cited by the diplomat as the reason why America chose not to consult Islamabad before the US missile strike in Pakistan's Bajaur region two weeks ago. The January 13 attack, prompted by a tip that bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, was hiding in a local village, killed 13 civilians.
Speaking of the Zhob attack, the diplomat, who asked not to be named, said: "For unknown reasons, Pakistani officials delayed in giving permission...which ultimately gave these militants time to move to an unknown location."
According to his account, which was backed by sources within Pakistani intelligence, the CIA picked up electronic traffic suggesting that bin Laden and his bodyguards had sought temporary shelter in Zhob, which is dominated by Pathan and Baloch tribesmen sympathetic to al-Qaeda and the Taliban.
Fearing that a commando raid would cause massive casualties to both sides, with no guarantee of success, the US decided to launch a strike by laser-guided missiles, fired from Predator drones.
The reason for the delay is not clear. While Pakistan's President, Pervez Musharraf, has vowed to eliminate terrorists operating within his country, elements within Pakistan's ISI intelligence service may have sought to protect bin Laden.
If he was in Zhob at the time it would have been the first known occasion that he had been firmly in America's sights since his escape from Tora Bora in Afghanistan, where he slipped through a cordon of US troops in 2001.
Gen Musharraf last week described the strike against al-Zawahiri as a "violation of sovereignty", although he said other al-Qaeda figures had died in the raid.
Al-Zawahiri is thought to have cancelled his visit, possibly after spotting CIA drones in the area.
Prevarication? Maybe they meant "Procrastination".
Either way, we are ahead of the game as long as UBL is either alive, or thought to be. Pay no attention to the moonbats' cry of "We should have gone after bin Laden"; that is a red herring from desperate Bush-haters
We should allow the jihadis and the rest of the world continue to believe the tall sheik is alive well beyond his inevitable demise.
Information like this is leaked for a reason, usually. Doesn't mean it's not 100% bogus, but in a time of war, the strategy behind it makes for interesting speculation.
I'm sure we know more than we're telling. I certainly hope that's the case.
But I have a huge file of stories like this that get filed under Rumors That Can't Possibly Be Confirmed Without Further Evidence.
I think the airstrike in Pakistan a couple of weeks ago came with the full knowledge of some Pakistani authorities in advance. Maybe it was a select segment of the ISI that we now trust. It certainly was without the knowledge of the Pakistani Foreign Ministry.
Musharraf himself might not have known, but he was strangely quiet for several days afterward.
A lot is going on that we know nothing about. Some of the stuff that leaks out is true and much of it isn't.
It's nearly impossible for any of us to determine what is truth or not. Stories with anonymous sources for explosive allegations are the most difficult. Nobody can do a follow up, only the original reporter.
Anonymous sources reported that the Taliban had nukes in Afghanistan. It was impossible to refute that, but it's quite clear it wasn't true.
I guess we'll take all the information we can get, and then it's our job to weigh it, keep it in mind, and keep looking.
A lot of stuff gets filed in the MAYBE category.
Experience indicates that if Ayman was still sucking air, there would be an immediate denial.
If only Jack Bauer had been available then! He would have gone into Pakistan personally, wiped out SBL and brought back his head as evidence. Alas, Jack is too busy here chasing endless terrorists and sundry traitors in the CTU/LA and in President Palmer's office. Jack's one busy guy. Best way to keep track of him is via the DVDs--no commercials, just non-stop action. He better find a way to remove the two most irritating females in the cast, however. His daughter and the President's former wife.
Massoud Ansari is an Al Qaeda propagandist. Google some of his previous stories.
Please elucidate upon how exactly you know this to be untrue.
didn't I hear Dems recently clamoring about Bush screwing up by letting bin Laden get away from Tora Bora? Those nutjobs who went on OReilly this past week were saying something like that...
It's impossible to prove a negative, as I'm sure you're well aware.
So the media accounts saying that the Taliban or al-Qaida had nukes in Afghanistan are not capable of being disproved.
The fact that they weren't used is pretty good evidence. The fact that no evidence was discovered that they ever had them is another.
So, your turn. Is any statement you hear presumptively true unless you can absolutely disprove it?
Your brain is made of cheese. Please elucidate how exactly you know this to be untrue.
You got me on that one. It is a Swiss/Cheddar/Muenster mix that I will NEVER disclose.
ROFL!
For later read
No terrorists, relations to terrorists or hiders of terrorists? Just civilians? hmmm.
My wife's co-worker son is in Pakistan visiting his father that is her ex-husband. The son said everyone knows he is hiding there and the people and the government are protecting him. It is common knowledge.
This article will not cause any rift on our side as we are aware of the true situation but it may well help Mushareff with his crazies, er citizens.
You know, we don't need to know the reason. Fact is, there was one. There were delays in getting resources pooled to be able to avoid 9/11, there were delays in getting troops to Afghanistan afterwards, there were numerous "near misses" in trying to nab numerous Al Qaeda figures. Delays and missed opportunities are ALWAYS part of the game.
Which is precisely why the President has opted to use Executive authority to remove one step in the process involving terrorist phone surveillance. The purpose is to reduce such delays and give us a better chance at victory. Hence, the recent strike in Pakistan as another example.
Something tells me that this President understands the problems and is bent on getting solutions.
A motto that has, for the most part, served me well.
The next time the left wing asks why Osama isn't dead, we can reply that it's because of lack of cooperation from Pakistan.
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