Posted on 09/11/2006 5:29:58 AM PDT by voletti
WASHINGTON: A special US unit now has the authority to go after Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan without having to seek permission first, according to two US officials.
A comprehensive report on the hunt for bin Laden run by the Washington Post on Sunday says that Lieutenant General Stanley A McChrystal, the commander of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC) operates on the understanding with Pakistan that US units will not enter Pakistan, except under extreme circumstances, and that Pakistan will deny giving them permission.
This is what happened in January 2006, when the JSOC troops clandestinely entered the village of Saidgai, two officials familiar with the operation said, and Pakistan protested.
“The authority,” one knowledgeable person said, “follows the target”: if the target is bin Laden, the stakes are high enough for McChrystal to decide any action on his own.
The JSOC has been given more resources from the National Security Agency and other intelligence agencies. President Bush recently directed the team to “flood the zone” or intensify the search for bin Laden. The resources of the special group in terms of personnel and materials were also increased. However, no one is certain where the “zone” is.
Gary Berntsen, the former CIA officer who led the first and last hunt for bin Laden at Tora Bora in December 2001, told the Post, “This could all end tomorrow.” One unsolicited walk-in, one tribesman seeking to collect the $25 million reward, one courier who would rather his kids grow up in the US, one dealmaker, “and this could all change,” he said.
A senior Pakistani intelligence official told the newspaper, “For technical intelligence ISI works hand in hand with the NSA (National Security Agency). The US assistance in building Pakistan’s capabilities for technical intelligence since 9/11 is superb.”
Since early 2002, the US is said to have stationed a small number of NSA and CIA personnel near where bin Laden may be hiding. They are embedded with counter terrorism units of the Pakistan army’s elite Special Services Group, according to senior Pakistani intelligence officials. The NSA and other specialists collect imagery and electronic intercepts that their CIA counterparts then share with the Pakistani units in the tribal areas and with Balochistan. But even with sophisticated technology, the local geography presents formidable obstacles.
The army lost its best source of intelligence in 2004, after it began raids inside the tribal areas. Scouts with blood ties to the tribes ceased sharing information for fear of retaliation. The report says: “Pakistani and US counter terrorism and military officials admit that Pakistan has now all but stopped looking for bin Laden. ‘The dirty little secret is, they have nothing, no operations, without the Pakis,’ one former counter terrorism officer said”.
Last week’s truce with the Taliban that calls on the insurgent Afghan group to end armed attacks inside Pakistan and to stop crossing into Afghanistan to fight the government and international troops has created unease in Washington.
According to the Post, “Pakistan will permit only small numbers of US forces to operate with its troops at times and, because their role is so sensitive politically, it officially denies any US presence. A frequent complaint from US troops is that they have too little to do. The same complaint is also heard from US forces in Afghanistan, where there were few targets to go after.” McChrystal has become the de facto leader of the hunt for bin Laden and developed a good working relationship with the CIA. He asks for targets from the CIA, and it tries to comply.
I'm not sure OBL individually is that active or valuable anymore, but being able to get into Pakistan, unrestricted, and flush out the apparatus that is obviously still operating there is a major plus.
I agree that Pakistan is not our friend, but that doesn't mean the time is right to make them an open enemy.
At this point its probably best to put what pressure we can on Musharraf, and continue to create a better environment for round two of this war. Northern Pakistan is worse than probably any other place on earth as an Islamic nutjob haven, but taking that region isn't exactly the best thing right now.
In the long run, I'd like to see these folks go back to being backwards, mountain hermits that won't marry a girl outside of the family. I think taking the Arab element out of the mix might just do that.
If not, and feet on the ground become absolutely required. I'd prefer they be Indian feet. If we pull all support from Pakistan and give India anti-missile capability and other support, Pakistan would be in a very, very bad way.
I personally believe that this is the most likely scenario.
The Indian military is more than capable even today of crushing Pakistan, US support or not.
There is simply no comparison between the two.
India already has, btw a nascent anti-missile capability, with an S-400 network protecting New Delhi and certain other strategic areas.
IMO, the pakistani military is perpetuating trouble in Afghanistan with two purposes:
1) Theyre afraid of an increase in Indian influence in afghanistan.
2) Trouble in afghanistan keeps them in business with America, as a "frontline ally". More arms, more money, and legitimisation of military rule. The moment trouble in Afghanistan stops, people will start wondering about the jihad factories in Pak, and questions will be asked.
Exactly. 5 years for Paki's permission.
And we know that elements of Paki military will continue to protect usama and muddy intel of his movements despite any words of "permission" given. In fact, I hate to say it, but perhaps our forces will be set up sometime soon.
This sounds like permission limited to hot pursuit of a trail that is all dried up with informants totally clammed up. Looks like it CAN'T lead to much.
I don't see this as a negative development. I hope I'm proved right. As mentioned earlier, the ability to possibly nab terrorists even excluding OBL, who've been hiding in those mountains provides an intriguing opportunity.
If this report is true, it's another way to hunt 'em down and keep 'em on the run.
Agreed, overall it is not a negative development. Yet it provides jihadi supporters in the Paki ISI the opportunity to deliberately muck things up -- which they have been known to do -- and it can become more treacherous for our forces and even the Paki forces hunting bin laden because of that.
I just fear for our mercenaries being set up purposely.
"So, again, why did it take 5 freakin' yrs to dfo this?"
Probably because of the repercussions to Musharrif should something happen.
This is why the RATS are a joke. They talk about how we should take our armies and hunt Bin Laden. If Binny baby was sitting in an open cafe in karachi with a sign over his head saying, "Binny" with an arrow pointed down, the RATS would have to stop at the Afghan border.
We will either get him if he is still alive. If he is alive, this morning he either made a beeline to Tehran or to a cave somewhere.
FYI Ping
Bet they're going after those poor freedom fighters like Gingis Khan.
Hmmm....we get bin Laden on Halloween, MOONBATS go crazy.
Well Im glad the lawyers worked that one out. 6 years is gubment fasttrack I guess.
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