ISI keeping Osama’s whereabouts a secret: Expert
The Pakistani intelligence agency ISI knows the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden but is keeping his location a secret and wants to use the Al Qaeda chief as leverage over the US as it is wary of America’s closer ties with India, noted military historian Stephen Tanner has said.
“We got to make a deal with Pakistan because I’m convinced that he (bin Laden) is protected by the ISI,” said Tanner, the author of ‘Afghanistan: A Military History from Alexander the Great to the War against the Taliban.’
Tanner says the ISI knows where bin Laden is hiding, but is not ready to say.
The American writer along with other experts were interviewed by CNN for a blog post on the channel’s website called ‘Whatever happened to bin Laden’.
Noting that it was unlikely for bin Laden to be captured anytime soon, Tanner suggested that the ISI wants to keep him as leverage over the US because it is wary of Washington’s closer ties with New Delhi. Without the fear of a bin Laden loose in Pakistan, the intelligence agency fears that the US would lose interest in the country.
“I just think it’s impossible after all this time to not know where he is. The ISI knows what’s going on in its own country,” Tanner said. “We’re talking about a 6-foot-4-inch Arab with a coterie of bodyguards.”
Another expert, Thomas Mockatis, who is the author of ‘Osama bin Laden: A Biography’ was also quoted on the CNN blog suggesting that killing bin Laden would probably not be the best idea. “Killing bin Laden would not be a good thing,” Mockatis says. “He’s already a hero. Killing bin Laden would just create one more martyr.”
Mockatis recommends that dismantling the terror infrastructure is more important than catching bin Laden. There have been alleged sightings of bin Laden in Pakistan, and he is believed to be in North Waziristan, constantly slipping back and forth from the Af-Pak border.
An associate professor of international security studies at Tufts University’s Fletcher School in Massachusetts, William Martel, even suggests that it would be better if bin Laden would not be captured as the debate on how the Al Qaeda chief should be treated after his capture would create a firestorm.
“Do we read him his rights; do we run him through a military tribunal or civilian courts?” Martel says. “Capturing him would pose more problems than not.
By: PeeDee - 10th May 2010 at 20:19
In the words of Ian Brown….
He’s in Texas, going round in a Lexus.
By: nirav - 10th May 2010 at 17:45
well they should know … considering the fact that from the start of the “war” they have managed to kill some 17,742 terrorists in their own territory ! 😮 ( Source: http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=26342 )
and the Americans want them to do more … means god knows how many more …. !
And it really wont be surprising to find out in later years that OBL was in this area all along, hence well protected !!
Resultswise, they have 17,000 + Terrorists taken care of to satisfy the Americans for the time being. Else it would have been raining Tomahawks instead of Hell fires from Predators …. !
By: Moggy C - 10th May 2010 at 17:15
“people who know where ……….. al Qaeda is”
What?
All of them?
Moggy
By: Red Hunter - 10th May 2010 at 16:34
Does she believe it or are the remarks publicly made to provoke the Pakistani government? It’s all about diplomacy and politics.
By: nirav - 10th May 2010 at 15:41
And now Hillary Clinton also believes that there ARE some in Pakistan who know Osamas whereabouts !
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/05/07/60minutes/main6468740.shtml
Clinton was in Pakistan, ironically, at the same time the alleged Times Square bomber was being trained there. On her trip last October, away from the cameras, she said something remarkable about the Pakistani government, something she repeated to us.
“I’m not saying that they’re at the highest levels but I believe that somewhere in this government are people who know where Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda is, where Mullah Omar and the leadership of the Afghan Taliban is and we expect more cooperation to help us bring to justice, capture or kill, those who attacked us on 9/11,” Clinton said.
“But we’re not getting that cooperation,” Pelley remarked.
“Well, we are,” Clinton replied.
“The question is why is this administration not pressuring Pakistan to give up Osama bin Laden [or] his deputy Ayman al Zawahiri…,” Pelley asked.
“I have to stand up for the efforts the Pakistani government is taking. They have done a very significant move toward going after the terrorists within their own country,” Clinton replied.
By: Red Hunter - 10th March 2010 at 14:39
I think Nirav is spot on. The only differernce between us being that I don’t believe anyone knows where Bin Laden is or if he is indeed still alive.
By: nirav - 10th March 2010 at 14:13
Nirav wins the Non Sequiter award for Spring 2010.
If I untangle what was said, the US provides Pakistan with air to air missiles because it doesn’t hand over a terrorist leader to them?
:rolleyes:
Moggy
Err …. It means that IF Pakistan Hand over Osama to US, the GWOT would be over and US would get out of Afghanistan ASAP..
It is in Pakistans interest to keep him alive, and keep getting American “aid” ( Military and financial ) to help them fight the “War on Terror” …
It is in this context i said the bit about AMRAAMs …
Well, they even signed up for delivery of Oliver hazard Perry frigates … Must be for the Sea borne Taliban …
By: Moggy C - 10th March 2010 at 14:06
Nirav wins the Non Sequiter award for Spring 2010.
If I untangle what was said, the US provides Pakistan with air to air missiles because it doesn’t hand over a terrorist leader to them?
:rolleyes:
Moggy
By: nirav - 10th March 2010 at 11:56
If Pakistan were to handover Osama to the Americans, how would they go about arming their forces ?
How would they get the much needed AMRAAMs to fight the War On Terror ? 😀
Wonder how the Taliban/Terrorist Airforce fares against the “AMRAAMs” !! 🙂
By: Red Hunter - 9th March 2010 at 14:31
This is all huffing and puffing. I doubt that anyone knows where Bin Laden is or even if he is alive. Any posturing is for political reasons and should be seen in that context. And, of course, intelligence agencies have been vying with each other at the same time as cooperating with each other since the 16th century.
By: quadbike - 6th March 2010 at 04:34
Wow! What clever chaps those cunning ISI lot are. Keeping his location secret. Glad the CIA dont read Yahoo News, otherwise its curtains for the Pakistanis.
What a load of old Bull…
:rolleyes: So the ISI tells CIA everything ? How is it that the CIA warned Indians about ISI involvement in Afghan Indian Embassy attacks.
The ISI is like a mad dog, it is not under the control of Pakistani government and its sad Americans indirectly support an organization which is responsible for the death of many of its sons and daughters.
By: TEEJ - 5th March 2010 at 23:53
That was highlighted in the programme with interviews with some members of US Special Forces. The US and UK teams were hampered by the actions of the Northern Alliance forces. The Northern Alliance were unwilling to follow the orders of the Special Forces teams in the later stages of the Tora Bora operation. That frustration and break down of relations led to a tense stand-off between the Northern Alliance and Coalition Special Forces. Without the assistance of the Afghans the plan of pursuit couldn’t be put into force and Bin Laden was able to slip over the border.
TJ
By: kevinwm - 5th March 2010 at 21:35
The big question is ,Do the CIA really want to capture Bin laden? while he is out and about the CIA and the Americans have justifaction for any of their actions anywhere in the world.
I watched a programme not so long ago and the general consensis was that the Americans didnt what him according to a US special forces person the Americans had him back in 2000 in the bor bora caves , but did nothing to stop his escape so it make you wonder what they are up to
By: J Boyle - 5th March 2010 at 20:57
If someone in ISI knew, they would have sold the information to the CIA years ago for millions and would be living in Miami…
By: Rimmer - 5th March 2010 at 15:04
Wow! What clever chaps those cunning ISI lot are. Keeping his location secret. Glad the CIA dont read Yahoo News, otherwise its curtains for the Pakistanis.
What a load of old Bull…
By: Moggy C - 5th March 2010 at 11:11
“I just think it’s impossible after all this time to not know where he is. The ISI knows what’s going on in its own country”
That sounds more like a pundit being asked something for a TV show and guessing so as to collect his appearance fee.
Moggy
By: Red Hunter - 5th March 2010 at 10:19
I wonder if Tanner actually knows more than anyone else or is he just adding to the ongoing speculation which helps to feed the disinformation about Al Qaeda?
Sign In
March 5, 2010 at 2:11 am