Inside Track
Reported Killing of Osama bin Laden Exposes Pakistan, Raises Issues
The reported killing of Osama bin Laden on May 1 by U.S. Navy Seals in Pakistan has brought to the fore many long-festering issues concerning our war in Afghanistan and the region.
Some of the questions that have stirred the most immediate and fiery reaction in American political circles concern the extent to which Pakistan’s government, military, and intelligence officials aided, abetted, and protected bin Laden and his al-Qaeda/Taliban associates. Could bin Laden have taken up residence in the large, custom-built, high-security, walled compound in Abbottabad — virtually next door to Pakistan’s major military academy — without Pakistan’s knowledge and permission? “Almost impossible,” said Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich.). “Impossible,” declared Fox News’ Greta Van Susteren. “Inconceivable,” stated former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger. “Highly unlikely,” said former Pakistani High Commissioner to Britain Dr. Akbar Ahmed. “Not credible,” opined former Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage. Sen. Mark Udall (D-Colo.) says, “Either the Pakistani government is incompetent or in cahoots.” On this issue there appears to be a rare consensus among Republicans and Democrats, liberals and conservatives, internationalists and constitutionalists, foreign and domestic pundits, and analysts.
Pakistan, which has received billions of dollars in military and civilian aid from the United States and been billed as our key ally in the “war on terror,” is playing a double game. This has been widely recognized for years but the bin Laden compound in Abbottabad makes the duplicity undeniable.
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