News - Osama Bin Laden - killed In Pakistan

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 02 May 2011 10:54

Every single foreign correspondent,aid workers to foreign diplomats are trailed by ISI goons. How clueless are the western jounos not to see the Paki perfidy that is in such plain sight today ? In a ISI ruled state like Pak, is it even remotely possible that the world's most wanted man could hide within 35 kms of Islamabad without a total Paki military protection? Man!

negi · Post by **negi** » 02 May 2011 10:55

Ok ok I am all for buying one more C-17 now only if Obama could send that CIA team to Karachi to take out Dawood, obviously I would have loved to see a Brahmos do the job but sigh.....

abhishek_sharma · Post by **abhishek_sharma** » 02 May 2011 10:55

The death of Osama bin Laden: How the U.S. got him

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_theenvoy/ ... -s-got-him

President Barack Obama gave the final sign-off on Friday for the forty-minute operation that killed Al Qaeda mastermind Osama bin Laden in Sunday's shootout. The action took place in a compound in Abbottabad, a wealthy suburb of the Pakistani capital Islamabad, U.S. officials said.

But while the turnaround for the operation may have seemed rapid, the raid on the compound was actually the result of an intensive, multi-year, bipartisan, cross-agency effort, senior U.S. officials stressed in a phone call with journalists Sunday night. And while they called it the most important victory yet in the world's fight against Al Qaeda, they also said that bin Laden's death will not bring about an immediate end to the heightened terrorism risk the United States has faced since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

"Without a doubt, the U.S. will continue to face terrorist threats. We have always understood this is a marathon not a sprint," a senior U.S. official told journalists shortly after Obama addressed the nation with the news of bin Laden's death. Still, the official noted that bin Laden's death "is the single biggest victory" in the war against terrorism to date, "and a major step in bringing about Al Qaeda's eventual destruction." (You can watch President Obama's description of the operation in the video clip above, courtesy of the AP.)

In their initial reconstruction of the dramatic raid, the officials briefing the press explained that the United States got intelligence four years ago about the identity of a particular Al Qaeda courier who enjoyed bin Laden's trust and confidence. After months of painstaking effort by the CIA, National Security Agency, and other national security outfits, they were eventually able to track this courier, as well as his brother, and further determined from their extraordinary security precautions, that the two brothers shared their residence with a third family of extremely high importance to Al Qaeda.

U.S. officials said they were stunned to discover the extreme security measures in play at the compound. It was surrounded by walls between 12 and 18 feet high, topped with barbed wire; there were also interior security walls. What's more, the officials on Sunday's call explained, and the families living on the compound burned their trash, while all the other households in the area put their trash out for collection on the curb.

And for a property estimated at about a million dollars, it had no telephone or Internet connection, U.S. officials also noted. "We were shocked by what we saw: an extraordinarily unique compound, that sits on a large plot of land, relatively secluded, and which is eight times larger than other homes in area," the official said. The "extraordinary" state of security at the location helped confirm the suspicions of U.S. officials that it contained a high-value al Qaeda target.

President Obama chaired five meetings of the NSC on the extremely classified intelligence in recent weeks, U.S. officials said, culminating in the Friday meeting where he gave the final orders to conduct the operation that killed bin Laden.
U.S. forces were on the compound for forty minutes today and encountered no local authorities.

In addition to bin Laden, four other people were killed in the operation, U.S. officials said, including a man they believe to be one of bin Laden's sons, two bin Laden aides. Also officials said that the action claimed the life of a woman living on the compound whom one of Obama's aides used as a human shield. Two other bin Laden aides were wounded, the officials said.
One of the two U.S. helicopters involved in the operation apparently was disabled in the operation. U.S. forces blew the copter up before boarding the other helicopter to leave the site, the officials said.

Obama had singled out Pakistani officials for praise as he touted the effort to hunt down bin Laden. But some critics are already pointing out the incongruity of bin Laden, who had long been thought to be sequestered in far more remote parts of the country, turning up in an affluent suburb of Pakistan's capital--one that is filled with Pakistani military officials, no less.

"Abbottabad has a large military cantonment area and the Army college and exam center are located there," a former U.S. official who has worked in Pakistan told the Envoy. "It is very much off the usual track for foreigners …and I simply do not believe Bin Ladin could hide there unaided by or unknown to the Pakistanis."

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 02 May 2011 10:56

Another thing.
The actual house where OBL was killed is probably not yet visible on Google earth.
The current image is from 2005.
OBL's house was built over the last 5 years, so it would not be visible on google earth yet.

Bilal colony is on the southern border of PMA Kakul and there is plenty of empty land there with numerous farm houses visible.

I hope google earth updates that image so that we can trace the compound. It should be easy to see, possibly big compound with high walls.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 02 May 2011 10:57

Looking at the way US intel community pursued OBL for 10 years and with all the back stabbing by ISI managed to get their man , amazing persistence and caliber shown by US intel community , these guys deserve the respect of their citizen.

Compare that to our effort in finding our most famous criminal and terrorist Dawood Ibrahim living in well know plush area of Karachi and till date almost 2 decade later we couldnt trace him or carry any special ops against him.

Sadler · Post by **Sadler** » 02 May 2011 10:58

suryag wrote:Why is bin laden smiling ?

Gas (of the anal kind)?

Klaus · Post by **Klaus** » 02 May 2011 10:59

AnantD wrote:
Klaus wrote:There should be an exit wound at the back which will confirm the range and the person (whose rifle) actually administered coup de grace!
Looks like he was taken out at close range with a 5.56 round to the temple, above left eye. No exit wound, bullet resides in skull.

They eyeballs got burnt in the flash grenade blast.

The lips are definitely OBL. No more videos from him.

Helo was Paki last ditch attempt to extricate him, got shot down, most likely. TSPA busy trying to destroy evidence after the fact.

AnantD, so its a pistol shot at 30-35 feet? Point being that pistol shot at point blank range would mostly have exit wound. So section of TSPA was involved, loyalties bought by USA to destroy any physical evidence after job was done.

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 02 May 2011 10:59

What about Al Jawahiri ? Is he left alive to be taken out before the next US election ?

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 02 May 2011 11:00

Guys, the image is not yet confirmed as true. No use speculating about the shot yet.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 02 May 2011 11:00

shiv Aroor is claiming that this operation has been in the planning for 1 year now after they confirmed that OBL was indeed living there

Narad · Post by **Narad** » 02 May 2011 11:01

Kuffrs, OBL has safely reached djannat and currently enjoying his time with 7,200000 homosexual gorillas.

Anantha · Post by **Anantha** » 02 May 2011 11:02

SSridhar wrote:shiv Aroor is claiming that this operation has been in the planning for 1 year now after they confirmed that OBL was indeed living there

Obama himself has said US has been following him since Aug last year

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 May 2011 11:02

The top search in Yahoo, USA is currently "Abbotabad, Pakistan"

pgbhat · Post by **pgbhat** » 02 May 2011 11:02

SSridhar wrote:shiv Aroor is claiming that this operation has been in the planning for 1 year now after they confirmed that OBL was indeed living there

Actually Obama himself, in the press release, said that they were tracking Osama since August Last year.

Prasad · Post by **Prasad** » 02 May 2011 11:04

Singha wrote:only at PMO and AHQ level. just quietly let a C5 galaxy land in some suitable airbase as evening falls. unload the two helis over next few hrs, attach rotors and launch the ops, recover back to same base, pack up the MH60s and clear indian airspace by dawn. after that its just another USAF logistical flight flitting around the world..one of dozens daily. 100km roundtrip vs 600km - probability of things screwing up and far far more in these nighttime missions longer it drags along.

300km one way from jalalabad is a long hike and back again. maybe the MH60 pave hawk with the outrigger catamaran style tanks could do it...

Paki ECM is all american ECM..they know how to swat it aside...and they fire up radars (military ones capable of low level detection) only in times of stress not just 24x7. india does the same thing, just SOP.

The pave-hawk has a range of 370 miles on internal fuel. Refuelled on the way in and out, it could've made it from kabul to abbotabad and back without having to do it from india. I'm sure this entire op could've been run out of bagram without any issues.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 02 May 2011 11:05

Fox was saying 4 helis with 40 troops used from Afghanistan.

AnantD · Post by **AnantD** » 02 May 2011 11:05

abhishek_sharma wrote:The death of Osama bin Laden: How the U.S. got him

In addition to bin Laden, four other people were killed in the operation, U.S. officials said, including a man they believe to be one of bin Laden's sons, two bin Laden aides. Also officials said that the action claimed the life of a woman living on the compound whom one of Obama's aides used as a human shield. Two other bin Laden aides were wounded, the officials said.
One of the two U.S. helicopters involved in the operation apparently was disabled in the operation. U.S. forces blew the copter up before boarding the other helicopter to leave the site, the officials said.

Obama had singled out Pakistani officials for praise as he touted the effort to hunt down bin Laden. But some critics are already pointing out the incongruity of bin Laden, who had long been thought to be sequestered in far more remote parts of the country, turning up in an affluent suburb of Pakistan's capital--one that is filled with Pakistani military officials, no less.

BHO destroyed all his credibility when he had the oppurtunity because of "praise the Pakis" BS. Everyone with above 80 IQ is now going to seriously stop believing his non-sense.

Regarding the operation, I doubt one helo could carry the entire 40 man seal force plus OBL's body. Thats another coverup for the TSPA chopper that got shot down.

AdityaM · Post by **AdityaM** » 02 May 2011 11:05

But why now?
Is this really good news? As long as he was alive, US had a reason to exist in Afghanistan.

Now is this just the start of the pull out? Thats not good for india, is it?

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 02 May 2011 11:05

From BBC News
US dollar and shares climb on news of Bin Laden's death

The US dollar has rebounded, and stock markets have gained in Asia after US President Barack Obama said Osama Bin Laden was dead.

Oil prices slid more than 1%; the prices of gold and silver also dropped.

Analysts said Bin Laden's death may lower security risks, and would help lift consumer sentiment in the US

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 02 May 2011 11:05

It must have been very lonely and scary for OBL, no? Just a son, a wife and 2 couriers with him during the last moments. And a few other women in that compound. The West Asian dictators at least have elite squads and army protecting them. Sometimes I think these dictators use such loose mad men to get their job down; because publicly they can never go against maasa or the West. They have to use the proxies.

Rahul M · Post by **Rahul M** » 02 May 2011 11:06

abhishek_sharma wrote:Osama killed near Paki Military Academy. Let us see what Hamid Gul and Mirza Beg say about it.

idiot no 1 is being interviewed by cnnIBN.

can't the morons find a real expert and not a terrorist scum to air his views ?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 02 May 2011 11:07

Alright jumping the gun again.

But this might be a picture of the house.

GEO news is showing a house on fire which has pillars similar to this house.
This house is in Bilal town in Abbottabad in the general area where that house is supposed to be.
Someone in Flicker has posted this image as a house that was under construction close to his own house there.

If someone can get a screen grab of the house ablaze as shown on GEO News.

CRamS · Post by **CRamS** » 02 May 2011 11:07

SwamyG wrote:CRamS: I disagree, please read my other post on the morality boost that America will get in the next few days.

What is a morality boost may I ask. Look, we all know this Al Queda is just a loose collection of Arab terrorists in war with US for its policies in the mid east. As an organuization, it was weak and in positon to mount any serious attack on US. And OBL was not really in command to motivate them. So other than a few thrills for a few days, tell me whats the strategic value of this hit?

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 02 May 2011 11:08

Indian reaction...
India hails bin Laden death, more needed to fight terrorism

India said the killing of Osama Bin Laden was a "victorious milestone" in the war against terrorism but urged the world to continue battling militancy, a statement from the foreign ministry said on Monday.

"The world must not let down its united effort to overcome terrorism and eliminate the safe havens and sanctuaries that have been provided to terrorists in our own neighborhood. The struggle must continue unabated," the ministry said.

sohamn · Post by **sohamn** » 02 May 2011 11:08

Shot in head.

Helicopter lost due to malfunction and not firefight.

Anantha · Post by **Anantha** » 02 May 2011 11:09

AdityaM wrote:But why now?
Is this really good news? As long as he was alive, US had a reason to exist in Afghanistan.

Now is this just the start of the pull out? Thats not good for india, is it?

US is never going to leaving Afghanistan or Pakistan. Major troops will be moved out. The bases will remain forever with US activity. US will never give up Afghanistan to Pak/China ever.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 May 2011 11:09

It was lonely and scary for people jumping off the Twin Towers back @9/11.
--
Anyway, NYT reports:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/02/world ... ed.html?hp

In apparent preparation for the American operation, many officials posted at the United States Consulate in Peshawar, the capital of Pakistan's northwest region, were told suddenly to leave on Friday, leaving behind only a core group of essential staff members.

The officials said they had been told to leave because of kidnapping fears. They said they were not told of the impending operation in nearby Abbotabad against Bin Laden.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 02 May 2011 11:09

What a great location Gagan ji if true ? No helicopter can get close to the roof if there are so many High Tension wires close by

Ambar · Post by **Ambar** » 02 May 2011 11:10

SwamyG wrote:It must have been very lonely and scary for OBL, no? Just a son, a wife and 2 couriers with him during the last moments. And a few other women in that compound. The West Asian dictators at least have elite squads and army protecting them. Sometimes I think these dictators use such loose mad men to get their job down; because publicly they can never go against maasa or the West. They have to use the proxies.

I'm sure he probably had some close guards manning such a huge compound. Besides, a huge security presence would immediately raise red flags among neighbors and that would be a dead give away. Probably ISI had advised him to keep a low profile.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 May 2011 11:10

MajorlyProfound tweeted it well though:
"In other neuj, NATO tankers seen shivering with fear."

AnantD · Post by **AnantD** » 02 May 2011 11:11

AnantD, so its a pistol shot at 30-35 feet? Point being that pistol shot at point blank range would mostly have exit wound. So section of TSPA was involved, loyalties bought by USA to destroy any physical evidence after job was done.

Looks like a much closer range shot. Probably inside a room where he was cornered. Maybe some brains got spilled in the back that they cleaned up. Definitely small caliber pistol.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 02 May 2011 11:11

Ram: Wait and See.

Karna_A · Post by **Karna_A** » 02 May 2011 11:12

America will always do the right thing, but only after exhausting all other options." -Winston Churchill

ArmenT · Post by **ArmenT** » 02 May 2011 11:12

Gagan: I have my doubts about the pic. For one, there is no compound wall in the pic and only a sorry looking foot path to the place with no major road in sight. Other houses seem fairly close to it as well. Also, building under a power line?? One small hurricane and the occupants could all be electrocuted. It also looks like a pretty shoddy mansion, by the look of things.

A_Gupta · Post by **A_Gupta** » 02 May 2011 11:12

Comment on the Washington Post site:

jameschirico wrote:
You won't here this on the news because of the many sleeper cells there, but thank you India for providing a staging area for this operation.
Today 5/2/2011 1:14:45 AM EST

Singha · Post by **Singha** » 02 May 2011 11:14

how can apache helis and transport helis take off from Chaklala "without informing the pakistan" military, esp if 40 strong SEAL team embarks. that would generate a instant alert upto the GHQ pindi duty officer and a phone call to Kayani himself. ... without further ado, any 'high value' targets in the area would head for cover.

the "took off from india" theory to me atleast sounds more believeable than took off from chaklala. chaklala is a VIP base used by the jarnails , a mouse farts there they will know.

arun · Post by **arun** » 02 May 2011 11:14

X Posted from the Pakistani Role in Global Terrorism thread.

Complete text of US President Obama’s statement on the execution of Osama Bin Laden who was tracked down to his place of refuge which unsurprisingly was in the country that is worlds leading sponsor of Islamic Terrorism, namely the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and executed by the US.

From the speech it appears the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was kept completely in the dark and the Pakistani’s were informed only after the fact and given no option but to “agree that this is a good and historic day”. Further the Islamic Republic of Pakistan was not even trusted by the US to take custody of Osama Bin Laden’s cadaver :

The White House
Office of the Press Secretary
For Immediate Release
May 02, 2011
Remarks by the President on Osama Bin Laden
East Room
11:35 P.M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Good evening. Tonight, I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

It was nearly 10 years ago that a bright September day was darkened by the worst attack on the American people in our history. The images of 9/11 are seared into our national memory -- hijacked planes cutting through a cloudless September sky; the Twin Towers collapsing to the ground; black smoke billowing up from the Pentagon; the wreckage of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where the actions of heroic citizens saved even more heartbreak and destruction.

And yet we know that the worst images are those that were unseen to the world. The empty seat at the dinner table. Children who were forced to grow up without their mother or their father. Parents who would never know the feeling of their child’s embrace. Nearly 3,000 citizens taken from us, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts.

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

We were also united in our resolve to protect our nation and to bring those who committed this vicious attack to justice. We quickly learned that the 9/11 attacks were carried out by al Qaeda -- an organization headed by Osama bin Laden, which had openly declared war on the United States and was committed to killing innocents in our country and around the globe. And so we went to war against al Qaeda to protect our citizens, our friends, and our allies.

Over the last 10 years, thanks to the tireless and heroic work of our military and our counterterrorism professionals, we’ve made great strides in that effort. We’ve disrupted terrorist attacks and strengthened our homeland defense. In Afghanistan, we removed the Taliban government, which had given bin Laden and al Qaeda safe haven and support. And around the globe, we worked with our friends and allies to capture or kill scores of al Qaeda terrorists, including several who were a part of the 9/11 plot.

Yet Osama bin Laden avoided capture and escaped across the Afghan border into Pakistan. Meanwhile, al Qaeda continued to operate from along that border and operate through its affiliates across the world.

And so shortly after taking office, I directed Leon Panetta, the director of the CIA, to make the killing or capture of bin Laden the top priority of our war against al Qaeda, even as we continued our broader efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat his network.

Then, last August, after years of painstaking work by our intelligence community, I was briefed on a possible lead to bin Laden. It was far from certain, and it took many months to run this thread to ground. I met repeatedly with my national security team as we developed more information about the possibility that we had located bin Laden hiding within a compound deep inside of Pakistan. And finally, last week, I determined that we had enough intelligence to take action, and authorized an operation to get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice.

Today, at my direction, the United States launched a targeted operation against that compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan. A small team of Americans carried out the operation with extraordinary courage and capability. No Americans were harmed. They took care to avoid civilian casualties. After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body.

For over two decades, bin Laden has been al Qaeda’s leader and symbol, and has continued to plot attacks against our country and our friends and allies. The death of bin Laden marks the most significant achievement to date in our nation’s effort to defeat al Qaeda.

Yet his death does not mark the end of our effort. There’s no doubt that al Qaeda will continue to pursue attacks against us. We must –- and we will -- remain vigilant at home and abroad.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not –- and never will be -– at war with Islam. I’ve made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam. Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.

Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The American people did not choose this fight. It came to our shores, and started with the senseless slaughter of our citizens. After nearly 10 years of service, struggle, and sacrifice, we know well the costs of war. These efforts weigh on me every time I, as Commander-in-Chief, have to sign a letter to a family that has lost a loved one, or look into the eyes of a service member who’s been gravely wounded.

So Americans understand the costs of war. Yet as a country, we will never tolerate our security being threatened, nor stand idly by when our people have been killed. We will be relentless in defense of our citizens and our friends and allies. We will be true to the values that make us who we are. And on nights like this one, we can say to those families who have lost loved ones to al Qaeda’s terror: Justice has been done.

Tonight, we give thanks to the countless intelligence and counterterrorism professionals who’ve worked tirelessly to achieve this outcome. The American people do not see their work, nor know their names. But tonight, they feel the satisfaction of their work and the result of their pursuit of justice.

We give thanks for the men who carried out this operation, for they exemplify the professionalism, patriotism, and unparalleled courage of those who serve our country. And they are part of a generation that has borne the heaviest share of the burden since that September day.

Finally, let me say to the families who lost loved ones on 9/11 that we have never forgotten your loss, nor wavered in our commitment to see that we do whatever it takes to prevent another attack on our shores.

And tonight, let us think back to the sense of unity that prevailed on 9/11. I know that it has, at times, frayed. Yet today’s achievement is a testament to the greatness of our country and the determination of the American people.

The cause of securing our country is not complete. But tonight, we are once again reminded that America can do whatever we set our mind to. That is the story of our history, whether it’s the pursuit of prosperity for our people, or the struggle for equality for all our citizens; our commitment to stand up for our values abroad, and our sacrifices to make the world a safer place.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

END 11:44 P.M. EDT

White House Press Release

Anant · Post by **Anant** » 02 May 2011 11:16

AnantD,

Gagan himself has posted on the doubts of the veracity of that photo. There is no confirmation that is an accurate portrayal of U(O)BL post mortem. Why do you keep commenting on what might be a fake photo?

Gagan · Post by **Gagan** » 02 May 2011 11:16

ArmenT
I know I may probably be jumping the gun here.
GEO news is actually showing pictures of a house on fire - possibly due to the firefight last night.
That house appears to be a two storied structure with long pillars on the outside SIMILAR to the house on this picture.

This photo shows this house under construction, its compound seems to be incomplete as yet. Some guy who lives in the neighbourhood appears to have posted this image amongst a group of images labelling this image as "a house under construction in my neighbourhood"

Guys Everyone, That Image of Osama Bin Laden with a bullet in the head is an Old Photoshopped image.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 02 May 2011 11:17

MSNBC saying it is astounding that his was few kms away from a major Paki military area/compound.