Who Sheltered Osama Bin Laden

8/6/2019 Who Sheltered Osama Bin Laden

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Pakistan t ipped Osama when US troops w erenear: W ikiLeaks

Posted: Wed May 04 2011, 00:45 hrs New York, Islamabad :

US President Barack Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and members of the nationalsecurity team, being updated on the Osama mission in the Situation Room at White House on Sunday, in an image releasedto AP. A paper in front of Clinton has been digitally obscured. AP

US diplomats were told that one of the key reasons why they had failed tofind Osama bin Laden for years was that Pakistans security services tippedhim off whenever US troops approached, according to claims made inleaked US government documents obtained by WikiLeaks.

Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also allegedly smuggled al-

Qaeda terrorists through airport security to help them avoid capture andsent a unit into Afghanistan to fight alongside the Taliban, the WikiLeakscables obtained by Britains Daily Telegraph show.

The claims, the daily said, will add to questions over Pakistans capacity tofight the dreaded terror outfit al-Qaeda. In December 2009, thegovernment of Tajikistan warned the US that efforts to catch Osama were being thwarted by corrupt Pakistani spies. According to a US diplomaticdispatch, General Abdullo Sadulloevich Nazarov, a senior Tajik counter-terrorism official, told the Americans that many inside Pakistan knew

where Osama was.The document stated, In Pakistan, Osama bin Laden wasnt an invisibleman, and many knew his whereabouts in North Waziristan, but wheneversecurity forces attempted a raid on his hideouts, the enemy received warning of their approach from sources in the security forces. Last year,British Prime Minister David Cameron caused a diplomatic furore when he


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told Pakistan that it could not look both ways on terrorism. The Pakistanigovernment issued a strongly-worded rebuttal.

The successful night raid on Osama in the garrison town of Abbottabad, 120km from Islamabad, late Sunday was carried out without the knowledge of

the Pakistan government. In addition, intelligence obtained from prisonersat Guantanamo Bay likely made US officials reluctant to share information with their Pakistani counterparts.

Intelligence gathered from detainees at Guantanamo Bay may also havemade the Americans wary of sharing their operational plans with thePakistani government, the paper said. One detainee, Saber Lal Melma, an Afghan whom the US described as a probable facilitator for al-Qaeda,allegedly worked with the ISI to help members flee Afghanistan after theUS bombing began in October 2001.

His US military Guantanamo Bay detainee file, obtained by WikiLeaks andseen by The Daily Telegraph, claims he allegedly passed the al-Qaeda Arabsto Pakistani security forces who then smuggled them across the border intoPakistan. He was also overheard bragging about a time when the ISI sent amilitary unit into Afghanistan, posing as civilians to fight along side theTaliban against US forces, according to the file. He also allegedly detailedISIs protection of al-Qaeda members at Pakistan airports. The ISImembers diverted al-Qaeda members through unofficial channels to avoiddetection from officials in search of terrorists, the file claims.

Pak needs to do m ore ab out LeT, Hafiz Saeed:Roemer

Posted: Wed May 04 2011, 12:40 hrs New D elhi:

American Ambassador to India, Timothy J Roemer, said that the Congress was re-thinking about aid to Pakistan. (ExpressPhoto)


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Terming as a "matter of concern" the fact that Osama bin Laden was found outsideIslamabad, the US on Wednesday said it would like to go to the bottom of this issue andalso ensure that the aid given to Pakistan is used to target Lashker-e-Taiba along withal-Qaeda.

Timothy J Roemer, US Ambassador to India, said the American Congress would betaking a "very hard look" and ask "tough" questions as to how terror mastermind and al-Qaeda leader bin Laden was living in Abottabad, north of Islamabad. "We are certainly going to see the Capitol Hill (US Congress) take a very hard look at the assistance that we give and we invest in security for Pakistan," Roemer told reporters in New Delhi.

Noting that the Congress was going to engage in two very fundamentally important task in the weeks ahead, he said the US lawmakers will look into the selling of military equipment to Pakistan and the presence of bin Laden in Abottabad.

"One will be as we share or sell certain military equipment to Pakistan. Is that beingused in the proper way to take on counter terrorism efforts. We have seen over the past18 months, Pakistan has stepped up those efforts to target al- Qaeda leadership anddegrade that leadership. That is a positive outcome," he said.

However, he said, "Are they doing enough on LeT? Are doing enough on Mumbai trials? Are they doing enough on Hafiz Saeed and (Zaki-ur-Rehman) Lakhvi? No, they need todo more."

He said the other question that will be raised by the US Congress will be with respect to bin Laden being discovered outside of Islamabad. "We remember Khalid SheikhMohammad was discovered inside Rawalpindi back in 2003. This is a concern. Congress will ask tough questions and we want to get to the bottom of it. How do we moreeffectively use that aid to make sure that Pakistan is helping us not only degrade alQeada but go after groups like LeT," he said.

No apology for violating Pakistan air space:USMay 4, 2011, Washington

The United States will not apologise to Pakistan for its unilateral military actionagainst al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden at his hideout in that country, the WhiteHouse has said.


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"We make no apologies about that," White House Press Secretary Jay Carney saidwhen asked whether the US should have gone unilaterally inside Pakistan to get binLaden.

"He was enemy number one for this country and killed many many innocent civilians.

And no apologies," Carney said.

Pakistan yesterday termed the US commando operation in Abbottabad that killedLaden an "unauthorised, unilateral action" without its knowledge.

Besides, the White House said America has never been at war with Islam.

"This has never been a war against Islam. President (George W) Bush said that;President (Barack) Obama has said that.

Musharraf jogged in area where Osamawas foundIANS, London, May 4, 2011

Former Pakistan president Pervez Musharraf has said that when he was training inthe military, he would frequently run through the area where Osama bin Laden washiding, a media report said.

The Al Qaeda leader was killed Monday by US commandos in Pakistan's Abbottabadcity.

Musharraf said that during the training period at the Pakistan Military Academy, heused to go running where Osama was killed by US commandos in the daring raid,reported The Telegraph.

The house where Osama was found was constructed in 2005 and was located barelya few hundred yards from the Pakistan Military Academy.

"It surprises me it was next to the Pakistan military academy," The Telegraph quotedMusharraf as saying.

"The location is next to the place where I used to run nine miles, en route, maybepassing in front of the house. That is surprising."


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The media report said that Musharraf's statement means that military cadets regularlyrun past Osama's home.

Musharraf said he had no knowledge of Osama's whereabouts when he ruledPakistan from 1999 to 2008.

"One can call it a failing or a shortcoming of intelligence, but then it's a shortcoming ofboth intelligences - Pakistan and the United States."

Pakistan would have jeopardised Osama raid: CIA chief Washington, May 4, (IANS):

Pakistan was not included in the mission to kill Osama bin Laden as US officials feared it could have undermined the operation by leaking word to its targets,according to CIA chief Leon Panetta.

Months before the launch of the mission on Friday, the US had considered expandingthe assault to include coordination with other countries, notably Pakistan, he told Timemagazine.

But the CIA ruled out participating with Pakistan early on because "it was decided thatany effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardise the mission. They might alert thetargets," Panetta said.

The US also considered running a high-altitude bombing raid from B-2 bombers orlaunching a "direct shot" with cruise missiles but ruled out those options because of thepossibility of "too much collateral," Panetta said.

The direct-shot option was still on the table as late as last Thursday as the CIA and thenthe White House grappled with how much risk to take on the mission. Waiting for moreintelligence also remained a possibility.

On Tuesday, Panetta assembled a group of 15 aides to assess the credibility of theintelligence the suspected bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

"What if you go down and you're in a firefight and the Pakistanis show up and startfiring?" Panetta said some worried. "How do you fight your way out?" But Panettaconcluded that the evidence was strong enough to risk the raid and told PresidentBarack Obama so.

Obama decided that Panetta's arguments trumped two other options: striking thecompound remotely or waiting until more evidence was available to prove bin Ladenwas there.

The aftermath of the mission has been productive, as the US collected an "impressive


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amount" of material from bin Laden's compound, including computers and otherelectronics, Panetta said.

Panetta has set up a task force to act on the fresh intelligence. Intelligence reportingsuggests that one of bin Laden's wives who survived the attack has said the family had

been living at the compound since 2005, Time magazine citing a source.

US promises 'hard look' at Pakistan aid, wants action on26/11New Delhi, May 4, (IANS):

Underlining that Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan, US envoy Timothy J.Roemer on Wednesday said Washington will take a ''hard look'' at the assistance being given to the country and pressed Islamabad to do more to bring the terrorists who attacked Mumbai to book.

"We are certainly going to see Capitol Hill take a very hard look at the assistance thatwe give, and we invest in security for Pakistan and quite frankly for India. India has avested interest in a more prosperous Pakistan," Roemer told reporters here on thesideline of an event.

Saying Pakistan needs to do more against terrorists, Roemer said it has to be seenwhether Islamabad is using the funds given by the US in a "proper way".

"Congress is going to engage in I think two very fundamentally important tasks in theweeks ahead. One will be as we share or sell certain military equipment to Pakistan, isthat being used in the proper way to take on counter terrorism efforts.

"We have seen over the past 18 months Pakistan has stepped up those efforts to targetAl Qaeda leadership and degrade the leadership. Are they doing enough on Lashkar-e-Taiba? Are they doing enough on Mumbai trials? Are they doing enough on HafizSaeed and (Zakiur Rehman) Lakhvi? No, they need to do more," he said.

He said Pakistan needs to show results on the Mumbai trials, saying senior US officialsvisiting Islamabad have been pressing for it.

"Senior level visitors from the US going to Islamabad have made very clear thatPakistan needs to do more. They need to show progress and results on the Mumbaitrials. That Mumbai attack on 26/11 killed scores of Indians, six Americans, and the USwants to see progress and results and justice."

Roemer also said Osama's discovery in Pakistan would also be taken up. The fugutivewas killed by US forces in a mansion in Pakistan's Abbottabad town Sunday night.

"The second part of this will be in respect to bin Laden being discovered outside of


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Islamabad. We remember Khalid Sheikh Mohammad was discovered inside Rawalpindiback in 2003, this is a concern.

"Congress will ask tough questions and go to the bottom. How do we more effectivelyuse that aid, I am sure Pakistan is helping us not only degrade Al Qaeda, but go after

groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba," he said.

US says bin Laden unarmed when killed; more pressure

on Pakistan

Reuters

A Pakistan army soldier stands on top of the house where it is believed al-Qaida leaderOsama bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, Pakistan on Monday, May 2, 2011. Bin Laden,the mastermind behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks that killed thousands ofpeople, was slain in his hideout in Pakistan early Monday in a firefight with US forces,ending a manhunt that spanned a frustrating decade. AP Photo

ABBOTTABAD/WASHINGTON: Osama bin Laden was unarmed when he was shotdead by US special forces, the White House said, as Pakistan faced further

pressure on Wednesday to explain how the worlds most-wanted man was able toshelter so long in a town near its capital.

Washington vowed to get to the bottom of whether Pakistan helped bin Laden elude a10-year manhunt before he was killed in a US raid on his fortified compound in the townof Abbottabad.

Islamabad denied it gave shelter to the al Qaeda leader.


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The CIA said it did not tell Pakistan in advance about the raid because it feared binLaden would be tipped off, highlighting the depth of mistrust between the two supposedallies.

US officials were also wrestling with whether to release graphic photographs of bin

Ladens body which could provide proof of his death but also risks offending Muslims.Its fair to say that its a gruesome photograph, said White House spokesman JayCarney.

Pakistan has welcomed bin Ladens death, but its foreign ministry expressed deepconcerns about what it called an unauthorized unilateral action. US helicopterscarrying the commandos used radar blind spots in the hilly terrain along the Afghanborder to enter Pakistani airspace undetected.

Carney insisted bin Laden resisted during the raid although he would not say how

when US forces stormed his compound north of Islamabad and engaged in a firefightthere.

There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the capture operation and, indeed, heresisted, Carney said. A woman, bin Ladens wife, rushed the US assaulter and wasshot in the leg but not killed. Bin Laden was then shot and killed. He was not armed.

While many world leaders applauded the US operation that killed bin Laden, there wereconcerns in parts of Europe that the United States was wrong to act as policeman,

judge and executioner.

US Attorney General Eric Holder defended the action as lawful on Tuesday, but some inEurope said bin Laden should have been captured and put on trial.

It was quite clearly a violation of international law, former West German ChancellorHelmut Schmidt told German TV.

The operation could also have incalculable consequences in the Arab world in light ofall the unrest.

Pakistan under Scrutiny

Pakistan has come under intense international scrutiny since bin Ladens death, withquestions on whether its security agencies were too incompetent to catch him or knewall along where he was hiding, and even whether they were complicit.

The compound where bin Laden has been hiding, possibly for as long as five or sixyears, was close to Pakistans military academy in Abbottabad, about 40 miles (65 km)from Islamabad.


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It would be premature to rule out the possibility that there were some individuals insideof Pakistan, including within the official Pakistani establishment, who might have beenaware of this, White House counterterrorism chief John Brennan told National PublicRadio.

Were not accusing anybody at this point, but we want to make sure we get to thebottom of this.

British Prime Minister David Cameron told BBC radio that Islamabad must answerquestions about what he called bin Ladens support network in Pakistan.

CIA Director Leon Panetta, in an unusually blunt interview with Time magazine,explained why Islamabad was not informed of the raid until all the helicopters carryingthe US Navy SEALs and bin Ladens body were out of Pakistani airspace.

It was decided that any effort to work with the Pakistanis could jeopardize the mission:

They might alert the targets, Panetta said.Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari, in the first substantive public comment by anyPakistani leader, defended his government, which receives billions of dollars in aid fromthe United States.

Some in the US press have suggested that Pakistan lacked vitality in its pursuit ofterrorism, or worse yet that we were disingenuous and actually protected the terroristswe claimed to be pursuing, Zardari wrote in the Washington Post. Such baselessspeculation doesnt reflect fact.

Later Pakistans foreign ministry said its Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) spy agency hadbeen sharing information about the compound with the CIA and other friendlyintelligence agencies since 2009 and had continued to do so until mid-April.

It is important to highlight that taking advantage of much superior and technologicalassets, CIA exploited the intelligence leads given by us to identify and reach Osama binLaden, the ministry said in a lengthy statement.

Rating Boost

Obama has enjoyed a popularity boost from the killing of the architect of the Sept. 11

attacks on New York and Washington.About four in 10 Americans say their opinion of Obama improved after he ordered theraid. But the bump in his ratings could be short-lived as voters focus again on domesticconcerns crucial to his 2012 re-election prospects.


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Can we have our ballback, Mr Bin Laden (The Sun)

Wreckage ... Navy Seals' crashed copter yesterday

myViewBy FRANK LUNTZUS political consultant

IN 1945 Winston Churchill won a great war for the British people, who expressed theirgratitude by voting him out of office.

In 1991 George Bush Senior crushed Saddam Hussein. He was also voted out of office.

Bin Laden's death prompted spontaneous celebrations across America.

But I, as an experienced pollster, wonder if the mood will last 18 weeks - let alone the 18months there are before the 2012 US Presidential election.


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Barack Obama is the favourite to win, but not because of the death of Bin Laden. He isfavourite because there is a relatively weak Republican field.

Petrol prices are on the rise. So are grocery prices and the price of just about every otheraspect of American life. The economic facts of life will have more impact on election day

than the killing of the world's foremost terrorist.

Daniel Alvi, 16, dodged security to retrieve it BOTH times.

He said yesterday in the hill town of Abbottabad, which is 65 miles from Pakistan's capital: "Iwent over the wall on two occasions after I hit the ball over there.

"Luckily for me there was no one around. I think there was a $25million reward for BinLaden - but I never imagined he was in there."

Ice cream vendor Tanvir Ahmed confirmed: "If a ball went into Bin Laden's compound the

children would not be allowed to get it.

2 wives, 3 kids ... Bin Laden

"They were given money instead. They were paid 100 to 150 rupees (2.50) per ball."

The sprawling million-dollar hideaway is a far cry from the dank caves that Bin Laden'sacolytes were led to believe he was skulking in. Yesterday it bore the scars of Sunday'ssensational raid.

Walls and floors were blood-spattered. Among the debris a clock on the floor was stuck at2.20am - when the elite US Navy Seals struck.

The remains of a Black Hawk helicopter blown up by the squad after it crashed into thecompound with a fault was a twisted tangle of scorched metal. Bits were carried off bytrophy-hunters.


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The scavenger ... youngster picks up debris from the firefight

Barcroft

The crack troops escaped in three other choppers. They were in and out within 40 minutes - taking Bin Laden's corpse with them.

Duped al-Qaeda fanatics had long justified the hardships they were expected to endure withthe thought their leader was surviving in stone-age conditions in the unforgiving mountainsof Afghanistan.

In reality the secret three-storey residence was built for him across the border seven yearsago - and he had spent at least half a decade relaxing there.

White House counter-terrorism chief John Brennan confirmed: "He was in this compoundfor the past five or six years."


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The mechanic ... fixed Osama Bin Laden car 10 days ago

Barcroft

Bin Laden never ventured out and kept away from windows while living the life of a cult leader surrounded by nine women - at least two of them his wives - and 23 kids.

Two other families lived alongside his own. The children - none of whom were injured in theUS raid - were aged between three and eight, according to local tailor Siraj Ahmad, whowas often asked to make clothes for them.

Zarar Ahmed, 12, told how he would visit the vast 38,000 sq ft compound to play with Bin Laden's kids. He said: "He had two wives. One spoke Arabic and the other Urdu. They had three children, a girl and two boys. They gave me two rabbits.

"They had installed a camera at the outer gate so they could see people before theyentered the house."


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The gifts ... Osama Bin Laden kids gave Zarar two rabbits

BBC

The milkman only delivered to outside the security gate - and never rang the bell. Anyonedaring to lean on the wall was warned to move on.

A woman medic once turned up to try to give the kids polio vaccines but was turned away -after commenting on the expensive SUVs she saw parked behind the walls that weretopped with razor wire.

Farmer Mashood Khan, 45, said local gossip was that the occupants were "smugglers or drug dealers".

He added: "People would complain that even with such a big house they didn't invite thepoor or distribute charity."


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The shopkeeper ... Raja Shuja sold crisps and Coke to henchmen

Barcroft

Shopkeepers told how the youngsters would be sent to fetch provisions with two of theterror chief's henchmen - both of whom are believed to have been killed. One was namedlocally as Arshad Khan - who local cops claimed was the registered owner of the property.

Records indicated the name was an alias.Shopkeeper Raja Shuja said of the two men: "They were always in a hurry and neverstopped for chit chat. Their car was always shining, not necessarily brand new but kept veryclean.

"They used to always come for snacks and buy litre bottles of Coke, crisps and ice lollies when it was warm. They always paid with fresh hundred rupee notes.

"I remember they once said they had to go and pay some bills - so they must have been incharge of jobs like that. One was about 33 and the other maybe 36."

Mechanic Wajid Mushtaq, 29, who serviced their red Suzuki car, told how both were gruff-voiced and heavy smokers. He said: "I'm sure they were cousins. The last time I saw themwas about ten days ago over a dent in the car.

"Sometimes there would be four or five children in the back seat. They were always politekids."

The compound boasted an arsenal of weapons and ammo, including rocket launchers.Alongside were toys such as bikes, a smashed red pedal car and a dolls house.


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Bin Laden's youngest wife, 27-year-old Amad Ahmed al-Sadah, was at first thought to havebeen killed as he tried to flee using her as a human shield. Yesterday it emerged shesuffered only a leg wound.

The cops ... security officers at front gate

Big

Pakistani officials said of those who had been living in the compound: "They are all in safehands and being looked after in accordance with the law.

"Some need medical care and are under treatment in the best possible facilities. As perpolicy, they will be handed over to their countries of origin."

[email protected]

'Joke' as Seals got ready for killer raidA NAVY Seal jokingly told a pal just hours before the raid on Osama Bin Laden: "It's a goodday to be in the sandbox."

The email gave no explanation - and no hint that America was closing in on the world'smost wanted man.


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But last night the nine simple words gave a glimpse into the elite unit's relaxed mood aheadof the top-secret mission.

The message about the "sandbox", US forces slang for desert war zone, was sent to a NewYork cop. He had met several members of the Seal team in 2005 when he gave them a

guided tour of Ground Zero.Last year he met them again when the team invited him and his five-year-old son to abarbecue. The cop told how the lad was "on cloud nine" after his afternoon spent with"some real heroes".

The Seals flew out to Pakistan last month and were given the go-ahead at 1.20pm Britishtime on Friday - just as William and Kate kissed on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

Brits say America was rightA MAJORITY of Brits back America's decision to kill Osama Bin Laden, a poll for The Sunreveals.

A total of 54 per cent said US Special Forces were right to gun down the warlord.

But 37 per cent in the YouGov poll said he should have been captured and put on trial.

Nearly one in three people said his death made the West "less safe".

Only 12 per cent thought the world safer, while half said it made "no difference".

Seven out of ten Brits approved of President Obama's performance - with only 15 per centobjecting.

And in a separate US poll, more than three-quarters of Americans thought the Presidentdeserved credit for the killing.

Data find will trap fanatics


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Man of words and weapons ... Bin Laden with library and AK47 at cave in Afghanistan's Tora Bora mountains in

1996Osama Bin Laden was unarmedTERRORST not armed when he was killed just like those he murdered in 9/11 and 7/7 attacks

By VIRGINIA WHEELER, Defence Editor and NICK PARKER

A TREASURE trove of computers, hard drives and discs snatched by US NavySeals from Osama Bin Laden's HQ could nail THOUSANDS of other terrorists.

US officials last night called it "the mother lode of intelligence".

The data could prove even more significant in crippling al-Qaeda than Sunday's executionof their warlord.

The existence of the huge haul was revealed as Pakistani intelligence bosses admitted theyDID know where Bin Laden was hiding.

Special Forces troops grabbed five computers, ten hard drives and more than 100 computermemory devices, including DVDs and memory sticks, during the raid on Bin Laden'scompound lair in Abbottabad.

Hundreds of agents were last night examining the material in Afghanistan.

A US intelligence official said spy bosses were "very excited". He added: "The Sealscleaned it out. Can you imagine what's on Osama Bin Laden's hard drive?"


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John Brennan, White House senior adviser on counter-terrorism, confirmed: "We were ableto acquire material.

"We're interested in insights into any terrorist plot that might be under way and leads toother individuals in the organisation and their capabilities."

It emerged that Bin Laden was cornered on the third floor of his base. Two of his couriersand a woman hit by cross-fire died with him.

Compound ... Seals' haul and location of residents

Two top-ranking Pakistani intelligence officers told The Sun yesterday that they knew forseveral weeks that Bin Laden was at Abbottabad.

The men, who did not want their identities revealed, claimed they hoped to capture the al-Qaeda boss but the US beat them to it.

One, a commander in the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), said: "Bin Laden'spresence in Abbottabad was discussed at the highest level. We were 100 per cent sure. Wewanted to act before the US got their hands on him. Top bosses wanted us to wait."

An intelligence bureau director added: "We were getting close to that house weeks back.We had finalised he was in there. All the relevant authorities were told. We were waiting fora decision when the US acted."


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Former ISI chief Lieutenant General Hamid Gul said he thought corrupt agency bosseswere preparing to SELL the information to the US - or capture Bin Laden and grab the$25million bounty on his head.

Gul, 74, said: "The ISI and the government must have known everything."

Tense ... Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton watch raid unfold on live feed

President Asif Ali Zardari denied Pakistan "lacked vitality" in its fight against terrorism. AndISI officials said they handed information on the compound to the US.

But PM David Cameron warned that all the facts suggested Bin Laden had an "extensivesupport network" in Pakistan.

He said "searching questions" needed to be asked.

But he vowed that the UK would stand by "democratic Pakistan" and insisted a controversial

650million aid package he pledged last month would survive. Tory MP Philip Davies calledthe aid deal "an outrage".

A document released by WikiLeaks last week showed that Libyan terrorist Faraj al-Libi toldUS interrogators in 2008 that Bin Laden had a base in Abbottabad.

[email protected]


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Who sheltered Osama bin Laden?Kayani among suspects

NEW DELHI: The US is turning the heat on Pakistan's ISI as it tries to establish theidentity of those who sheltered Osama bin Laden in the garrison town of Abbottabad.And, going by reports in the US media and assessments made by Indian experts, theneedle of suspicion is pointing at not just ISI boss Shuja Pasha but also two of hispredecessors, one of whom is none other than Pakistan army chief Gen Ashfaq PervezKayani.

Kayani was the ISI chief when Osama is said to have shifted to the Abbottabad mansionin 2005. Pasha is now said to be under pressure to quit as the ISI failed to detectOsama's presence for almost three years under him. Kayani's successor in the ISI,Nadeem Taj who took over in October 2007, is the third and an equally strong suspect.

Known as the most rabid anti-US and anti-India boss the agency has had in the recentpast, Taj was eased out of ISI after a 10-month tenure in 2008 allegedly under pressurefrom the US.

"In any enquiry regarding collusion between the ISI and Osama bin Laden since 2005,which enabled OBL to live in Abbottabad, the main suspicion has to be on Nadeem Tajfollowed by Pasha and Kayani," security expert B Raman said. It was during Taj'stenure as ISI chief that the agency used David Coleman Headley and TahawwurHussain Rana for reconnaissance missions in India and during which the July 2008bombing of the Indian embassy in Kabul took place. It is significant that Taj was headingthe Pakistan Military Academy in Abbottabad before taking over as ISI chief.

The US has sought information about those senior officials who worked closely withmilitants in the past and Taj's name is likely to figure right at the top. As former foreignsecretary Kanwal Sibal put it, though, it is inconceivable that Osama continued to liveright under the nose of the military establishment without the knowledge of Kayani whoheaded ISI in 2005.

"Kayani would have known and so would have Pasha. One can't dispense with reasonand logic simply because there is no documentary evidence to prove it," Sibal told TOI.He added that he did not see anything relevant coming out of the US exercise to identifythose who helped Osama hide in Abbottabad because the Pakistanis were not going togive any "self-incriminating" information to the US.

The New York Times earlier reported about the growing suspicion in the US securityestablishment that at least somebody in ISI was aware of Osama's whereabouts. It saidthe US was frustrated as even in the past, Pakistani military and intelligence had failedto identify those ISI officials who had worked closely with Osama since the war againstthe Soviets in Afghanistan. "There are degrees of knowing, and it wouldn't surprise me ifwe find out that someone close to Pasha knew," it quoted a US official as saying.


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Former CIA officer Art Keller was also quoted as saying that, at best, it was a case ofwillful blindness on the part of the ISI. "Willful blindness is a survival mechanism inPakistan," Keller said, adding that Osama wouldn't have ventured into Abbottabad if hedid not have any assurance of protection.

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Who Sheltered Osama Bin Laden