Pakistan appoints judge to investigate U.S. operation which killed Bin Laden

[News_Editor]

Pakistan appoints judge to investigate U.S. operation which killed Bin Laden

2011-06-21 07:58:35 GMT+7 (ICT)

ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (BNO NEWS) -- The Pakistani Supreme Court on Monday approved the designation of the head of the commission that will investigate the secret U.S. operation in Abbottabad in May in which al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden was killed.

According to Ary News television, Supreme Court Judge Jawed Iqbal was appointed as President of the special commission after being ratified by the Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP).

On May 2, the U.S. conducted a secret mission at a compound in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad after discovering that it was the hideout of Bin Laden, who is believed to have ordered the attacks of September 11, 2001.

The operation was considered a major blow to the terrorist organization al-Qaida and was welcomed by leaders around the world. However, the Pakistani government deplored the mission and labeled it as "unilateral."

Pakistan's Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani said at the time that the United States did not consult or warned Islamabad on the mission. The PM added that the U.S. operation used its technological advances to evade radar detection.

The commission will analyze the U.S. actions and possible violations to Pakistani law as well as the presence of Bin Laden in Abbottabad due to the fact that the terrorist leader managed to evade all local agencies, including the Inter Services Intelligence Agency (ISI).

The negative impact of the Abbottabad operation was the increased tensions in the already strained Pakistan-U.S. relations. The Pakistani government has also condemned the U.S. drone strikes in the tribal area near the Afghan border as many civilian casualties have been registered as a result.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-06-21

[Steely Dan]

Perhaps they should investigate the circumstances by which they receive billions of dollars of U.S aid too, and better still the U.S should carry out the same investigation.

[Wallaby]

So you think the money is a bribe to 'overlook' illegal activities by the US in their country.

Don't forget the US had OBL's compound under surveillance for a couple of months and still couldn't confirm he was there.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Wallaby

[Steely Dan]

So you think the money is a bribe to 'overlook' illegal activities by the US in their country.

Don't forget the US had OBL's compound under surveillance for a couple of months and still couldn't confirm he was there.

I think it requires a rare type of masochism to play moral equivalence with a society that routinely uses a blasphemy law. The bribe as you put it, and yes I would agree in as far as it is a bribe is in my opinion given in return for a modicum of cooperation in rooting out knuckle scraping theocrat terrorists, though sadly the U.S gets very poor value for money from their 'investment' and should leave the whole place to rot, the same applies to Afghanistan.

[Wallaby]

That is quite strange that you think Iran should not investigate what occured, and also not investigate how OBL was there without them 'knowing' just because the US gives them money.

The US can do whatever investigations it likes, no one has said they shouldn't. I just don't understand why anyone would think Iran should not.

The fact that they are investigating how OBL was there without them knowing is surely a 'modicum of cooperation'.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Wallaby

[Steely Dan]

That is quite strange that you think Iran should not investigate what occured, and also not investigate how OBL was there without them 'knowing' just because the US gives them money.

The US can do whatever investigations it likes, no one has said they shouldn't. I just don't understand why anyone would think Iran should not.

The fact that they are investigating how OBL was there without them knowing is surely a 'modicum of cooperation'.

I take it you mean Pakistan not Iran?! The news item clearly indicates Pakistani displeasure at the U.S contravening Pakistani law, when the past duplicity of the Pakistani authorities and agency capture of the ISI by extemist sympathisers make it odds on that Bin Laden would have escaped had the U.S consulted Pakistan.

I'm curious whether you consider Pakistani legal due process outweighs the desirability to rid the world of it's number one terrorist responsible for thousands of deaths?

[slapout]

The Pakistani government/military should be more concerned about their national security measures. The presence of OBL for who knows how long? The fact that the troop carriers flew into their airspace without detection. The hideaway was under observation for several weeks without their knowledge. And they are concerned that some civil Pakistan law may have been broken? Tell them a member of the (secret mission) was a relative of a 9/11 casualty and was only following local tribal law, which permitted, killing him.

If they were to lose the handouts from the US, they could ask/beg Saudi Arabia to up their contribution to cover it.A small fruitless exercise in my opinion. Take it to the UN or declare sanctions on the US if you feel slighted.

[Wallaby]

That is quite strange that you think Iran should not investigate what occured, and also not investigate how OBL was there without them 'knowing' just because the US gives them money.

The US can do whatever investigations it likes, no one has said they shouldn't. I just don't understand why anyone would think Iran should not.

The fact that they are investigating how OBL was there without them knowing is surely a 'modicum of cooperation'.

I take it you mean Pakistan not Iran?! The news item clearly indicates Pakistani displeasure at the U.S contravening Pakistani law, when the past duplicity of the Pakistani authorities and agency capture of the ISI by extemist sympathisers make it odds on that Bin Laden would have escaped had the U.S consulted Pakistan.

I'm curious whether you consider Pakistani legal due process outweighs the desirability to rid the world of it's number one terrorist responsible for thousands of deaths?

Yes sorry, I did mean Pakistan.

Aren't the answers to your questions something the judge is appointed to find out in his investigation? The investigation you don't want them to have. Surely any country that has foreign surveillance for weeks and then has foreign troops enter without their knowledge should indeed at least investigate. I'm sure the findings will be politically convenient but that is an entirely different matter.

I would think they should have an investigation even if it is only to question their own security in allowing foreign troops to enter. I think any country would be negligible not to do that.

Don't forget the US, after surveilling the place for weeks didn't know OBL was there. Would have been a major issue if he was out on his donkey that night.

Edited June 21, 2011 by Wallaby

[ra1n85]

So you think the money is a bribe to 'overlook' illegal activities by the US in their country.

Don't forget the US had OBL's compound under surveillance for a couple of months and still couldn't confirm he was there.

I think it requires a rare type of masochism to play moral equivalence with a society that routinely uses a blasphemy law. The bribe as you put it, and yes I would agree in as far as it is a bribe is in my opinion given in return for a modicum of cooperation in rooting out knuckle scraping theocrat terrorists, though sadly the U.S gets very poor value for money from their 'investment' and should leave the whole place to rot, the same applies to Afghanistan.

On point.

This is just for domestic consumption. Whatever they 'find' will be moot.

[Steely Dan]

So you think the money is a bribe to 'overlook' illegal activities by the US in their country.

Don't forget the US had OBL's compound under surveillance for a couple of months and still couldn't confirm he was there.

I think it requires a rare type of masochism to play moral equivalence with a society that routinely uses a blasphemy law. The bribe as you put it, and yes I would agree in as far as it is a bribe is in my opinion given in return for a modicum of cooperation in rooting out knuckle scraping theocrat terrorists, though sadly the U.S gets very poor value for money from their 'investment' and should leave the whole place to rot, the same applies to Afghanistan.

On point.

This is just for domestic consumption. Whatever they 'find' will be moot.

Exactly. But the fact domestic oppinion is up in arms over the killing of the number 1 most wanted terrorist should cause the U.S to ask why on earth it's wasting money on Pakistan.

[Pakboong]

It is hard to tell what the actual motive of the US Aid to Pakistan. Since 2002 the US has only given 5.1 billion in aid and the majority of that money was actually paid to US contractors to do the work in Pakistan. So the total amount can be very misleading.

A $7 billion plan was approved by the Obama administration but has stalled in that less than 200 million has actually been spent. Corruption is the charge due to the decision to contract Pakistani companies to do the work and not US companies. It appears on the surface that it is hard to make this change. Most aid work is contracted via USAid which is a federal agency operating out of Washington. Oversight is supposed to be provided by the State Department.

It appears that the bulk of the corruption is of the very sophisticated US variety.

Edited June 22, 2011 by Pakboong