Pakistan will not free doctor who helped U.S. find bin Laden

[webfact]

Pakistan will not free doctor who helped U.S. find bin Laden

By Mehreen Zahra-Malik

REUTERS

 

Newspaper headlines and clippings are posted on a wall inside a staff office at the White House in Washington May 2, 2011, the morning after U.S. President Barack Obama announced the death of Osama bin Laden. REUTERS/Jason Reed/Files

 

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - A jailed Pakistani doctor believed to have helped the CIA hunt down al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden will be neither released nor handed to the United States, Pakistan's law minister has told legislators, media reported on Wednesday.

 

Dr. Shakil Afridi, hailed as a hero by U.S. officials, was arrested after U.S. forces killed bin Laden in May 2011 in a secret raid in a northern Pakistani town that plunged relations between the uneasy strategic partners to a new low.

 

Pakistan has accused the doctor of running a fake vaccination campaign in which he collected DNA samples to help the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) confirm bin Laden's identity.

 

Afridi was arrested soon after the bin Laden raid and charged with having ties to militant Islamists, which he denied.

 

"The law is taking its course and Afridi is having full opportunity of a fair trial," the Daily Times newspaper quoted Law Minister Zahid Hamid as telling the upper house, in response to a lawmaker's query about reports of a possible release.

 

"Afridi worked against the law and our national interest, and the Pakistan government has repeatedly been telling the United States that under our law he committed a crime and was facing the law."

 

In 2012, Afridi was sentenced to 33 years in prison after being convicted of being a member of militant group Lashkar-e-Islam.

 

That conviction was overturned in 2013, but Afridi was then charged with murder, relating to the death of a patient eight years earlier. He remains in jail awaiting trial.

 

Many Pakistanis were infuriated by the U.S. raid to grab bin Laden in the military garrison town of Abbottabad, just a two-hour drive from Islamabad, the capital.

 

Pakistani officials describe bin Laden's long presence in Abbottabad as a security lapse and reject any suggestion that members of the military or intelligence services were complicit in hiding him.

 

Last May, Pakistan's foreign ministry angrily criticised U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for saying he could get Pakistan to free Afridi "within two minutes".

 

Pakistan joined the U.S. war on militancy after the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States.

 

But U.S. officials often describe Islamabad as an unreliable partner that has sheltered the Afghan Taliban leadership and demand tougher action against militant groups based along its border with Afghanistan.

 

(Writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-01-18

[harrry]

This act probably cost the world more lives than BinLladen  ever did by bringing health services into disrepute and making countries reject health services by NGOs

[Hayduke]

Here's a guy who apparently helped the US big time...yet the BO White House obviously didn't attach much importance to pulling his a** out of the fire. So much for taking care of your friends. But...springing the Manning person was a priority item. So much for taking care of your enemies.

[geriatrickid]

18 hours ago, harrry said:

This act probably cost the world more lives than BinLladen  ever did by bringing health services into disrepute and making countries reject health services by NGOs

 

You have accepted the Pakistani statment at face value. Why? Considering the fact that the  Pakistanis protected Bin Laden and provided a safe place for him, why would any rational person  be so quick to accpet their version?   If Pakistanis die because of their own primitive beliefs and ignorance, then good for them. Why the west even bothers to pay for these health programs while Pakistan diverts money to pay for nuclear weapons and weapons for the Taliban is just cause to cut ff all foreign aid anyway.

 

1 minute ago, Hayduke said:

Here's a guy who apparently helped the US big time...yet the BO White House obviously didn't attach much importance to pulling his a** out of the fire. So much for taking care of your friends. But...springing the Manning person was a priority item. So much for taking care of your enemies.

 

The actual facts were not established. If you think anyone helps the CIA udner these circumstances for the fun of it, you are mistaken. It involves money or  a grudge.

 

Why attack President Pbama? Do you think that Trump would behave any different? Trump is the man who praised the dictator of Pakistan. The Pakistanis said Trump offered the following praise for Dictator Sharif;  "You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you, Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long."

[Langsuan Man]

10 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

Here's a guy who apparently helped the US big time...yet the BO White House obviously didn't attach much importance to pulling his a** out of the fire. So much for taking care of your friends. But...springing the Manning person was a priority item. So much for taking care of your enemies.

 

Really, you think that the US should have invaded Pakistan to help this doctor ?

 

And in case you didn't notice but it is fairly easy for a president to commute a sentence in his own country, kind of difficult impossible to do it in another country

 

But enjoy yourself, you only have one more day to blame Barack Obama for all the ills in the world.............Friday it will be Trumps turn  

[does]

56 minutes ago, Hayduke said:

Here's a guy who apparently helped the US big time...yet the BO White House obviously didn't attach much importance to pulling his a** out of the fire. So much for taking care of your friends. But...springing the Manning person was a priority item. So much for taking care of your enemies.

Please read Harry's comment above. If I am not mistaken, the Taliban killed several health workers as a result of using a doctor for unethical purposes. It seems to me one of the most underhanded and disgusting actions taken by the Obama administration.

Edited January 19, 2017 by does
grammatical error

[humqdpf]

4 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

 

Really, you think that the US should have invaded Pakistan to help this doctor ?

 

And in case you didn't notice but it is fairly easy for a president to commute a sentence in his own country, kind of difficult impossible to do it in another country

 

But enjoy yourself, you only have one more day to blame Barack Obama for all the ills in the world.............Friday it will be Trumps turn  

The US could have done several things, including get the doctor and his family out of the territory as soon as possible after the event. Second, even if they were not able to do that, they could use any number of opportunities to put pressure on Pakistan, including cutting their funding.

 

If you are like me, you may have certain concerns at the truth of the story we are told about the lifting of Bin Laden. There is a book written by a credible journalist who claims that Bin Laden was being held under house arrest in that building by Pakistan (or by its military). Pakistan had a problem - they needed to get rid of an unwanted guest. USA wanted Bin Laden. This is why the special forces were able to invade Pakistan airspace for so long, go to a location which is a military area and not even raise a single eyebrow among the military defences in the country. Hmmm.

 

The doctor may know to much. He may have been sent by the USA because he was trusted to do a DNA test as the Americans needed to be sure they got the right guy. For all we know, the man is probably dead now.

[727Sky]

This is not mission impossible... A threat to cancel a few million dollars of aide to the country would probably get him released into US custody within the week ... 

 

I would bet if he walked out of prison on his own free accord he would have a life terminating event before he took to many steps or worked up a sweat in the mid day sun..

[Srikcir]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Pakistan's foreign ministry angrily criticised U.S. President-elect Donald Trump for saying he could get Pakistan to free Afridi "within two minutes".

First I've heard of this Trump claim. Another Day One action? Only take 2 minutes.

[captpkapoor]

The very fact that they want to prosecute the guy who helped find a terrorist shows whose side the Pakistani government is on!

 

It's the biggest training ground for radical Islam, home to extreme fundamentalist and fanatical teachings. Almost every terrorist caught in the West has some links, training or otherwise, to Pakistan.

[bizboi]

2 hours ago, does said:

Please read Harry's comment above. If I am not mistaken, the Taliban killed several health workers as a result of using a doctor for unethical purposes. It seems to me one of the most underhanded and disgusting actions taken by the Obama administration.

...even worse than all the dead of 9/11?

[bizboi]

2 hours ago, humqdpf said:

The US could have done several things, including get the doctor and his family out of the territory as soon as possible after the event. Second, even if they were not able to do that, they could use any number of opportunities to put pressure on Pakistan, including cutting their funding.

 

If you are like me, you may have certain concerns at the truth of the story we are told about the lifting of Bin Laden. There is a book written by a credible journalist who claims that Bin Laden was being held under house arrest in that building by Pakistan (or by its military). Pakistan had a problem - they needed to get rid of an unwanted guest. USA wanted Bin Laden. This is why the special forces were able to invade Pakistan airspace for so long, go to a location which is a military area and not even raise a single eyebrow among the military defences in the country. Hmmm.

 

The doctor may know to much. He may have been sent by the USA because he was trusted to do a DNA test as the Americans needed to be sure they got the right guy. For all we know, the man is probably dead now.

...and then of course he may be involved in the Roswell incident or be the secret love child of Putins Mother!!

[IMA_FARANG]

Pakistan has a big problem as a part of it's internal security people are at least friends of the Taliban or now ISIS.

They have to walk very carefully in Pakistan or the government's own internal security people could turn against them.

[Grubster]

2 hours ago, humqdpf said:

The US could have done several things, including get the doctor and his family out of the territory as soon as possible after the event. Second, even if they were not able to do that, they could use any number of opportunities to put pressure on Pakistan, including cutting their funding.

 

If you are like me, you may have certain concerns at the truth of the story we are told about the lifting of Bin Laden. There is a book written by a credible journalist who claims that Bin Laden was being held under house arrest in that building by Pakistan (or by its military). Pakistan had a problem - they needed to get rid of an unwanted guest. USA wanted Bin Laden. This is why the special forces were able to invade Pakistan airspace for so long, go to a location which is a military area and not even raise a single eyebrow among the military defences in the country. Hmmm.

 

The doctor may know to much. He may have been sent by the USA because he was trusted to do a DNA test as the Americans needed to be sure they got the right guy. For all we know, the man is probably dead now.

There must have been a reason that the Bush administration did not want Bin Ladin killed in Tora Bora too.  Why did we kill him instead of capture him. I think there is a lot of smelly stuff surrounding this issue.

[uptheos]

But the UK will still send them aid.......for what?

We send aid to everyone who hates us, whilst the NHS is crumbling......outrageous!!

 

[elgordo38]

Kind of shows which side of the fence Pakistan is on. Looking at the chart above the US is not getting a very big bang for their aid bucks. 

[Srikcir]

1 hour ago, Grubster said:

Why did we kill him instead of capture him.

Without taking time to find a cite, I believe the Seals were given instructions to shoot to kill if Laden showed any resistance (even if just refusing a verbal command for hands-up) to surrendering. The likely fear was that he might have put on a suicide vest in response to the Seal breach into the compound yard and into the 1st and 2nd floors - shots were fired. Laden was on the 3rd floor. According to the Seal account, Laden did not immediately comply when confronted so was shot dead. That was a command decision at the scene and faultless.

[thaibeachlovers]

5 hours ago, Langsuan Man said:

 

Really, you think that the US should have invaded Pakistan to help this doctor ?

 

And in case you didn't notice but it is fairly easy for a president to commute a sentence in his own country, kind of difficult impossible to do it in another country

 

But enjoy yourself, you only have one more day to blame Barack Obama for all the ills in the world.............Friday it will be Trumps turn  

No, but they should have got him out of the country  before he could be arrested. I believe two other men that assisted the US also went to jail ( from the movie ), and if so they also should have been saved.

By not doing so, they compromise any future project, as who would be dumb enough to help the US if they are abandoned?

 

BTW, the US gives lots of money to Pakistan. That should be with held till Afridi is released.

[thaibeachlovers]

20 minutes ago, Srikcir said:

Without taking time to find a cite, I believe the Seals were given instructions to shoot to kill if Laden showed any resistance (even if just refusing a verbal command for hands-up) to surrendering. The likely fear was that he might have put on a suicide vest in response to the Seal breach into the compound yard and into the 1st and 2nd floors - shots were fired. Laden was on the 3rd floor. According to the Seal account, Laden did not immediately comply when confronted so was shot dead. That was a command decision at the scene and faultless.

Hasn't anyone else seen the interview with the guy who shot Bin Laden? He explains it quite well- after all he was the man who shot him.

[Srikcir]

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

if they are abandoned?

Which you assume.

You might also consider that the doctor would resist leaving Pakistan and want to remain in his homeland; albeit naively to the government's discrimination towards any American interference (US drone strikes in Pakistan northern territories are never confirmed) and embarrassment of how easy two dozen US Seals penetrated Pakistan with a large Pakistan military base nearby. 

[uptheos]

Pakistan authority probably told Bin Laden to live near the military base as he would be safe!!

[Srikcir]

12 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

after all he was the man who shot him.

So he says. The Seals operated under national secrecy laws that might lead to one to go unchallenged for claiming to have shot Laden. The Mission (the probability of Laden being in the compound 40-60%) was accomplished without capture, injury or death of Seals. So it might have been worthless to tarnish that success with charging a Seal with breach of such laws.

[Grubster]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

Without taking time to find a cite, I believe the Seals were given instructions to shoot to kill if Laden showed any resistance (even if just refusing a verbal command for hands-up) to surrendering. The likely fear was that he might have put on a suicide vest in response to the Seal breach into the compound yard and into the 1st and 2nd floors - shots were fired. Laden was on the 3rd floor. According to the Seal account, Laden did not immediately comply when confronted so was shot dead. That was a command decision at the scene and faultless.

I am well aware of how it went down, do you really think he posed a threat, I don't. I think they were given strict orders to kill him regardless of circumstances as he had way too much information.  No proof of this just my speculation is all.

[captpkapoor]

I regularly meet educated Pakistanis who reject that Osama was killed; why did the US bury him at sea, they ask? Also, a lot of them say that 9/11 was orchestrated by the Americans themselves (Jews are frequently mentioned). Their media feeds them a very distorted view. 

Last year, millions turned up at the funeral for the man who shot the Governor of a province (because the Governor had made a statement thought to be blasphemous to Islam). 

[saakura]

9 hours ago, geriatrickid said:

 

........Trump is the man who praised the dictator of Pakistan. The Pakistanis said Trump offered the following praise for Dictator Sharif;  "You are a terrific guy. You are doing amazing work which is visible in every way. I am looking forward to see you soon. As I am talking to you, Prime Minister, I feel I am talking to a person I have known for long."

I thought Nawaz Sharif was elected in a relatively free & fair elections which his opposition also conceded?