US raiders killed bin Laden in Pakistan mansion
"Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden" says Obama - but his aides say Pakistan wasn't told of the raid into a neighborhood where bin Laden had been living in a conspicuous compound without interference by Pakistani authorities
US raiders killed bin Laden in Pakistan mansion
Joseph N. DiStefano
The CIA tracked bin Laden to a five-year-old palace compound custom-built for bin Laden and protected by 12- to 18-foot walls topped by barbed wire, owned by two brothers in a rich suburb of Pakistan's capital, Islamabad, last September, senior Obama official told a group of us news people in a midnight conference call (Update: Click for a transcript from of the call.) The suburb, Abbottabad, is home to retired Pakistani military officers, one official said, adding the mansion where bin Laden stayed was by far the biggest house in a neighborhood of comfortable homes.
Another official said suspected al Qaeda supporters detained by the US had told US authorities a courier they were tracking was working with bin Laden, but al Qaeda security made it tough to nail his location until last summer, when US officials figured the large size and extraordinary security at the compound made it likely bin Laden was there.
By February the CIA and other agencies felt they had enough information to plan an attack. Starting in March, the agencies began planning an attack, and the attack was authorized April 29.
A third official defended the attack, calling bin Laden a key figure in targeting the US as a target by supporters of his al Qaeda movement ten years after the 9/11 attacks. Some analysts have said he didn't appear to have direct control over today's Islamist terrorists but still served as an inspiration.
Three other men were killed in the 40-minute raid, including two suspected couriers and a son of bin Laden. A woman was killed when she was used by one of bin Laden's companions as a human shield, an official said. One of the raiders' helicopters broke down, but all the US raiders were able to leave safely, with bin Laden's dead body.
Pakistan wasn't told of the raid, officials said, without explaining how this squares with Obama's statement earlier this evening that "cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden."
The US is claiming it had both legal and moral obligations to attack bin Laden. One official warned there may be increased danger to Americans from retaliation by al Qaeda supporters. Bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri, born in Egypt, is expected to take over as al Qaeda boss. An official said bin Laden's body would be treated in accordance with Islamic law.
What US officials aren't saying: Why didn't Pakistan, nominally our ally, act against bin Laden long ago?
(Update: From Abbotabad)
“The more I hear the more Obama seems very close to this over the last few months: in weekly meetings, deeply involved in five national security meetings recently. This was not a lucky break. This was the end-point of several weeks of coordination. And Obama's cool throughout. As Donald Trump was birthering out, Obama was aiming right at this country's deadliest enemy. Everyone in both the Bush and the Obama administration who helped make this happen deserve our thanks, especially the unsung federal employees in the CIA and the special forces who are loyal to no party but to the constitution. But it remains obvious that the president who kills Osama bin Laden is a president who is going to be almost impossible to beat in 2012.” – Andrew Sullivan, getting it right.— Google It- Right, except for the fact that it was the Navy Seals, not the Army Special Forces who took bin Laden out.
Comment removed.- Osama Obama Osama Obama....... which is it? Fox news was calling bin ladem Usama.— georgekissel
- Great news for those of us who love freedom. Good on Obama for continuing the polices of the GWB administration. And to our military: you have once again proven your skill and courage. We salute and celebrate you!— joeingoal
- Why do I have a sneaky suspicion that he was already dead from the kidney disease and a few soldiers just put a couple of bullets in him or blew him up just to provide "evidence" of our "triumph?"— ANGRY AL 2
Seven years of our self-described War President, and no Bin Laden, despite having pinned him down at Tora Bora in December of 2001.
Obama is in office a bit over two years, and bang, headshot, Bin Laden is dead.— arturner- End of Bin Laden...Done the "old fashion way". Actionable intelligence, followed by "boots kicking in doors". I believe the World to be a better place today...Let us all hope the rest of the World agrees with me...— TomTheCork
- Finally this monster is gone. I wish we had captured him alive. Now we must focus all of our military might on Pakistan and wipe that country off the face of the earth. Pakistan had been playing us the fool for to long. No country harbors more psycho terrorist than Pakistan.— delcodanno
- Comment removed.
- Google It
Your kidding right. Al yu can say is that OBAMA will be impossible to beat in 2012??????? You are a joke. A great day in history and all you can say is your boy cant be beat now.— rgreen72 - I blame Bush. Oh wait...— Roger Podacter
- Obama got Osama!!— mtairy1
- Obama didn't get him, the Seals did!!! Next time there's a natural disaster in Pakistan I hope we don't help like we always did in the past. They should [punish] the city that welcomed him so the rest of middle east is put on notice....— IvanDejesus
- More proof of this story is absolutely needed, nor enough offered by US Govt. and Media.— Vom Brunhaus
