Signs Point to Pakistan Link - Likely to Focus on Islamabad's Military and Spy Services

Wall Street Journal ^ | May 4, 2011 | ADAM ENTOUS, JULIAN E. BARNES and MATTHEW ROSENBERG

[Free ThinkerNY]

U.S. and European intelligence officials increasingly believe active or retired Pakistani military or intelligence officials provided some measure of aid to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, allowing him to stay hidden in a large compound just a mile from an elite military academy.

The suspicions cast light on where the U.S. is expected to focus as it investigates who might have helped bin Laden hide in plain sight in Abbottabad, a town about 40 miles from the capital Islamabad.

Two senior U.S. officials and a high-level European military-intelligence official who have direct working knowledge of Pakistan's military intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate, say similar elements linked to the ISI have aided other Pakistan-based terror groups, the Haqqani militant network and Lashkar-e-Taiba.

"There's no doubt he was protected by some in the ISI," the European official said of bin Laden. The officials say they believe these ISI elements include some current and former intelligence and military operatives with long-standing ties to al Qaeda and other militant groups.

The officials didn't offer specific evidence, but pointed to the town's proximity to the capital and its high concentration of current and former military and intelligence officers. They said aid likely included intelligence tips to help keep bin Laden ahead of his American pursuers.

But others in both the U.S. and Pakistan have cast doubt on whether Abbottabad would have provided a more hospitable refuge than other towns, or whether officials would have reason to believe bin Laden could be hiding there.

[Perdogg]

I wonder if these people had to go to Harvard to figure this out.

[rabidralph]

I was wondering, today, whether those military people had a deal with OBL to protect him in case of an attack? That would have been a bad deal if the plan was leaked to the Paki’s. I’m glad Panetta kept it locked down.

[Perdogg]

Maybe the Pockies sold him out.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks Free ThinkerNY.

increasingly believe active or retired Pakistani military or intelligence officials provided some measure of aid to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden

Oh, pshaw. ;')

[caww]

I think that they did....Government was already threatening to cease the cash flow to them....might be our Gov. promised it would continue for zy time IF they permitted this mission...they both would claim Paks. didn’t know...thus Paks would save face....and the cash flow would continue for a time.

Quite honestly we have to do something or Russia or China will come in and pick Pakistan up. Can’t forget they have nukes.

[rabidralph]

[AnotherUnixGeek]

Quite honestly we have to do something or Russia or China will come in and pick Pakistan up.

It's hard to see how China could do more for Pakistan than they're already doing. Pakistan serves as a useful check on India and is therefore valuable to the Chinese.

[Broker]

China link Pakistan. Makes perfect sense.Thanks

[WilliamofCarmichael]

U.S. Probe of Aid to bin Laden Likely to Focus on Islamabad's Military and Spy Services

both Islamabad's Military and especially the Spy Services work closely with Red China.. ergo the Chi-Coms were aware of whatever Pakistan knew.

[ravager]

China already has Pakistan. Pakistan is China’s bitch a lot more then you think. Russians dont like Pakistan, they are India’s ally. Russians wont dump India for Pakistan.

[jeltz25]

there was a frontline show on PBS Last night where they interviewed a taliban commander and he said “if they[Pakistan] wanted to, they could arrest all of us within an hour”

hopefully we can figure out a get way to have them do just that

[gusty]

Dead on. Pakistan has been a client of China’s going back to Mao’s days.