Thanks gandalftb. If he’s so worried about him, why does he bring it up?
Afridi is a CIA asset, harm to him would scare off present and future assets, of which we have many in Pakistan. We need him out and promised him he would have our protection.
Panetta is telegraphing to Pakistan to let him go, that Afridi is a US asset and harm would have severe consequences. We have resettled all of Afridi’s family.
Afridi is actually being held by the ISI in a sort of house arrest, very comfy, in Peshawar. He is allowed to see friends and family.
Technically, Afridi is in a civil detention that can last only as long as the Abbotabad Commission lasts. We are trying to get them to set a timeline for ending it and thus releasing Afridi or charging him, which the Pak’s would be very foolish to do..
Unfortunately the Commission’s goals have turned from finding out how UBL could hide under their noses to a witch hunt for anyone that helped the raid.