Osama’s Death and Pakistan

Osama Bin Laden’s saga will turn out to be one issue that is going to define Pakistan and even its relationship to the world in the coming decades. Why? Because a lot of what is happening and what will happen in the future is because the veil over the actions by the Jehadis and the Government – which often has acted as the shield or even an extension of the Jehadis – has been blown away. The lid on this was a carefully cultivated drama for a long time. Somehow, it has been blown away.

New details are coming out now of the episode. For example, about the doctor who helped the CIA zero in on Osama.

Panetta told CBS’s ” 60 Minutes,” in a profile to be broadcast on Sunday, that Shakil Afridi helped provide intelligence for the raid on bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden’s presence in the compound. He has since been charged by Pakistan with treason. Panetta said he is “very concerned” for the doctor.

But what is also interesting is the double-speak from the US officials. In the same meeting Panetta says that someone in Pakistan (Government) knew that someone of interest lived in the compound, but probably not that it was Bin Laden.

Now, that, is complete nonsense. Someone got the house. Someone paid for it. Someone brought him there. Someone got his groceries. And, someone shielded him. Whoever did, knew him. Such secrecy in that area can’t be possible. So Panetta is basically talking nonsense.