Thursday, May 05, 2011

US troops were yards from Osama bin Laden house in 2008 – WikiLeaks files


US troops were yards from Osama bin Laden house in 2008 – WikiLeaks files

US embassy cables show soldiers were due to perform a routine posting 'training the trainers' of Pakistan's federal military unit


US forces were stationed just a few hundred yards from Osama Bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in October 2008, according to reports within the WikiLeaks embassy cables.

The revelation that US forces were so close to the world's most wanted man in 2008 comes after material from the Guantánamo files suggested the US may have received the intelligence that led them to Bin Laden as early as 2008.

The US soldiers were due to perform a routine posting "training the trainers" of Pakistan's 70,000-strong federal military unit, the Frontier Corps.

Abbottabad is home to the Pakistan Military Academy, the country's version of Sandhurst in Britain, and trains officers from across the nation. The academy is streets away from where Bin Laden was tracked down and killed.




The information about the US troops is contained in the account of a meeting in Washington between the-then US deputy secretary of state, John Negroponte, and Pakistan's foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, discussing security co-operation and concerns across the country.

After both parties agreed the security plans lacked resources, Pakistan's national security advisor, Mahmud Ali Durrani, referred to the training co-operation.

"Durrani pledged Pakistan's support for the US Training-of-Trainers for the Frontier Corps starting in Abbottabad in October," the report read.

US forces may have visited the town for a second time, months later, according to the cable. "Due to the slow pace of construction, Durrani added he was doubtful that the more permanent training site at Warsak would be ready for the next iteration of training, scheduled in early 2009.

"Durrani thanked the US for its support of Pakistan's special forces, but requested more training and equipment to improve Pakistan's capacity, specifically citing lift capability and intelligence sharing."

Abbottabad is only infrequently mentioned in the 250,000 leaked embassy cables. The cables show the town, 35 miles north of Islamabad, also served as a distribution hub for US and UN aid in the wake of Pakistan's 2005 earthquake. gruniad

8 comments:

Cletis said...

Osama hunting was a gold mine for the Pakistanis. Hell, they're probably in shock. It was a great gig while it lasted.

Himself said...

Did you receive my email?

Anonymous said...

"Muslims are a part of the Netherlands, and as we are a part of the Netherlands, we should participate in all structures. Politics, business, everything. One million Muslims are here, and so we are part of politics."
(Tofik Dibi, Green Left)

I'm not a supporter of Geert Wilders, but don't you think that people like Tofik Dibi are the creators of people like Geert Wilders (or is the other way around)? M

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/muslim-mps-a-populist-world

Himself said...

I don't know how to answer you Maren without sounding like a right winger. Perhaps I am just that when it comes to Islam, for I find nothing positive about the whole backward hate filled misogynist ideology, it's not of our time, and never will be.

Perhaps I will let Pat Condell speak for me, he does do it rather well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlkxlzTZc48

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96ZUZ9CPZII&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJKRF2uB8xU&feature=related

Anonymous said...

You’re right H, there is no answer. Actually it isn’t a question, it’s more a reflection; just wishing politics has nothing to do with religion, Utopia I guess. Why can't these religious ideology followers pray, or whatever they do, at their own home and just don't bother other people. Isn't that the best proof their religion is madness, what god wouldn't appreciate individual prayers. Hope I don't sound too complicated*. M

* I'm from Holland.

Himself said...

I think perhaps, Utopia is no religion.

Anonymous said...

Losers
One of the big surprises was a 43 percent drop in support for Geert Wilders’ Freedom Party. Having campaigned on an anti-European ticket, the party saw its share of seats fall from 24 to 15. The GreenLeft party also lost heavily, taking just 3 seats compared to their current 10.

http://www.rnw.nl/english/article/
victory-centre-dutch-elections

Himself said...

That didn't go unnoticed when I read your exit poll link.

Campaigning on an anti EU ticket is too radical for anybody I think.

We are in it, we have to make it work, or we all go down the pan.