Pakistani officials reject claims of ISI handling bin Laden
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ISLAMABAD: Top Pakistani intelligence officials on Wednesday rejected claims made by a British journalist that the ISI ran a special desk to handle former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
The journalist, Carlotta Gall, further claims in her upcoming book “The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-2014” that then-ISI chief Lt-Gen Ahmed Shuja Pasha also knew of bin Laden’s presence in the country.
An excerpt from the book, which is coming out next month, was published in the New York Times on Wednesday.
“There is no truth in New York Times story,” intelligence officials, who wished not to be named told Dawn.com. “The claims are totally baseless.”
Nobody in Pakistan knew about presence of Osama bin Laden, the officials said.
Gall, who covered Afghanistan and Pakistan for The New York Times from 2001 to 2013, claims inside sources told her that the special desk was “operated independently, led by an officer who made his own decisions and did not report to a superior.”
“He handled only one person: Bin Laden,” she writes.
There has so far been no official reaction from either the Pakistani Foreign Office or the Inter-Services Public Relations, the media wing of the Pakistan army.
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Comments (56) Closed
Mar 19, 2014 07:55pm
Pakistani officials also reject that the Earth is round and that they do not receive any income from Saudi Arabia. Do the Pakistani officials actually think that anyone believes them.
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Mar 19, 2014 08:12pm
its a total lie from the pakistani official that they were not aware of Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden presence in pakistan with his family - he was given protection by the intelligence services and a handful of few religious parties - only the president (musharraf) and the prime minister (aziz) were not aware or were not informed for various reason.
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Mar 19, 2014 08:25pm
Another denial.
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Mar 19, 2014 08:28pm
This guy is dead now and the story is over.
The Western Media now shoulf focus on proposing new consipiracy theories for USA under the evolving new world order where Russis would be the key player......
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Mar 19, 2014 08:31pm
Someday there will be leaks that Abbottabad operation was one of the joint venture of ISI-CIA
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Mar 19, 2014 08:34pm
Pathological liers
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Mar 19, 2014 08:35pm
By any chance if this gets printed, it would be on another planet. Bin Laden fiasco, drama, falooda or brouhaha keeps on going. Reminds me of a song when Michael Jackson died. "Even though the king is dead, the beat goes on and on." Bin Laden the biggest jackpot in history was handled so secretly by the US that no one came to know anything and then even more mystery shrouded sea-burial. These pathetic, fake and purely written script should be enough to make the most ardent believer into an agnostic. But no sir, there are quite a lot who will not move an inch from what the official story has been.
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Mar 19, 2014 08:35pm
It was very obvious from day one that ISI would have known about Bin Laden's presence in Pakistan, if not provided him protection. They are not stupid people. And the reason for housing him next to PMA would be because nobody would suspect that he would be there; that Americans would hunt for him in Quetta or the Waziristans.
Will America ever pardon Pakistan for this? Not a chance. They are only biding their time before they teach a lesson.
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Mar 19, 2014 08:47pm
Pakistani officials are truthful that they reject anything that sounds untruthful, although it is likely very truthful.
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Mar 19, 2014 09:04pm
From day one, my logic is unchanged. If ISI do not know about the US seal operation pls accept your incompetance and ignorance. If you know about the operation inform the nation loudly that you were there because you were paid for being a partner in war on terror. There is no third option if logic is to be followed.
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Mar 19, 2014 09:25pm
It is high time for govt of Pakistan to take a note if Altaf speech and must dislodge MQM governer in retaliation and not speech must be allowed to be on telephone .
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Mar 19, 2014 09:43pm
@Hamid Ali Tabatabai:
Pakistani officials also believe that Saudi Arabia is incapable of defending their country that why they keep giving money to Pakistan to protect them from Iran. The world also believes that Saudi Arabia breeds more terrorists than any other Muslim country.
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Mar 19, 2014 09:52pm
@Hamid Ali Tabatabai:
From which planet you are ? You don't have the basic knowledge how much lies US Govt and Western Media speaks ?.
Where were the weapons of Mass Destruction in Iraq and Libya ?
grow-up man rather than every time blaming Pakistan, read out world facts.
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Mar 19, 2014 10:07pm
It will be interesting to review British Journalist Carlotta Gall's upcoming book, 'The Wrong Enemy: America in Afghanistan, 2001-14'. The controversy surrounding his presence in the Military Cadet City of Abbottabad and the ISI's knowledge and involvement is still in play and with all the bad publicity for Pakistan's image abroad and its leading one of twenty-six Intelligence Agencies! From an overseas Pakistani national.
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Mar 19, 2014 10:19pm
@John:
Not surprises at all since the state maintains standard operating procedure(SOP) in issuing denials for all occasions and number of denials issued so far would be a world record..
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Mar 19, 2014 10:32pm
Sadam Hossain's body was shown after his hanging. Why was OBL's body dumped in the sea before anybody could see it or at least have a photo of the dead body? OBL was dead years before Abbotabad operation. The latest amazing story by the Pakistan phobes is that Flight 370 has landed in North Waziristan.
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Mar 19, 2014 10:44pm
dear US! All your conspiracies to downgrade our state will be totally useless. Its a country created in the name of Allah and u will never ever be successful in eliminating it from the map!!
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Mar 19, 2014 10:47pm
The World is still waiting for a credible explanation for how OBL could live 6+ years in a mansion spitting distance from the PMA. Zardari said it was a collective failure of the World intelligence community conveniently ignoring that the CIA figured out where he was and that the only intelligence agency that denied he was in Pakistan was run by Pasha.
BTW - hows that Abbottabad report coming?
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Mar 19, 2014 10:48pm
Whatever good or bad about OBL is, I would say CIA will never let him die in news.
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Mar 19, 2014 10:50pm
Nothing new. Pakistan has never accepted even obvious.
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Mar 19, 2014 10:57pm
Arguably, the Pakistanis are either lying through their teeth claiming no one in the ISI or any other level of the government was aware and complicit in the presence of UBL (what else would one expect them to say...admit it to it ????) and if that were not factual then the Pakistanis are extremely and abjectly inept, inefficient and useless to have had the world's most wanted terrorist living, for 6 + years, in their backyard, a few km from their prestigious military academy (PMA) and not know about it. All they wanted was the US $$$$$ !!!!
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Mar 19, 2014 10:59pm
It is difficult to decide, what is more dangerous: Our intelligence service not knowing anything about Bin Laden`s presence in Pakistan OR that they knew everything? Intelligence seem to be a rare commodity in our intelligence services. God save Pakistan (particularly from ISI).
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Mar 19, 2014 11:00pm
For all u reading, commenting...do u really believe that america just directly killed the man they searched fr years?
Also the writer of this book is claimed to hv covered from 2001 till 2013 in afghanistan, now she had found sm important links that told her this interesting story?.......
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Mar 19, 2014 11:13pm
who will believe this denial.
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Mar 19, 2014 11:16pm
Come on guys...the international aid would stop if we disclosed we had Osama...let him chill in the thug land and kindly keep giving us money to find him so we can support our corrupt lifestyle!
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Mar 19, 2014 11:18pm
Only idiots would disagree with the journalist Carlottta Gall
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Mar 19, 2014 11:41pm
@gerry d'cunha
I agree with most of your assessment but I doubt that the then president (Musharraf) and the Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz were really unaware. I believe not only these two knew but all decision makers involved had been playing a double game with the USA and Taliban/Al Qaeda both.
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Mar 19, 2014 11:45pm
@Hamid Ali Tabatabai:
BTW, Earth is not round - it is oval :) So, Pakistani officials are right on that claim.
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Mar 19, 2014 11:57pm
US Navy SEALS flew in, stayed on the ground for 45-50 minutes,flew out after accomplishing their mission, after killing OBL. Pakistan government set up a commission to investigate the attack. Commission submitted the report long ago which still has to see light of the day. It will remain a state secret, no one was and is accountable. OBL stayed in Abbottabad for 5 years, next to Pakistan Military Academy but we did not know. Go on, try to sell this mantra to the world if you can find someone to believe it.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:06am
@Last Word:
I DO AGREE
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Mar 20, 2014 12:07am
Actually, OBL was never in Pakistan, the so called show down in Abbottabad was to bring closure to the war where the US had spent Trillions of dollars. They had to show the Americans and the world that they had achieved their goal, which is the biggest farce ever. Zardari along with Pakistani Military top brass who sold Pakistan, put a price on this episode and let it happen. Connect the dots; they wanted to capture Saddam, his pictures and video was seen by millions across the world, same with Qaddafi and in the end amazingly, no picture for OBL, number one guy, the ultimate trophy, not a single picture. To cap it all of, Nuclear Pakistan 5th largest army in the world, well equipped and trained army who foiled multiple attempts by the USSR air force to violate Pak airspace did not have a clue half way in Pakistan in and out that there was an intruder. No! this was a deliberate and staged event where there are number of people party to a huge lie from White house to Pakistan's President house.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:21am
it is not Bin Laden that worries the western media . it is his legacy...
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Mar 20, 2014 12:25am
The problem here is that Pakistan had been rejecting for years that UBL was not in Pakistan. But he was residing in Pakistan. This is a fact. And if agencies did not know about it it was a great failure. Unfortunately, we did not hear from government that anybody from those agencies was suspended due to this negligence.
Pakistan must strengthen itself from inside. The need of the hour is to strengthen the agencies and instead of using them for political purposes the focus should be on national security.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:37am
It was obvious from day one that ISI knew where OBL was. The army is inherently naive but I cant believe that they will be so naive. I am sure that they were providing him all the support and getting paid for it. This is a nation whose foreign Policy has always been on sale. And guys stick to this topic , dont start ranting about Altaf or Saudi.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:43am
one thing is for sure
we Pakistanis were terrible hosts
I mean look at the condition he was living in.. yes it was a big compound with tall walls but then again thats the case with almost all houses in that part of Pakistan
he was living like a squatter and place was full of filth and garbage.
that "special desk" didnt even send OBL a decent meal or some better clothes.
how terrible of us.
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Mar 20, 2014 12:49am
@Sarwat: do you also think the missing Malasian airplane never existed to start with?
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Mar 20, 2014 12:54am
Pakistani intelligence officials are right that ISI did not ran a special desk to handle former Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden.
Contrary, it was Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden who handle the Pak officials!
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Mar 20, 2014 01:20am
I wonder how many western journalists have made careers and sold books playing on miseries of Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan so far....
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Mar 20, 2014 01:25am
People still believing in conspiracy theories amazes me.
I think I'll become a journalist and publish a book as well, outlining how the earth is NOT round.
Anyways, i'm not surprised with the majority of posters here not being Pakistanis (mostly from across the border if ya know what I mean).
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Mar 20, 2014 01:44am
The author of that book wasted precious hours to write this up. Americans are so obsessed with ISI.
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Mar 20, 2014 02:23am
BTW, Anyone interested can still read almost the entire Abbottabad Report (337 pages minus two removed?) which is still posted on the Al Jazeera web site!
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Mar 20, 2014 02:30am
Taliban is not in Pakistan also?
Pakistani official will respond: where is Taliban ? What is Taliban? What is terrorist? Because ISI and Pakistani government is controlling all these proxy terrorists. Taliban is in Pakistan and will be there for many years. I hope they will not turn a huge danger to Pakistan in few years.
Sooner or later Afghanistan will seal border 100%. Pakistan and Taliban will stay on other side, what Taliban will do? Turn their guns on Pakistanis? Think about it before it's too late!!!
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Mar 20, 2014 04:07am
As usual, no surprise. They are paid for denials only. And they master in their art of denials, living denials.
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Mar 20, 2014 04:11am
@Sarwat:
Only to loose all the war they fought!!!!!
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Mar 20, 2014 04:11am
By denying the fact, ISI presenting itself as a intensely incompetent organization; the most wanted person was living under the nose, very close to cantonment area and they didn't know; Probably they are correct that's why the terrorists killed more than 50,000 innocent persons and the self claimed most organized ISI could not handle them and now negotiating on their terms.
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Mar 20, 2014 05:09am
I cannot believe anything coming out of US news media as they lost their creditbility almost 13 years ago. Also this looks to me as pressure tactic to comply with Saudi demands.
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Mar 20, 2014 05:42am
@IK: and we are the only nation that "negotiates" with those that kill children, women and innocent citizens in cold blood? will Allah ever negotiate with such monsters? Does any nation on earth negotiate with criminals like Pakistan does? We blame USA for everything what about us we are all "clean and pure with a guranteed visa to heaven?" seriously look at your own house before you try to clean someone elses house!
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Mar 20, 2014 07:15am
This question was about OBL was well answered by one of Pakistani journalist not sure who it was "If Pakistan new OBL was here then it is a rogue state if not then it is a failed state" so choice is clear.
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Mar 20, 2014 08:32am
@Sarwat:
The horde of women and children who were captured alive from that bunglow, who later turned out to be the wives and children of OBL,came from outer space, is it?
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Mar 20, 2014 08:41am
@Sami Ullah Swati:
Yes, and this time Pakistan will provide strategic depth to Russia so that they can replace government with Taliban that supports Russia! It would also change the power equation in the world. America who got benefited as sole super power will get replaced with Russia so that they can bring all the broken parts of soviate sun ion back..
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Mar 20, 2014 09:57am
It is aweful the way USA is treating her ally on war on terror. If Al Qaeda was behind 911, why are they now serving Western Interests in Iraq and Syria?
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Mar 20, 2014 10:49am
What is New, 20 years are past but Pakistan still not accepting that they used to send terrorists into the Kashmir valley. Then why they will accept this???
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Mar 20, 2014 02:03pm
Its ok. We believe you. We even believed when it was officially said that we don't know where is OBL. Now I don't want to add any We .......
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Mar 21, 2014 03:49am
Why all this speculation?
Just so people can malign Pakistan army and specifically ISI? A well known terrorist is dead, everyone needs to go home instead of mourning the death. Yes it is mourning the death of a terrorist if his death is being used to create an unnecessary fight between USA and Pakistan. This will help no one but the terrorists.
peace to all,.
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Mar 22, 2014 06:17am
Carlotta Gall writes for the New York Times, a newspaper which has repeatedly been sued and lost for publishing maliciously false information. The New York Times is well known to be a totally unreliable source of information. Bush and Karzai said Osama is in Pakistan, OBVIOUSLY Bush and Karzai both KNEW where he was and deliberately concealed the information. When Musharraf was asked about Bush and Karzai's claims, he said "tell us where he is and we will arrest him" Bush and Karzai refused to divulge Osama's location. Eventually when the US JSOC team went in to extract Osama, they knew exactly where to go, which means Bush did know where Osama was hiding. Why did Bush and Karzai BOTH allow this to continue? Considering the upsurge in terrorism in Pakistan after the botched Tora-Bora operation the only plausible explanation is they wanted Osama to continue his terrorist activities in Pakistan.
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Mar 22, 2014 06:18pm
@Hamid Ali Tabatabai:
Childish arguments supported by 140 Indians thumps-up.
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