Osama Bin Laden was killed by US special forces in a fortified mansion on Kakul Road, Abbottābad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan.
Pakistan was not informed until after the operation because during previous operations, the targets were caught running due to warnings from somewhere high up in the Pakistan government some claim. A senior US official said that no intelligence had been shared with any country, including Pakistan, ahead of the raid. “Only a very small group of people inside our own government knew of this operation in advance,” the official said.
General Barry McCafferty just said he was astonished that OBL was living in a luxurious mansion outside the capital of Pakistan rather than a hole in the mountains on the Pakistan side of the border. The repercussions against the government of Pakistan will be significant some claim, as this is being claimed as proof that the Pakistan intelligence services were protecting Osama Bin Laden.
Were the Pakistan government and intelligence services complicit? Maybe they will say they just didn’t notice the $1m mansion with 18 foot walls, no telephone or internet connections, where the residents burned their refuse, lurking in a suburb. Houses that are eight times the size of the surrounding ones with multiple gates and security installations must be easy to miss there.
Osama Bin Laden’s house is located near to the Pakistan Military Academy (also known as PMA or Kakul). Abbottabad is a city located in the Hazara region of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, in Pakistan. The city is situated in the Orash Valley, 50 km northeast of Islamabad and 150 km east of Peshawar and is the capital of the Abbottabad District. The city is well-known throughout Pakistan for its pleasant weather, high standard educational institutions and military establishments. And we all thought he was hiding in a cave in the Tora Bora mountains.
Bin Laden was living there with several family members, including his youngest wife.
Lets take a look at the area:
Looks pretty regular doesn’t it? Not the type of place where you would expect to find America’s most wanted man.
The size and complexity of the structure in Abbottabad had shocked officials in the US. It has 12ft-18ft walls, was eight times larger than other homes in the area and was valued at over a million dollars, though it had no telephone or internet connection.
US intelligence had been tracking a “trusted courier” of Bin Laden for many years. The courier’s identity was discovered four years ago, his area of operation two years ago and then, last August, his address in Abbottabad was found, triggering the start of this mission.
A small US team had conducted the operation to neutralise Bin Laden in about 40 minutes. After a firefight, Bin Laden was killed and his body taken by US forces for formal identification.
One helicopters used by the US forces was lost due to “technical failure”. The team destroyed it and left in its other aircraft the BBC claim. Pakistan news reports a military helicopter crashed near the Pakistan Military Academy in Kakul. They report a man injured in the accident and cite “police sources”.
Loud sounds of gunfire and blasts were also heard before the air crash. Pakistani news and some blogs are currently saying it was a Pakistani helicopter, and some sites are showing this photo:
Three other men were killed in the raid – one of Bin Laden’s sons and two couriers. One woman was also killed when she was used as “a shield” and two other women were injured the BBC reports.
The people of Abbottābad seem unruffled by the incident in their locality. Raza S Janjua in Abbottabad, wrote just now: “Abbottabad is normal as a regular day, the roads are fine. My mother is out to get groceries, father’s in his office. Only the Bilal Town area is in complete military control – no one is allowed in.”
Syed Riaz Hussain in Abbottabad, wrote: “Last night, at around 0100, there was heavy gunfire about 300 metres from our house, which was followed by a huge blast. There was little in terms of military activity during the day to suggest something even remotely close to what happened.”
Life may continue as normal in Abbottābad today, but the rest of the world is a slightly safer place thanks to the US Navy’s elite SEAL Team Six.
Comments are welcome.
This is OH-58D Kiowa Warrior and Pakistan army doesnt have in his inventory
If you happen to see the walls of house shown in the fotos, it was certainly not 18 feet unless US foot consists of four inches. The million dollar mansion had miserable bedrooms as is evident from the low quality furniture shown in the released fotos of OBL bedroom. Having guards posted at gate is a very common practice in Pakistan; even diplomats hire them from security agencies for residential accommodation in Islamabad and other cities (kind courtesy of Terrorist Talibans). Similarly, most of the houses in Pakistan do not have internet connections and due to readily available cellular services and delay is acquiring line connections people prefer to have cellular with them. The gist is that except for the size of the house which was bigger than surroundings there was nothing abnormal in the house thus all assertions made in the article are false and look malicious. Apparently based on mala-fide intentions these assertions tend to blame Pakistan Government which is totally wrong. Pakistan is a front line state in fighting terrorism and has suffered thousands of civilian and military causalities in War on Terror. Have a heart and acknowledge Pakistan’s efforts and sacrifices.m
I take your point about the internet and land line connection. Many countries (Russia is an example), have a similar situation in that mobile telephony is cheaper and faster to set up than the delays associated with getting fixed line services.
However Malik, I dispute your assertion of mala fide intent. It remains a fact that Osama Bin Laden living so close to Islamabad undetected by the Pakistani security services would be akin to Hitler driving around London in a Rolls Royce undetected.
Some Pakistani sites say one helicopter was shot down by gunmen from the roof of the house as they landed. Other sites say it was a Pakistani helicopter. There have been various pictures of this helicopter. Some differ: One is crashed; one is burned out. Which is the real one and whose was it?
The Yanks called it at first a $2m mansion. Then a $1m mansion. Then we saw the photo of this opulent terrorist residence. What a shithole it was. Some breeze block thrown-up crappy box sat in a dusty yard. The inside looked like some squat. Far from the multi-million residence it was painted as.
Then he was shielding himself with a woman; then she ran to protect him. Which was it?
Then Obama & Co watched it all by video; then the crucial 25 minutes was lost. Which was it?
Why wasn’t he arrested and tried like other terrorists and those of a similar ilk? A show trial and some torture would have been great for PR come election time in the US.
Pakistan said it told the Yanks about this house, and the likely occupant in 2009. Why has it took two years?
The the apparently Yanks slide a body that nobody saw, quietly off a boat somewhere it cant be found. Why? To observe Muslim values and not give supporters a shrine. Hmm…… I agree with not giving supporters a shrine, but there are many holes in this story really.