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India-Pakistan
Pakistan Declares Bin Laden a National Treasure
2006-09-06
Osama bin Laden, America's most wanted man, will not face capture in Pakistan if he agrees to lead a "peaceful life," Pakistani officials tell ABC News. The surprising announcement comes as Pakistani army officials announced they were pulling their troops out of the North Waziristan region as part of a "peace deal" with the Taliban.
RB John called it AGAIN!
We knew that was coming. That leaves the Talibs officially back in business, only on Pak "national territory," which means Islamabad can bitch when we clobber them.
If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden "would not be taken into custody," Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan told ABC News in a telephone interview, "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."
Peaceful citizens don't head international terror networks.
Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, but U.S. officials say his precise location is unknown.
I doubt if it's "unknown," actually, just not precise enough for targeting...
In addition to the pullout of Pakistani troops, the "peace agreement" between Pakistan and the Taliban also provides for the Pakistani army to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners. "What this means is that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism director.
Picked right up on that, didn't he? That's cause he's a trained intelligence professional. Lawzy, we didn't pick up on it here until a couple or three years ago.
Tums... where did I put mine?
I favor Mylanta, myself. But y'gotta remember, chili first, then Mylanta, not the other way around...
The agreement was signed on the same day President Bush said the United States was working with its allies "to deny terrorists the enclaves they seek to establish in ungoverned areas across the world."
thanks ABC..not
He was referring to our allies. It being Wednesday, Pak's not our ally.
The Pakistani Army had gone into Waziristan, under heavy pressure from the United States, but faced a series of humiliating defeats at the game of Whist with the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.
The Pak army kept up its tradition of never winning a war. Who's surprised?
"They're throwing the towel," said Alexis Debat, who is a Senior Fellow at the Nixon Center and an ABC News consultant. "They're giving al Qaeda and the Taliban a blank check and saying essentially make yourselves at home in the tribal areas," Debat said.
Rantburg U rulz, we have the Founder, the Alumni and John's analysis!
Posted by:RD and John and Gleager Snurong5374

#29  Pakistan has, is and always will be a major source of terrorism until outside forces shut it down.


I can make that even simpler--and more accurate. Pakistan has, is, and always will be a major source of terrorism until Islam is (first) ridiculed as a belief system and (ultimately) removed from the list of acceptable ideologies to adhere to in the modern world. The modern world doesn't allow nazism to hold political and military power, nor does it allow members of the KKK to seek political and military power (Byrd notwithstanding) without heavy doses of ridicule and constant public criticism. Its long past time folks stopped pretending that Islam is in any way preferable (or acceptable) as an ideology.
Posted by: Crusader   2006-09-06 19:48  

#28  BigEd, you left out the ocassional passersby taking pot shots with sidearms.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-09-06 17:01  

#27  It's been five years, and I want Osama's head on a spike on the White House lawn.

Mizzou...Only if they film the scavenger birds munching in the head... Crows, buzzards, etc.
Posted by: BigEd   2006-09-06 16:58  

#26  Maulvi Nek Zaman MNA read out the agreement after which the militants and military officials hugged each other and exchanged greetings. The venue was heavily guarded by armed Taliban and journalists were not allowed to shoot or film the event.

The agreement envisages that the foreigners living in North Waziristan will have to leave Pakistan but those who cannot leave will be allowed to live peacefully, respecting the law of the land and the agreement.

Both parties (army and militants) will return each otherÂ’s weapons, vehicles and communication tools seized during various operations.
Posted by: john   2006-09-06 16:26  

#25  Q. ABC News: If Bin Laden or [Ayman al-] Zawahri were there, they could stay?

A. Gen Sultan: No-one of that kind can stay. If someone is there he will have to surrender, he will have to live like a good citizen, his whereabouts, exit travel would be known to the authorities.

Q. ABC News: So, he wouldn't be taken into custody? He would stay there?

A. Gen Sultan: No, as long as one is staying like a peaceful citizen, one would not be taken into custody. One has to stay like a peaceful citizen and not allowed to participate in any kind of terrorist activity.
Posted by: john   2006-09-06 16:23  

#24  No, it looks like our "alliance" with Pakistan has really paid off-for somebody, not us.

Bingo, Jules. Just not us. Pakistan has, is and always will be a major source of terrorism until outside forces shut it down.

Terrible, when you open your mouth to dissimulate and the truth comes crawling out.

... Pakland is a jihadi nation. Period. They'll make common cause with jihadis anywhere.

Don't any of you forget it. Saudi Arabia supplies the money and ideologues, Pakistan supplies the programming madrassahs and we supply the spilled blood.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-09-06 14:59  

#23  Bush just said KSM and 14 others just tranfered from Pakistan to Gitmo.
Posted by: 3dc   2006-09-06 14:45  

#22  Fred, how big are their counties?
Posted by: 3dc   2006-09-06 14:33  

#21  You've still got to get it in the right county...
Posted by: Fred   2006-09-06 14:15  

#20  "I doubt if it's "unknown," actually, just not precise enough for targeting... "
Well, rockeye, naphalm and 500 pounders don't really need precision; close is good enough, especially if you have mass quantites of BUFFS up there. Side benefit: use up old stock first, rotate your supplies...
Posted by: USN, ret.   2006-09-06 14:09  

#19  Pakistan Declares Bin Laden a National Treasure

And what do we do with treasure, kids? That's right. We bury it. See? The Pakis are on our side after all.
Posted by: Dreadnought   2006-09-06 13:19  

#18  MG Sultan (the very model of a modern major general) had a slip of the tongue, I believe, revealing the Pak govt's true intentions. Terrible, when you open your mouth to dissimulate and the truth comes crawling out.

According to the Paks, Binny's not in Pakland. But neither is Dawood Ibrahim. And they're not sure how to get in touch with Masood Azhar.

Pakland is a jihadi nation. Period. They'll make common cause with jihadis anywhere.
Posted by: Fred   2006-09-06 12:16  

#17  I'm still clinging to my delusion that they are pulling their troops out of North Waziristan so we can carpet bomb to our hearts' content.
Posted by: Darrell   2006-09-06 10:58  

#16  Perv wants Bin Laden dead. He's caused him nothing but problems. This story smells of fabrication.
Posted by: mcsegeek1   2006-09-06 10:42  

#15  Do you actually believe that Pakistan would allow such an action on Pakistan territory

Absolutely. I suspect that's why they've withdrawn and virtually ceded it. Perv wants to be rid of the Talibunnies and Osaqma, but he can't get the job done himself. They might rant and sputter when we do it, but there's nothing they can do. Especially if they want to take delivery of those F-16s.

do you believe that Bush would actually authorize it?

To take down the Taliban with SF from Afghanistan with a chance of getting Osama? You betcha. It's the "War on Terror" the donks claim he isn't fighting effectively. No permanent bases, but plenty of "hot putsuit" and LRRPs. Air support is not that far away, either. I doubt CNN will be providing live coverage of this action but that doesn't mean it's not happening. And if they bring back Osama's head...or better yet, take him to Rome to be baptised by Benedict...

Waziristan is in play.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-09-06 09:34  

#14  In addition to the pullout of Pakistani troops, the "peace agreement" between Pakistan and the Taliban also provides for the Pakistani army to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners
See Hezballoh, this is what a victory looks like.
Posted by: plainslow   2006-09-06 09:31  

#13  NS-The first part of what you said sounds right, but the second? Do you actually believe that Pakistan would allow such an action on Pakistan territory and do you believe that Bush would actually authorize it?

No, it looks like our "alliance" with Pakistan has really paid off-for somebody, not us.
Posted by: Jules in the Hinterlands   2006-09-06 09:25  

#12  (Psst - you idiot, don't tell those infidels the truth!)
We now return to our regular program "The Days of Our Jihadis".
Posted by: Spot   2006-09-06 08:31  

#11  The Paks are too conflicted to deal with the Taliban. Perv can't force his army to lose any more troops going after the Taliban. So he's taking all his troops out of the tribal areas. That way we won't have to worry about killing any Pak troops when we go in to take care of business.

This sounds like more of an opportunity than a problem.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-09-06 08:26  

#10  Osama would be brought to justice
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) _ Pakistan's top army spokesman on Wednesday vehemently denied saying in a news report that Osama bin Laden would not be taken into custody if he agreed to live peacefully in Pakistan. "This is absolutely fabricated, absurd. I never said this," Maj Gen Shaukat Sultan told The Associated Press, referring to an ABC News broadcast aired hours earlier.

The ABC report cited Sultan as saying in a telephone interview that al-Qaida chief bin Laden "would not be taken into custody" if found, "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen." Sultan's recorded comments were included in the report, but it was not immediately clear whether he understood that bin Laden was the specific subject of discussion at that point in the interview. Sultan told the AP by phone that "what they are saying on Osama is absolutely fabricated." "Pakistan is committed to its policy on the war on terror, and Osama, caught anywhere in Pakistan, would be brought to justice," he said.

Asked for a response, Jeffrey Schneider, senior vice president of ABC News, told the AP by phone, "We simply played his comments as we recorded them." The ABC report also featured former White House counterterrorism official Richard Clarke saying a peace accord, signed Tuesday by Pakistan's government and pro-Taliban militants in the country, meant that "the Taliban and al-Qaida leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan." "I reject this comment," Sultan said Wednesday. Clarke is a news consultant with ABC.

In Washington, Pakistan's Ambassador Mahmud Ali Durrani issued a statement late Tuesday night saying Sultan "has been grossly misquoted in a section of U.S. media today." "Pakistan is on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden and his associates. If he is in Pakistan, today or any time later, he will be taken into custody and brought to justice."
Posted by: Steve   2006-09-06 08:09  

#9  If Osama suddenly converted, he'd make a laughing stock out of his ideology. He won't do that in a million years. Somebody's probably trying to appease somebody.
Posted by: gorb   2006-09-06 03:27  

#8  Nice for Osama, but does "peaceful life" applicable to sonny-boy andor sonny-in-law. Other than IRAN, Osama's other focii would be INDIA - like the Commies, the Spetzlamists also recognize the utility of Milyuhns and Zigluhns of expendable, dedicated human cannon fodder = human waves against USA-Western firepower.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-09-06 03:16  

#7  
This is the final straw. As if the Saudi's revolving door policy isn't bad enough already. Perv needs to feel a major pinch. If he is deposed, we should go in and confiscate their nuclear weapons then level every single terrorist madrassas on our way out. This is out and out treachery.


gentlemen keep your power dry.. for enemy rises up and the traitors are scheming..

ABC + Richard Clarke + PervPak triangulating3
Posted by: RD   2006-09-06 01:54  

#6  Keep in mind, this is ABC's Brian Ross, who ranks right up there with Sy Hersch.
Posted by: Captain America   2006-09-06 01:53  

#5  Cut off all foreign aid to Pakistan, stat!

This is the final straw. As if the Saudi's revolving door policy isn't bad enough already. Perv needs to feel a major pinch. If he is deposed, we should go in and confiscate their nuclear weapons then level every single terrorist madrassah on our way out. This is out and out treachery.
Posted by: Zenster   2006-09-06 01:16  

#4  AQ Khan and now bin Laden. Fortunately, our current targets are Shiites. I think.

What spin will the State Department put on this back-stab? Someone has shit for brains.

Posted by: Snease Shaiting3550   2006-09-06 00:46  

#3  I think the tribal areas would make a wonderful solar cell array. Theory suggests that large sandy areas turned into an amorphous glass with a fusion heat and then doped with proper chemicals sprayed from plane can make acceptable cheap solar cells. Perhaps the electricity from these cells could be offered to Iran so they would have no energy reason to ever consider nukes?

Hey its just a thought and its the thought that counts...
Posted by: 3dc   2006-09-06 00:37  

#2  You know our problem? People are scared of us anymore.
After 9/11, when the U.S. said jump, the Paks, including Musharraf, said 'how high?' They knew we were angry, and it would be very bad, indeed, to stand between a dog and its meat.
Now they've decided to give a free ride to Binny and his jets, and they're not worried about the consequences from the U.S.
I say give Musharraf and his band an ultimatum. They deliver his head, or give us the under-the-table hall pass that gives our forces free reign in Waziristan. Screw the 'Pak Street', and the instablity of our 'ally' (if he can't produce for us, what good is it supporting him?).
Worst-case scenario -- we got clobber a lot of Al-Q types in Waziristan (how many of our troops do you think would volunteer for that particular assignment?), we destablize Pak and get some kind of Talib-type government in Islamabad.
But at least they would have an address (see Kabul, for example).
I'm tired to this pussy-footing. It's been five years, and I want Osama's head on a spike on the White House lawn.
Don't think that I've forgotten.
Posted by: Mizzou Mafia   2006-09-06 00:35  

#1  And it happens the _week_ after the PakiWakis kill Foster Brooks Nawab Akbar Bugti, with what is rumored to be _our help_ in the matter.
Posted by: Abdominal Snowman   2006-09-06 00:01  

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