US raid that killed bin Laden was 'an act of war', says Pakistani report

[avaistheone1]

Source: The Telegraph

Pakistan's Abbottabad Commission, set up to probe the raid and previous efforts to capture the Al-Qaeda leader, delivered a trenchant condemnation of the US decision to unilaterally launch the operation inside Pakistani territory without seeking permission from the government in Islamabad. It painted the United States as an "arrogant" military power disdainful of the rights of other nations, over which it would ride roughshod in pursuit of its security goals.

The commission's report - leaked by Al Jazeera on Monday - denounced the US action as the "greatest humiliation" suffered by Pakistan since 1971, when East Pakistan seceded to form Bangladesh.

US officials have justified the decision to keep Pakistan in the dark by suggesting there was a risk that the target might be tipped off. In an October presidential debate, President Barack Obama put it bluntly: "If we had asked Pakistan (for) permission, we would not have gotten him."

The Pakistani government saw it differently. The raid demonstrated Washington's "contemptuous disregard of Pakistan's sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity in the arrogant certainty of … unmatched military might", the report stated.

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/pakistan/10169655/US-raid-that-killed-bin-Laden-was-an-act-of-war-says-Pakistani-report.html

[DonCoquixote]

1. yes and no

Attacking him was an act of war,
so was hiding him in their borders,
and taking US money was icing on the cake.

And anyone who thins that the Pakistanis would not have moved him themselves if they got wind of it is a fool.

[The Second Stone]

15. Yes it is, and so what? So are the drone attacks, I don't see Pakistan calling

those acts of war. Let's be clear who Pakistan is and was protecting and willing to ruin relations over: Osama bin Ladin and their military. Not their people. You want to be treated with respect, then don't harbor a mass murderer. And if we commit acts of war to get him, don't be surprised.

[Comrade Grumpy]

17. "You want to be treated with respect, then don't harbor a mass murderer."

You mean like Luis Posada Carrilles?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_Posada_Carriles

So you'd be okay with the Cubans dropping in on US territory to "take him out," as it is so quaintly put?

[cstanleytech]

25. Yes and the link says its because he risks being tortured if sent to those countries.

And yes I do realize the hypocrisy of our government to use that excuse considering its own conduct during the Bush years when the US government tortured people.

[kelliekat44]

20. OK. So the war is over. nt

[AAO]

2. Oh yeah? And what do you think you're going to do about it?

[NoOneMan]

5. You mean the crazy ass country with nukes and US dollars flowing in to prop up their military?

The last 10 years the US has done everything it could to ignore this festering sore. We are a coup away from insane

[AAO]

7. To borrow a phrase from a dummy: "Bring 'em on!"

[geek tragedy]

3. Cry me a river, assholes. You sheltered him, and the real humiliation

is that the world found out you were doing so.

[reflection]

6. Agreed.

Normally I dislike us throwing our weight around, but in this case it was justified. I also agree with another poster in the thread who wants Pakistan to return the aid we send them if they're so insulted. I would think that if we felt Pakistan wouldn't sabotage the operation, they would have been involved. As it is, they get to save face with their extremist element by shaking their fists at us.

[obama2terms]

21. I agree in this particular case

Pakistan was hiding him and SOMEONE had to know about it. I read he was even pulled over for speeding once. They could have gotten him, heck we could have gotten him years ago, but Bush didn't have the guts to do it.

[truebrit71]

4. Oh just STFU already...if it's that bad stop cashing our checks....

....and show us just how serious you are....

[Wernothelpless]

10. These are serious people ...

And I mean the Pentagon ... sure, go ahead, give them another reason drop by, to start a war, or send a drone ... these people are stupid ... bin Laden had became a liablity the minute anyone suspected he was in the area ... we did them a favor ...

[jakeXT]

8. At least it's secret

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The nation's top special operations commander ordered military files about the Navy SEAL raid on Osama bin Laden's hideout to be purged from Defense Department computers and sent to the CIA, where they could be more easily shielded from ever being made public.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023209804

[snappyturtle]

29. Transparency at its finest.

Just in case:

[Lifelong Protester]

9. Quit sending them funds to prop their crappy government up

eom.

[Dash87]

11. Shouldn't have protected him then.

This is the biggest bunch of crap ever. The Pakistani government knew where he was the whole time, and Pakistani intelligence was hiding him.

[Renew Deal]

12. Harboring Bin Laden was an act of war

[msanthrope]

13. If they're so outraged, they can stop accepting our money. Otherwise, they shouldn't have been

harboring him.

[EC]

14. So they are claiming Osama

as part of their nation and under their protection?

[Comrade Grumpy]

19. No, they are claiming Abottabad is Pakistani territory. Not an implausible claim.

[ZRT2209]

16. They forgot the part about how the Pakistani govt knew OBL was there and supported him

[Comrade Grumpy]

18. Show me that part, will you? I must have missed it.

[Thinkingabout]

27. They put the dr in prison for outting OBL so yes they knew.

[bonniebgood]

22. So can "we" secretly go into russia and get snowden? afterall

Putin is harboring a fugitive law breaker.

[Thinkingabout]

28. If you want to equate OBL to Snowden, then his crimes will increase a little and might be

Putin has Snowden right where he wants him.

[Igel]

23. Obama played it wrong.

It was done in a way that couldn't help but embarrass and humiliate Pakistan at all levels, regardless of your stance wrt Islamism and UBL.

The military, because it happened close to a major base and training center.

The government, because they were compelled to say they didn't know he was there or had been in their jurisidction and they'd denied it as a possibility. Moreover, the lack of advance warning said, "We just don't trust you."

Secularists because it undermined their sovereignty and sense of preparedness.

Islamists, because the Great Satan (or whatever their current term of art is for the US) entered Muslim space with impunity, captured one of their own, and departed unmolested.

And if we could find and seize UBL ... What about that pride of the Islamic Republic, their atomic bombs?

Pakistan's leader should have been told about it before the choppers left the ground to return. Or, even better, Obama or Biden should have been there, having dinner or coffee, when the raid went down--then glance at his watch, check his Blackberry or iPhone, and said, "BTW, American troops are raiding a compound in Abbottabad. I trust you, but I couldn't trust that you wouldn't tell somebody who would leak the information by accident. I suggest we use the rest of the dinner to discuss how you're going to claim credit for this *and* shame a number of the Islamists in your government into silence. I'd suggest we hold a joint press conference as soon as we have our story straight." If the guy in charge--Zardari, was it, at the time?--has a bad response, it would say something about him. But it would be too late for him to do much about it and in his interests to make the most of it. He might be humiliated in private, but it would never show in public, and if it helps his rep enough in public he'd pass over the private slight.

You know that whole "Kill one terrorist and you create more as his relatives and friend seek revenge" line? We humiliated a lot of Islamists.

[Ash_F]

24. I thought they had a prior agreement to do it?

Pakistan is a highly polarized country, politically.

[Aviation Pro]

26. Here's another act of war I hope the U.S....

...perpetuates on Pakistan, removing their nuclear weapons and any capability to produce them ever again.

It's the only reason we have an alliance with those fucking asswipes.

[John2]

30. In this case,

I agree with what the President did. We gave the Pakistani authorities, years to locate and turn Bin Laden over. Everytime they denied, that they knew his where abouts and even claimed he wasn't in Pakistan. I think they ebven tried to plant a story, he was dead. Well, he turned up near their most pretigious military academy. As far as I'm concerned, they weren't respecting us.