Military Aid to Pakistan - US Suspends $800 Million

US Suspends $800 Million in Military Aid to Pakistan

VOA - William Ide | Washington - July 10, 2011

A top White House official says the United States is suspending some $800 million in military aid to Pakistan, a move some analysts say is being made to pressure the Pakistani military to step up cooperation. The decision comes as ties between the two countries are under intense strain in the wake of the U.S. raid on a compound in Pakistan that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

White House Chief of Staff William Daley says that while the U.S. relationship with Pakistan is difficult and complex, it must be made to work over time.

"They've been an important ally in the fight on terrorism. They've been the victim of enormous amounts of terrorism. But right now, they've taken some steps that have given us reason to pause on some of the aid which we were giving to their military. And we're trying to work through that," he said.

President Barack Obama Would Replicate Osama Bin Laden Mission

Obama Would Replicate bin Laden Mission
VOA News May 22, 2011

U.S. President Barack Obama says if necessary, he would order another raid into Pakistan like the one that killed al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

In an interview with the BBC aired Sunday, Obama said the U.S. respects Pakistan's sovereignty but that his administration's job is to secure the United States. He said he would approve another attack in Pakistan if, in his words, "someone actively planning to kill our people or our allies' people" was found there.

A squad of elite U.S. forces flew into the Pakistani city of Abbottabad on May 2 and killed bin Laden in his walled compound. The attack has strained relations between Washington and Islamabad.

Obama, in the interview, also said he is prepared to open negotiations with the Taliban in an effort to end the fighting in Afghanistan. But he said Taliban leaders must first cut their ties with al-Qaida.

The president's interview with the BBC was conducted in advance of his visit to Britain. The president leaves later Sunday for a European tour that begins with a stop in Ireland. He will also visit France and Poland.

Obama Would Replicate bin Laden Mission
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Analysts Say Fear of India Drives Pakistani Support for Militants

Analysts: Fear of India Drives Pakistani Support for Militants

VOA - Gary Thomas | Washington May 18, 2011

The furor over the U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden has again spotlighted charges that Pakistan supports militant groups.  Many analysts say such support is rooted in Pakistan’s concern about what it sees as growing Indian influence in Afghanistan and in U.S. policy circles.

Pakistan Turns to Longtime Friend China

Reeling After Osama, Pakistan Turns to Longtime Friend China

VOA - JulieAnn McKellogg May 17, 2011

Anti-terror allies Pakistan and the United States are struggling to mend their often uncomfortable relationship which has been strained by the secret U.S. raid that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottatad, Pakistan.

Now, it appears Pakistan is looking to its northern neighbor, China, for support.

Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

US Draws Initial Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

VOA - Michael Bowman | Washington May 08, 2011

The Obama administration says material recovered from Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan show the terrorist leader was concerned about the image he projected to the world, and that he remained active in al-Qaida operations nearly 10 years after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

More than a week after the death of Osama bin Laden, the Obama administration is making initial comments on what has been described as a "treasure trove" of data acquired from computer hard drives and other equipment seized at the bin Laden hideout.

"Still looking at it at this point. The size is quite notable," said Tom Donilon, national security advisor of the president, who spoke on Fox News Sunday. "It is the largest cache of intelligence information gotten from a senior terrorist that we know of. It will need to be translated, it will need to be assessed. And we are in the process of doing that."

Donilon says recently released videos in which bin Laden appears to be rehearsing statements, watching television newscasts about himself, and seemingly having dyed his beard provide insights into the deceased terrorist leader.

"I think it shows an attention to his own image, and an attention to the propaganda aspects of the al-Qaida operation," said Donilon.

The national security advisor declined to comment on any specific intelligence gleaned from the seized material to date, or whether it might lead to the discovery of other al-Qaida figures or terrorist plots. But he did say the material reveals bin Laden was very much involved in the terrorist network.

"Osama bin Laden was not just a symbolic leader of al Qaida," said Donilon. "In fact, he had operational and strategic roles he was playing. And that is clear in the information we have been able to see to date."

Donilon said among the first people President Barack Obama contacted after the successful Special Forces operation in Pakistan was former President George W. Bush.

Also appearing on Fox News Sunday was former Vice President Dick Cheney, who congratulated Obama on killing Osama bin Laden. But Cheney bemoaned the Obama administration’s stated policy of not employing water boarding to pry information from terror suspects.

"I think a lot of the techniques that we had used to keep the country safe for seven years [under President Bush] are no longer available," said Cheney. "It is not clear to me today if we still have an interrogation program that we could put somebody through should we capture a high-value detainee that had crucial information."

CIA Director Leon Panetta has said some of the intelligence that led to the killing of Osama bin Laden came from detainees who were subject to so-called "enhanced interrogation".

US Draws Initial Conclusions From Material Seized From Bin Laden Compound

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Osama Bin Laden Videos from His Pakistani Hideout

The United States released videos seized by U.S. forces from Osama bin Laden's Pakistani hideout.
Watch the Osama Bin Laden video clips.

Al-Qaida Confirms Death of Osama bin Laden

Al-Qaida Confirms bin Laden Death

VOA News May 06, 2011

 

Al-Qaida has confirmed the death of its leader, Osama bin Laden.

The U.S. monitoring group SITE Intelligence quoted on Friday a statement attributed to the terrorist network, which had appeared on militant websites.

In the statement, al-Qaida vowed to continue its attacks on Americans and U.S. allies both inside and outside the United States.  It also promised to release soon an audio message that it said bin Laden recorded the week before his death.

In addition, the terror group urged Pakistanis to rise up against their government and "cleanse" their country of what it called the shame brought on them by bin Laden's death in Pakistan.

U.S. special forces killed bin Laden early Monday during a covert raid in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad - a two-hour drive from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

Earlier Friday, Pakistani intelligence officials said one of Osama bin Laden's wives told them she stayed at the compound where the terrorist leader was killed for five years.

Officials said the Yemeni woman, known as "Amal,"  is one of at least three bin Laden wives.  It is not clear if Pakistan is holding other bin Laden wives or relatives.

The killing of bin Laden prompted hundreds of people to protest against the United States in the southwestern city of Quetta Friday.  One cleric said the death of al-Qaida's leader would produce thousands of other Osamas.

Widespread anti-Americanism in Pakistan is fueled by the 10-year war in neighboring Afghanistan and a CIA effort to target militants who live in Pakistan's tribal regions.

 

 

Al-Qaida Confirms bin Laden Death

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Bin Laden Death Photos - Obama Won't Release

Obama: 'I Won't Release Bin Laden Death Photos'

VOA News May 04, 2011

 

U.S. President Barack Obama has decided not to release death photos of Osama bin Laden that were taken after he was killed by U.S. commandos early Monday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Wednesday the president decided there is no purpose in releasing any of the photographs.  He said the graphic images would create a national security risk and could incite violence.

The president announced the decision in an interview Wednesday with the U.S. television network CBS.  Mr. Obama said he has no doubt that U.S. forces killed bin Laden. He said the man behind the September 11, 2001 attacks received the justice the deserved.

Carney said Wednesday the majority of Mr. Obama's closest advisors decided to keep the photos classified.  He said compelling arguments could be made for and against releasing a photo, but that no visual evidence of bin Laden's death will be made public.

The spokesman reiterated U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder's statement that the raid was lawful.  He said the U.S. special forces would have taken the world's most wanted terrorist into custody if he had surrendered.

Holder also said the killing of bin Laden was an act of national self-defense.  He said the United States ultimately will be more safe because of it.  However, he warned of possible retaliatory attacks, and said the fight against terrorist threats is far from over.

Holder said he has ordered law enforcement agencies to be on alert, and said there still are serious concerns that the United States must address.

In testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Holder said bin Laden's death is a "tremendous step forward" in obtaining justice for the thousands killed in the September 11 al-Qaida attacks against the United States. He called on Congress to reauthorize for a "substantial period of time" provisions in the Patriot Act that expire at the end of the month.

The provisions set to expire allow roving wiretaps on people with suspected terror ties, access to records, and tracking someone with no ties to a terrorist group, a so-called "lone wolf."  Holder said those provisions are needed now more than ever.

The chairman of the Senate committee, Democrat Patrick Leahy, welcomed the successful raid that killed bin Laden.  He said bin Laden paid for his actions against innocent Americans and people around the world, calling him a terrorist and murderer who "perpetuated hate and destruction."

Obama: 'I Won't Release Bin Laden Death Photos'

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Raw Footage Osama bin Laden Was Killed Here - Video

US Revises Description of bin Laden Killing

VOA - Kent Klein | White House May 03, 2011

U.S. officials on Tuesday revised their description of the circumstances surrounding the killing of al-Qaida terror leader Osama bin Laden, as more details became available.  As The new narrative says bin Laden resisted U.S. forces and was unarmed.   

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney gave reporters a revised narrative of Sunday’s events, supplied by the U.S. Defense Department.

In this version, U.S. forces were engaged in a firefight throughout the nearly 40-minute operation.

"On the first floor of bin Laden’s building, two al-Qaida couriers were killed, along with a woman who was killed in crossfire," said Carney. "Bin Laden and his family were found on the second and third floor of the building."

Carney said bin Laden resisted the invading U.S. forces, but was unarmed, contrary to earlier reports.

The information from the Pentagon backed away from earlier suggestions that bin Laden and others had used women as human shields during the fighting.

"Bin Laden and his family were found on the second and third floor of the building," he said. "There was concern that bin Laden would oppose the capture operation, and indeed, he did resist.  In the room with bin Laden, a woman, bin Laden’s wife, rushed the U.S. assaulter and was shot in the leg, but not killed.  Bin Laden was then shot and killed.  He was not armed."

Carney did not explain what form bin Laden’s resistance took.

At Tuesday’s briefing, the president’s spokesman said officials are discussing whether to release a photograph of bin Laden after his death from bullet wounds to the chest and face.  Carney called the photo "gruesome," and said the image could be inflammatory.

"Well, I will be candid in that there are sensitivities here, in terms of the appropriateness of releasing photographs of Osama bin Laden in the aftermath of this firefight," said the White House press secretary. "And we are making an evaluation about the need to do that."

When asked about Pakistan’s commitment to fighting terror, Carney said the United States and Pakistan have disagreements.  But he praised the Islamabad government for its help.

"It is a complicated, but important relationship," said Jay Carney. "Pakistan is a partner, a key partner in the fight against al-Qaida and terrorism.  They have been extremely helpful.  And we look forward to cooperating into the future."

Earlier Tuesday, CIA Director Leon Panetta told Time  magazine that the intelligence agency had ruled out working with Pakistan on the bin Laden operation.  Officials were concerned that Pakistan might have jeopardized the mission by warning the terrorists.

Carney said Pakistan is a big country and that White House officials do not know who in the government might have known that bin Laden was in the compound.

The press secretary said the Obama administration hopes that information obtained from the compound will yield evidence of any planned attacks, information that will lead to other high-value targets or other terror networks, and information about how bin Laden was able to live in the suburban compound as long as he did.
Raw footage of the compound where Osama bin Laden was killed:







US Revises Description of bin Laden Killing
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President Barack Obama weighed several options before ordering military assault that killed Osama bin Laden

Obama Weighed Options Before Bin Laden Strike

VOA News May 03, 2011

Photo: White House - P. Souza

President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden, along with members of the national security team, receive an update on the mission against Osama bin Laden in the Situation Room of the White House, May 1, 2011. Seated, from left, are: Brigadier General Marshall B. “Brad” Webb, Assistant Commanding General, Joint Special Operations Command; Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; and Secretary of Defense Robert Gates. Standing, from left, are: Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff; National Security Advisor Tom Donilon; Chief of Staff Bill Daley; Tony Binken, National Security Advisor to the Vice President; Audrey Tomason Director for Counterterrorism; John Brennan, Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism; and Director of National Intelligence James Clapper. Please note: a classified document seen in this photograph has been obscured.

U.S. officials say President Barack Obama weighed several options before ordering the military assault that killed Osama bin Laden, and that the president's advisors were divided on which course to pursue.

The president opted against bombing the compound north of Islamabad where the al-Qaida leader had been hiding.  Officials said that plan would have been less risky to U.S. military personnel but would have made it difficult to confirm if bin Laden was present and killed.

U.S. officials say Obama also considered continuing to wait and monitor the site in order to be more certain of intelligence that strongly suggested the man at the compound was indeed bin Laden.  Obama ultimately authorized the military operation on Friday morning, saying "it's a go."

Details emerge

At a White House briefing on Monday, the Obama administration's counterterror chief, John Brennan, released details of the sophisticated airborne assault carried out by an elite U.S. military unit. A group of Navy SEALs slid down ropes from helicopters into the compound in the city of Abbottabad early Monday.  After making their way into the main building they shot bin Laden in the head during a firefight.

Brennan said there had been plans to take bin Laden alive.

Anxiety-filled

He called the 40 minutes that it took to complete the operation the "most anxiety-filled periods of time" for administration officials, including Mr. Obama, who was monitoring from the White House Situation Room. "Minutes," he said, "passed like days."

No American lives were lost in the operation.

Obama announced bin Laden's death in televised remarks at the White House late Sunday.

A U.S. counterterrorism official says the elite military unit confiscated hard drives, DVDs and documents following the raid.

Pakistan out of the loop

The Pakistan government was not informed of the mission until the helicopters were out of Pakistani air space, for fear they might be intercepted.

Brennan suggested that bin Laden had benefited from some sort of support system in Pakistan because his compound was in Abbottabad, a military garrison town some 60 kilometers from Islamabad.  There had been persistent reports that bin Laden had sought refuge in Pakistan's lawless western border region.

Buried at sea, DNA proof

U.S. military officials said bin Laden was buried at sea after he was given traditional Muslim funeral rites, with his body washed and placed in a white sheet.

The officials said DNA testing showed nearly 100 percent certainty that the dead man was the al-Qaida leader.

Brennan revealed that President Obama, on word that the mission was successfully accomplished, said, "We got him."

Obama Weighed Options Before Bin Laden Strike

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Death of Osama bin Laden Announced by Obama - Video

Obama Announces Death of Osama bin Laden
VOA Kent Klein | White House May 01, 2011


Twenty-five minutes before midnight on a Sunday night, President Obama made an announcement that the American people had waited almost ten years to hear.

"I can report to the American people and to the world, that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of al-Qaida and a terrorist who is responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women and children," Obama said.

Osama bin Laden has been the world’s most-wanted terrorist since more than 3,000 people were killed in al-Qaida’s attacks on the United States on September 11, 2001.

Mr. Obama said he was briefed last August on a possible lead to bin Laden’s location. He said the terrorist leader had been hiding in a compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

The president said he authorized a mission last week to "get Osama bin Laden and bring him to justice."

Watch President Obama's Announcement:


Mr. Obama said a small team of Americans Sunday carried out the operation on the compound.

"After a firefight, they killed Osama bin Laden and took custody of his body," Obama said.

The president acknowledged that al-Qaida will continue to pursue attacks against the United States, and he warned Americans to remain vigilant.

"I have made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9-11, that our war is not against Islam, because bin Laden was not a Muslim leader. He was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al-Qaida has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own."

Mr. Obama said counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead U.S. forces to bin Laden. He said he called Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari to notify him of bin Laden’s death. The president said Pakistani officials agreed that this was a "good and historic day" for both nations.

Mr. Obama also called former President George W. Bush, who was president on September 11, 2001, and who launched the U.S. war on terror. In a written statement, Mr. Bush called bin Laden’s killing a "momentous achievement" and a "victory for America." He said "No matter how long it takes, justice will be done."

Osama bin Laden was born March 10, 1957 to a wealthy family in Saudi Arabia.

When the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979, bin Laden joined the Afghan mujahedin Islamic fighters. Several years later, he used his wealth to form his own militia force, later called al-Qaida, Arabic for "the base."

In 1996, bin Laden declared a holy war against the United States, which he accused of looting the natural resources of Muslim nations and helping Islam’s enemies.

While hiding in Sudan, bin Laden is said to have plotted attacks on the U.S. military in Somalia and Saudi Arabia. He also orchestrated the 1998 bombing of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.

Within weeks after the September 11, 2001 attacks, the United States led a coalition that overthrew Afghanistan’s Taliban government, which had refused to turn bin Laden over to the U.S.

For almost ten years, U.S. soldiers and intelligence officers combed the mountainous area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, trying to find bin Laden.

Shortly before President Obama announced that bin Laden had been killed, a jubilant crowd gathered outside the White House, chanting, cheering and singing.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has put its embassies on alert and warned Americans of possible al-Qaida reprisal attacks.


Obama Announces Death of Osama bin Laden
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Osama Bin Laden Dead - Killed by United States Operation

World Leaders React to bin Laden's Death

VOA News May 02, 2011

World leaders are reacting to the news of the death of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden.

Former U.S. president George W. Bush called bin Laden's death a "momentous achievement."  Bush was president when when al-Qaida attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2001.

Former U.S. president Bill Clinton has called bin Laden's death a "profoundly important moment."

Afghan President Hamid Karzai said bin Laden's death in neighboring Pakistan proves Kabul's long-standing position that the war on terror was not rooted in Afghanistan.  Karzai also urged the Afghan Taliban to refrain from fighting.

Meanwhile, India's Home Minister P. Chidambaram said the news of bin Laden's death highlights India's "concern" that terrorists find "sanctuary" in Pakistan.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said the news of the al-Qaida leader's death brings "great relief" to people across the world.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy hailed bin Laden's death as a major coup in the fight against terrorism.

In the United States, jubilant crowds gathered outside the White House in Washington, and Times Square in New York - as well as what is known as "ground zero" - to celebrate bin Laden's death.

A VOA reporter on the scene at the scene in Washington said young Americans, celebrating outside the gates of the White House, sang the national anthem as they climbed trees and lampposts to hang American flags.

Video footage of reaction in Washington DC, New York City

World Leaders React to bin Laden's Death

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Pakistan Arrest Warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf - Assassination of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto

Pakistan Issues Arrest Warrant for Musharraf
Saturday, February 12th, 2011 - VOA

Pakistani officials say an anti-terrorism court has issued an arrest warrant for former President Pervez Musharraf in connection with the assassination of ex-Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto.

Authorities say Judge Rana Nisar Ahmad issued the warrant Saturday, ordering Mr. Musharraf to appear in court on February 19.

Mr. Musharraf has been in exile in London for more than two years.

Ms. Bhutto was assassinated in a gun and suicide bomb attack on December 27, 2007, while campaigning in the city of Rawalpindi. Ms. Bhutto was running as leader of the opposition Pakistan People's Party in national elections.

Her widower, Ali Zardari, led the Pakistan People's Party to victory, and is now president.


Pakistan Issues Arrest Warrant for Musharraf
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