CIA’s Bin Laden Informants Reportedly Arrested in Pakistan
- Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:09am by
Jonathon M. Seidl
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Osama bin Laden's Pakistani compund.
ISLAMABAD (AP) — The Pakistani army denied Wednesday that one of its majors was among a group of Pakistanis who Western officials say were arrested for feeding the CIA information before the American raid that killed Osama bin Laden.
The New York Times, which first reported the arrests of five Pakistani informants Tuesday, said an army major was detained who copied license plates of cars visiting the al-Qaida chief’s compound in Pakistan in the weeks before the raid.
A Western official in Pakistan confirmed that five Pakistanis who fed information to the CIA before the May 2 operation were arrested by Pakistan’s top intelligence service.
But Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas denied an army major was arrested, saying the report was “false and totally baseless.” Neither the army nor Pakistan’s spy agency would confirm or deny the overall report about the detentions.
The group of detained Pakistanis included the owner of a safe house rented to the CIA to observe bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, an army town not far from the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, a U.S. official said. The owner was detained along with a “handful” of other Pakistanis, said the official.
The Western officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive intelligence matters.
The fate of the purported CIA informants who were arrested was unclear, but American officials told the Times that CIA Director Leon Panetta raised the issue when he visited Islamabad last week to meet with Pakistani military and intelligence officers.
U.S.-Pakistani relations have been strained over the raid by Navy SEALs on Pakistani territory, which embarrassed Pakistan’s military, and other issues. Officials said the arrests of the suspected informants was just the latest evidence of the fractured relationship between the two nations.
The Times said that at a closed briefing last week, members of the Senate Intelligence Committee asked Michael Morell, the deputy CIA director, to rate Pakistan’s cooperation with the United States on counterterrorism operations, on a scale of 1 to 10.
“Three,” Morell replied, according to officials familiar with the exchange, the newspaper said.
American officials speaking to the Times cautioned that Morell‘s comment was a snapshot of the current relationship and did not represent the Obama administration’s overall assessment.
“We have a strong relationship with our Pakistani counterparts and work through issues when they arise,” Marie Harf, a CIA spokeswoman, told the newspaper. “Director Panetta had productive meetings last week in Islamabad. It’s a crucial partnership, and we will continue to work together in the fight against al-Qaida and other terrorist groups who threaten our country and theirs.”
Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s ambassador to the United States, said in an interview with the Times that the CIA and the Pakistani spy agency “are working out mutually acceptable terms for their cooperation in fighting the menace of terrorism. It is not appropriate for us to get into the details at this stage.”
—
Dozier reported from Washington. Associated Press writer Kathy Gannon contributed to this report from Kabul, Afghanistan.
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Comments (49)
MikeinIdaho
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 10:12amSeems to me that you‘d have to arrest most of the muslims in the world to detain all of Osama bin Ladin’s supporters!
Report Post »ashestoashes
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 10:11amOh but of course they are our friend. After all, how could they not be when we are giving them 3.5 billion of American tax payer dollars a year and it is Obama’s dream to see them be a completely capable nuclear outfitted country? Obama has a great love for Pakistan. He even spent 20 million of tax payer money to relocate Hammas affiliated Pakistanis to the US. Oh but then wait, didn’t Holder just send marked auto and semi auto guns down to Hammas drug running cartels to Mexico through Arizona? Oh and wait; doesn’t he have a lawsuit with Arizona to keep them from barring them from Arizona? Heck, they are all our friends.
Report Post »mossbrain
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 10:02amI just googled anti Muslim organizations. I’m going to join some and put my money where my mouth is. I don’t know which are the best but I want to get involved in fighting Islam. Any political candidate at any level who will help stop the spread of the Islamic disease will get my vote.
Report Post »santramir
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:58amthe unreported core of global unrest: http://www.realzionistnews.com/?p=640
Report Post »harumph
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:56amIn Barry’s world, the enemy of his enemy is his friend. If his enemy is the Great Satan, everything begins to fall into place, doesn’t it?
Report Post »junkmaninohio
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:46amI guess it really does take a brick wall to fall on the heads of Hillary and Obama to finally realize these corrupt Pakistanies support terrorists that want to kill Americans. And yet, we will still give them $ 6 BILLION in aid again this year. The US, under this administration, is the laughing stock of the world.
Report Post »pwatkins
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:30amSadly, the current administration is not our friend and will do whatever it takes to cover their tracks. This whole UBL ordeal has been a political sCam for Obama and his NWO shadow government.
Report Post »We may never know all the truth about what went down, but enough will come out eventually to know it wasn’t done in the best interest of the US. There has been no proof of anything told by this administration about the killing of UBL, but media hype.
John 3:16
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:29amThis government of ours, run by dumbo and sorros, just use people and then discard them as so much trash. I think Dumbo knew where osoma was at for months: He just wanted to pull an ace out when he thought it would help him most.
Report Post »SamIamTwo
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:20amWhat Obama didn’t protect the informants? Idiot of man. At least under Bush they protected informants to the best of their ability. Some are now US Citizens.
Report Post »harumph
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:15amYou allow us access to Osama and we’ll deliver the snitches. I really hope I’m wrong, here. But this administration uses scapegoats like toilet paper.
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:25amSee you are right; this is exactly the kind of fall-out many involved in these type of operations when classified info gets leaked to the media!
Report Post »harumph
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:38amThese guys are so sandlot, it’s not even funny.
Report Post »Tickdog
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:09amI feel sorry for those guys.. they are dead..
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:53amYes, that’s what countries do with enemy spies. Did anyone doubt that Pakistan considers the U.S. an enemy?
Report Post »flsnipe
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:53amNo Problem how much aid do you need ? 2-5 BILLON NO problem thanks for the help!
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:53amNot defending Pakistan here but you know that if a US military member collected information & reported that to another govt.s intelligence agency unbeknownst to US authorities we would lock that officer up no matter how good the cause. This is a more complex issue than it looks like at first glance.
Report Post »nomercy63
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:52amIs Obama going to take credit for the CIA informants being killed as well or just say damn I knew we forgot something!!!
Report Post »nilo
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:08amHow much treachery do we have to endure from our friends???? With friends like this, you don’t need enemies. Time to leave.
Report Post »kralspaces
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:04amNukes or no nukes, break our ties. We can deal with them through India. We should also get out of the Middle East and deal with the area through Israel. Support without troops on the ground. Covert is the way to deal with the rest of the world, including Mexico.
Report Post »hempstead1944
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:53amBeing a friend to America can cost you your freedom….even your life. Panetta won’t be returning any of your phone calls either….
Report Post »donh2
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:48amYour tax dollars at work….Pay the dhimi tax to Pakistan and fund the death of our CIA agents and friends inside the enemy base.
Report Post »ginpa
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:46amThey are with us or against us. Depending which way the wind is blowing.
Report Post »ramburner
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:14amSounds like the average Arab nation, doesn’t it?
Report Post »BrerRabbit
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:46amNo well surprise ! Pak – e – stan is a cess pool !
Report Post »Ron_WA
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:36amI know some in Pakistan are our friends but others clearly are not. The truly disturbing part is that a country w/ these kinds of divisions which can’t reign in duplicitous agendas has so many nuclear weapons.
Report Post »jagr1850
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:33ampakistan is not our friend…….they must give back all the billions they were given by our government $$$$$$
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:16amThey are arresting people for helping to get the most wanted terrorist in the world by the civilized nations and we give them money? WTF?????????????????
Report Post »SlimnRanger
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:34amThis is very confusing indeed
Report Post »rose-ellen
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:28amGood for them! it‘s not so easy to be the world’s dictators.Kudos to pakistan for hiding that freedom fighter.it’s not so easy to take over the world amerika!.Welcome to the 21st century-the century of the people all people where being a superpower does not guarantee immunity from blowback to unjust meddling [for greedy cheap oil, military bases, illigal support of racist israeli occupation and expansion ,propping up murderous dictators who at our bidding torture and murder dissidents, etc].Pakistanis have no choice but to publicaly appease you but they do have a conscience as they are showing in defying your dictatorial demands.You mass murdering american terrorists! You can’tmurder thousands of men women and children with impunity anymore as in the past thanks to those freedom fighting defenders of their people what you cal “terrorists].A euphemism for the fact that they JEOPORDIZE your plans to control the world for your interests at the expense of their interests. with impunity!They asserted their existence and that wasn’t suppose to happen to a superpower.
Report Post »harumph
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 10:48amWe’d love to see a picture of you, Rose. You know, so we can put a face with a name.
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:15am.
Report Post »How do you arrest a country?
Obama Bin Lying
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:20amDid anyone really believe that Pakistan was our friend?
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:31am.
Report Post »We should take our gang problem, prison population & all the illegal’s we can round up.
Give them a 9mm a bottle of water & a Porn Mag then dump them right in the big middle of Downtown (How does Obama say it?) Pak-i-stan. What a wonderful gift for our friend that would be, the Gift of Culture & Diversity for all their help.
grandmaof5
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:42amLet’s get this straight: they can figure out who snitched on Osama and arrest them, but no one knew that Osama was in Pakistan after how many years of hiding in the same house…..They ought to hold those officers in high esteem, not arrest them. That proves to America that Pakistan knew all along Osama was there and they were aiding and abetting him.
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 7:55amGrandmaof5:
That is one of the main things indeed is how they, the Pakistanis ‘did not know of UBL’ location; and also there is a second question to be asked:
Did we, the US offer to take the CIA informants out of the country after the raid was done and when things died down, or were they to be used and discarded?
Assuming they are even still alive, I pray we will be able to get them out, if the administration shows even more than lip service to it wanting so. (And yes, the article stated there are talks underway, I just wonder how much is smoke and mirrors so typical with this admin.)
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:21amMuslims ARE the problem.
Any questions?
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:37amThat’s good. Arrest them, because the CIA IS AL QAEDA AND AL QAEDA IS THE CIA.
Osama Bin Ladin was CIA Asset “Tim Osman”, and he has been dead for about a decade.
9-11 was an inside job.
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:39amLet’s see, is the CIA gonna stage an escape for these criminals the same way the British forces in Iraq staged the escape of the Agent Provocateurs that were arrested for dressing up like local rival tribes and killing people and blowing things up to spark a civil war under false-flag terror?
Report Post »Ironeagle
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:40amSpank, I like your idea about dumping our societal trash into Crap-i-stan…thats thinking outside the box.
Report Post »RedPepper2
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 8:41amDoes this story give you a warm and fuzzy feeling when you read of the millions our US government gives Pakistan in foreign aid?
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 9:25am“Pock-E-Ston” was never our friend. With friends like that, who needs enemies?
Report Post »Sinista MACE
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 11:04amThe CIA was never your friend either.
They lie WAY MORE than the POCKESTONNEEES.
The CIA is worse than every muslim terrorist on earth.
There’s your terrorists folks. They aren’t scattered all around the world, they’re right there at the CIA and Pentagon.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on June 15, 2011 at 2:46pmSNOW, how come they didn’t take that big reward and get the heck out of there? Did we renege on that huge reward? Typical Obama, screw the good guys.
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