Friday, May 6, 2011

How Close Did Pakistani Fighter Jets Come To Firing On U.S. Helicopters During the Bin Laden Raid?


Pakistani Fighter Jets Were Close To Firing On U.S Helicopters During Raid To Kill Osama Bin Laden -- New York Daily News

Shamefaced Pakistani officials admitted to intelligence "shortcomings" Thursday after Osama Bin Laden was found hiding in plain sight in their country.

But officials there warned that any further secret raids would result in "disastrous consequences" for already strained U.S.-Pakistan relations.

Pakistan's leadership insists it had no idea that the world's most wanted terrorist was living in a $1 million compound in Abbottabad, just outside the capital.

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My Comment: Once the Pakistani military were aware that there were helicopters in the vicinity, I am sure that their initial thoughts was that these helicopters were actually their own, and that these helicopters were flying on a secret and/or unscheduled flight. With such confusion and doubt on the ground, this U.S. operation was never in any serious danger from any Pakistani intervention.

However .... I also suspect that the next time this happens, the Pakistani military are going to be very tempted to shoot first .... and then ask questions later.

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