Pakistan Security Brief - May 10, 2011

U.S. was prepared for fight with Pakistanis in bin Laden raid; Musharraf had previously authorized unilateral raid to capture bin Laden; U.S. gains access to bin Laden’s wives; Pakistani Army ordered to investigate bin Laden incident; Kayani: Inadequate response to operation; Afghan officials urge U.S. to strengthen commitment to Afghanistan; No plans for CIA station chief in Islamabad to return home; Five militants killed in drone strike; Clashes in Khyber Agency; Explosion in Nowshera kills two; India begins war games on border.

Osama’s bin Laden’s Death: SEALs Prepared to Fight Pakistani Forces

• On Monday, senior administration officials revealed additional details about the planning for the operation to kill Osama bin Laden, revealing that the SEAL assault force had to be “large enough to fight its way out of Pakistan if confronted by hostile local police officers and troops.” Contrary to original plans, a decision to send two more helicopter carrying additional troops was made. A senior Obama administration official said that the SEALs had received instructions to avoid confrontation; however, they had been authorized to return fire in order to escape the scene safely. Moreover, officials said that two teams of specialists, lawyers, interrogators, and translators were directed to meet aboard a Navy ship following the raid to either bury bin Laden or conduct interrogations.[i]
• The Guardian reports that a secret deal between the United States and Pakistan was agreed upon almost a decade ago, which would permit a U.S. operation against bin Laden within Pakistan. General Pervez Musharraf and President George Bush struck the deal, allowing the U.S. to conduct an operation within Pakistan’s borders to hunt down bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the al Qaeda number 3 leader. Each side agreed that after the raid, Pakistan would voice their objection to the incursion. The agreement was renewed by the army in 2008, though Musharraf has denied that it exists.[ii]

U.S.-Pakistani Relations Following Bin Laden Raid

• Pakistan officials have said that the U.S. may have access to Osama bin Laden’s wives for interviews. On Monday, an Obama administration official said that the U.S. was interested in interviewing the women to garner information about bin Laden’s life in Abbottabad. [iii]
• Prime Minister Yousuf RazaGilani has ordered the Pakistani Army to initiate an investigation into how bin Laden was able to hide in Pakistan for up to eight years. The inquiry into the raid is to be led by the army's adjutant general, Lieutenant General Javed Iqbal. In a speech before parliament, Gilani also warned the U.S. that future unilateral strikes into Pakistani territory could be met with “full force.” Gilani additionally defended against allegations of complicity and incompetence on the part of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency and military. Gilani told the assembly that it was "disingenuous" to accuse Pakistan’s intelligence services of being "in cahoots" with al Qaeda. Meanwhile, Gilani has ordered ISI chief Lieutenant General Ahmed Shuja Pasha and other military leaders to privately brief parliament about the operation.[iv]
• On Monday, Army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said that an inadequate formal response to the operation that killed Osama bin Laden has aggravated “public dismay and despondency.” Kayani stated that the articulation of a national response through Parliament is necessary.[v]
• Following the raid that killed bin Laden, Afghan officials are urging the U.S. to “strengthen its commitment to Afghanistan and get tougher with Pakistan.” The Wall Street Journal reports that this is a “turnaround from last month, when Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani urged [Afghan President] Karzai to forget about a long-term deal with the Americans and instead consider a regional alliance with Pakistan and China.”[vi]

CIA Station Chief “Outed”

• On Monday, U.S. officials said that despite an apparent attempt by the Pakistani media to reveal the identity of the CIA station chief in Islamabad, the U.S. has no intention to bring the chief home. Reuters reports that “While the Pakistani media reports apparently were inaccurate, US officials said they believe the leak was a calculated attempt to divert attention from American demands for explanations of how Osama bin Laden could have hidden for years near Pakistan’s principal military academy.”[vii]

FATA

• Five militants were killed in a U.S. drone strike in the Angoor Adda area of South Waziristan on Tuesday. Seven others were injured in the strike, which targeted a suspected militant hideout in the area.[viii]
• Five Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants were killed and two Ansarul Islam (AI) fighters were injured in clashes in Khyber Agency on Monday. Meanwhile, the Zakha Khel lashkar gained control of two LI positions in the Tirah Valley. Previously on Sunday, the Zakha Khel tribesmen had allegedly rid the Bazaar valley of LI militants with the support of security forces.[ix]

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa

• An explosion outside a district courtroom in Nowshera killed two police officers. Six others were wounded by the bomb, which was planted at a police checkpoint. There has been no claim of responsibility.[x]

India Begins War Games

• On Monday, India began war games along its border with Pakistan. The six-day exercise is taking place in the Thar desert region in Rajasthan, with 20,000 combat troops participating. In the last six years, India has reportedly performed ten major security exercises along the border.[xi]