By Robin Sam
DESPITE finally tracking down Osama bin Laden’s hiding place to Pakistan and killing him in a firefight, the US administration will be loath to take any action against the Pakistan government for shielding the dreaded terrorist and leader of the al Qaeda group.
For long, the Pakistan government has been dishing out various theories on the possible hideouts of Osama bin Laden. However, through the years since the US government cranked up its secret service to go after the mastermind of the Sept 11 attacks, Pakistan has been consistently denying bin Laden’s presence on its soil.
As early as in Sept 2009, Pakistan president Asif Ali Zardari claimed that al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden is dead. Although he did not put forward any evidence or details in support of his claim, nobody including his own administration took him seriously.
The previous Bush administration and the incumbent Obama administration have spent millions of dollars in trying to get Osama bin Laden dead or alive. In the initial stages of the manhunt, the biggest the world has ever witnessed, the search was limited to the ragged mountainous ranges of Afghanistan. Tora Bora was long believed to be the hideout of the terrorist.
The Pakistan government played a significant role in pulling the wool over the American government’s eyes. It manipulated evidence and misled the US administration about bin Laden’s whereabouts. Occasionally, when US leaders would confront it with solid evidence on his presence in Pakistan, the administration in Islamabad was wont to crying foul and playing the role of the persecuted partner in the ‘fight against terrorism.’
Although several US leaders knew of the role of the ISI (Pakistan’s intelligence wing) in harboring and shielding terrorists such as Osama bin Laden and Dawood Ibrahim (the latter is wanted for crimes committed in India), they toasted to the success of the joint operation in the fight against terrorism.
India has for long been asking the US to realize its blunder in allying with the country, known as the perpetrator of terrorist strikes within India and elsewhere in the world. However, the US leaders for reasons best known to them, have been wary of toeing the Indian line and calling Pakistan’s bluff.
US President Barack Obama, in his address on Sunday night, gave ample evidence that his administration will continue to play the role of running with the hare and hunting with the hounds when it comes to dealing with Pakistan.
In his address, Obama said: “Over the years, I’ve repeatedly made clear that we would take action within Pakistan if we knew where bin Laden was. That is what we’ve done. But it’s important to note that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding. Indeed, bin Laden had declared war against Pakistan as well, and ordered attacks against the Pakistani people.
“Tonight, I called President Zardari, and my team has also spoken with their Pakistani counterparts. They agree that this is a good and historic day for both of our nations. And going forward, it is essential that Pakistan continue to join us in the fight against al Qaeda and its affiliates.”
Although the Indian government will publicly rejoice with the US over the new development, privately it would try to tell its sympathizers in the US administration the need for Washington to come to senses and see through Pakistan’s nefarious plans. It may perhaps reiterate its demand that Pakistan take action against those involved in the Mumbai attacks and ask US to pressure Islamabad into getting Dawood Ibrahim, who is believed to be holed up in Lahore with the official patronage and support of the Pakistan government, extradited to India. But it remains to be seen if anything will come out of India’s claims and appeals this time around.
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