What Does Pakistan Stand to Gain in the Aftermath of Bin Laden’s Supposed Death?

By M. Zainulabedin Ameer

 The Pakistani and American intelligence relationship is a very important subject of discussion. At times, it seems as though things are about to fall apart, but co-operation between the two never really diminishes. Particularly in recent times, when ties between the two have been strained, and we have felt that this marriage simply can’t work any further, the two can’t be put asunder.
With General David Petraeus becoming the new CIA chief, we have already presumed the worst in this relationship, as the Pakistanis simply don’t like the man. However, all of a sudden, there is an operation conducted under the cover of darkness, and a few hours later, American sources tell us that their Navy Seals have killed Usama Bin Laden in a compound in Abbotabad, Pakistan. It is apparent that if such a covert operation was carried out, Pakistani defense forces would almost certainly have been part of it or at least approved of it. With recent diplomatic and intelligence relations damaged particularly since the Raymond Davis issue, the people of Pakistan speculate on this recent event and wonder how we continue co-operate with the Americans.

Realistically speaking, the Pakistani and American intelligence relationship is but one of convenience. The Americans know that they need us just as much we need them. This seems especially true since US President Obama has a lot to gain from Bin Laden being dead. Obama’s popularity poll is expected to surge and nullify any chances General David Petraeus might have in the 2012 election. Certainly, Pakistan would be far more comfortable having Obama around for a second term as opposed to having an ex-General as US president who has vowed to fight his third war inside Pakistan. At this point in time, without any statement coming from the Pakistani military, there doesn’t seem to be any other long-term or short-term gain for Pakistan.

No Real Evidence Presented to the People

Aside from pondering what the Pakistani or US gains are with Bin Laden supposedly dead, there are serious questions about the details of the operation. While the world has largely been overjoyed with his death, people still don’t have proof. Sure, we are told there has been a DNA test, but we won’t actually see the results. The initial footage of the compound and the shots of the inside of the house don’t really give the impression that there was any fierce firefight. While there is what appears to be something red (blood) smeared on the floor, the room in which Bin Laden was shot appears as tidy as a candy shop. There is a large hole in the wall where the troops supposedly stormed the house, but there is strangely no debris on the inside. If one has to knock a wall in, you would expect some part of the wall to fall inside the house.

Apart from this evidence provided that seems utterly flawed, there are many more details that don’t make the least bit of sense. The supposed photograph of Bin Laden is dubious too. Why is there only a shot of his face? Secondly, the shot of his face itself has been declared fake by many including The Guardian. However, the world believes what they have been shown on their idiot boxes, and now we have all been taught how easy it is to kill a man twice. 

In 2007, ex-prime Minister of Pakistan, Benazir Bhutto, in a BBC interview, Frost Over the World, said the man who tried to kill her, Omar Sheikh, is the same man that killed Osama Bin Laden. Not surprisingly, this portion of her interview was omitted when the BBC aired the program. Now, here is a credible political leader who has never been known to make mistakes in her statements, and there can be very little doubt cast over what she said. However, she is not the only one to declare Bin Laden dead. In April 2005, a statement of Dr. Clive Williams, Director of Terrorism Studies at the Australian National University, was published in the Sydney Morning Herald. It stated that “…documents provided by an Indian colleague suggested bin Laden died of massive organ failure in April last year [2004].”In his own words, Dr. Williams said: “… It’s hard to prove or disprove these things because there hasn’t really been anything that allows you to make a judgment one way or the other.” Furthermore, in March 2009, The American Spectator released an essay, written by Angelo Codevilla, an International Relations professor at Boston University. In his essay, Professor Codevilla put forward the argument that Osama bin Laden had been dead for many years.

Whether or not Bin Laden really died around 2003-2004, doesn’t matter now. It is absolutely certain that he is dead now because the US says he is. The voices of all those who differ with this claim will be drowned out the chants of celebration and media hype. At this point in time, just like the Raymond Davis issue, we await for things to unfold, as we speculate and try to make sense of everything that passes before our eyes. At the same time, we also ponder over Clinton’s words: “the battle to stop AQ and its syndicate of terror will not end with the death of bin Laden.” To be realistic, we should brace ourselves for another false flag like the World Trade Center attacks on 9/11. Capturing Bin Laden in Pakistan only goes to prove that the Americans were right all along about Pakistan having safe havens for terrorists and that Bin Laden was hiding there.

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