What say you, Howie Mandel + Briefcase Ladies? Deal or No Deal?
It has been over a week since news broke that Osama bin Laden was killed in a U.S. operation in Abbottabad, and developments are still unfolding, tensions are still building, and we still are not quite sure what the hell is really going on.
On Monday, our illustrious PM Yousaf Raza Gilani made a speech before the Pakistani Parliament, strongly rejecting allegations of Pakistan’s complicity in hiding Osama bin Laden or incompetence in tracking him down. On the topic of what went wrong, Gilani did admit that there had been an intelligence failure, but refused to take sole responsibility, instead noting, “It is not only ours but of all the intelligence agencies of the world.”
Good deflection, Jadoogar.
Gilani also used the speech as an opportunity to highlight the U.S. violation of Pakistani sovereignty, saying Pakistanis are “rightly incensed” about the covert U.S. operation on the country’s soil. He emphasized,
Abbottabad hosts a routine Military training institution, which does not require any elaborate special defence arrangement. There is no denying the US technological ability to evade our radars. We regret that this unilateral action was undertaken without our concurrence.
In several interviews post-raid, former President Pervez Musharraf came out as one of the most vocal critics of the U.S. operation, also calling it a violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty.
But on May 9, the Guardian’s Declan Walsh reported that the U.S. and Pakistan had struck a deal in 2001 permitting a U.S. operation on Pakistani soil to go after Osama bin Laden. Walsh noted,
Under its terms, Pakistan would allow US forces to conduct a unilateral raid inside Pakistan in search of Bin Laden, his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the Al Qaeda No3. Afterwards, both sides agreed, Pakistan would vociferously protest the incursion.
A former senior U.S. official told the Guardian, “There was an agreement between Bush and Musharraf that if we knew where Osama was, we were going to come and get him. The Pakistanis would put up a hue and cry, but they wouldn’t stop us.”
Mushy! You got some ‘splaining to do!
Not surprisingly, Musharraf doth protested such reports. In an interview Wednesday, he told ABC News, “Never! And this is the assertion being cast by the Guardian and I rejected that. I condemn such an insinuation. There was no such deal.”
Interestingly, though, the Guardian wasn’t the only outlet to “cast such an assertion.” In the Friday Times last week, Ali Chishti alluded to something similar, when he quoted former intelligence chief Shah Mahboob Alam who also said, “The U.S. initiated a unilateral action based on an understanding with Pakistan from years ago.”
On Wednesday, Reuters cited more sources – current and former U.S. officials – who further said “the message that the United States would dispatch forces to go after bin Laden if it found him in Pakistan was repeatedly passed on to Pakistani authorities so that, at a minimum, Islamabad should have had no illusions about the U.S. position.”
So, deal or no deal?
It is no secret that Bush and Musharraf had a close relationship post-9/11 attacks. In a joint statement between the two leaders in November 2001, they reaffirmed “the strength and vitality of the bilateral relationship between the United States and Pakistan,” with Musharraf welcoming Bush’s decision “to lift a number of economic sanctions that would allow for the resumption of cooperation with Pakistan.”
Mush: I got you, bra. Bush: Na, bra.
Unless Musharraf suddenly changes tact and admits to a deal (not likely) we really won’t be sure of anything, particularly if the “understanding” that was met was never put in writing. Nevertheless, given the U.S.-Pakistan history of covert deals (hello, drone strike policy), struck so that the U.S. can achieve their interests and the Pakistan state can pretend like they don’t know that we know, we can at least be justifiably suspicious.
The significant part of the deal-or-no-deal debate though, is how it has shifted our attention away from what’s really important; i.e., how the Pakistani military and our intelligence agencies either managed to allow one of the biggest intelligence failures to happen, or worse yet, how they managed to keep OBL hidden as their strategic interest for so long [read Shahid Saeed’s piece at Dawn for words of wisdom as well as Chris Fair’s piece for the AfPak Channel]. Forget holding the Pakistani military and ISI accountable to the Americans – hold them accountable to us, the Pakistani citizens, who bore the brunt of these misgivings.
As a nation, we often point fingers outwards instead of at ourselves. Conspiracy theories reign supreme. Political pot shots to garner votes and popularity are the norm. And amidst this circus, no one seems to give a damn about anyone but themselves. Pray tell, how can we hope for any progress if accountability is never even part of the vernacular?
CHUP! - Changing Up Pakistan 
The nation needs to know what the facts are. Instead people from various quarters have been trying to criticize Husain Haqqani, for his comments on carrying out an investigation.
Haqqani’s got the toughest job in the world right now.
The important thing is Pakistan needs the US, and the US needs Pakistan. We are allies. We are partners, and we will work together and that is what Hussain haqqani is saying and i totally agree with his ideas.
I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say we’re truly partners. Partners makes it sounds like the U.S. and Pakistan are two actors that view each other equally, whereas our relationship has been punctuated and defined for years as a transactional one. We are not partners or true allies with the U.S. because the trust deficit is so huge and because we are not seen as equals.
The only way to find out for sure if the deal exists is that if US comes to hunt Zawahiri(or some high profile figure) and Pakistan retaliates by peaceful means.
Well, if Pakistan does retaliate, things will heat up pretty soon!
I don’t think the people are as innocent as to merely have an unaccountable government. Who is donating $$ to JuD, and why? The people, b/c of India-hatred. This *same* hatred is why the military mucks about with the Taliban–to have ‘strategic depth’ against India. Mucking about with the Taliban leads to mucking about with extremist Arabs leads to the military in bed with al Qaeda. We have a nuclear deterrent, but are determined to have war, by funding Saeed, Dawood, et al to attack India. One day, the retaliation will come. It will be 1971 redux. The same military that surrendered in East Pak. and lets the Americans stomp around the country and cedes Baltistan to China will flee to Afghanistan to enjoy their ‘strategic depth.’ Pakistan will be divided and neutered.
India-hatred is the death-wish of the Pakistani nation. Nations, like people, must adapt or die. Singing the same old song has no benefit and is heading the nation to ruin.
Well said Javed… we need to change this India hatred centric mentality which is what is leading the army to the mess it has created!
@Anoop We should not wait for the U.S. to come and hunt for Zawahiri, instead we should put our own sincere efforts into it and prove to the world our commitment, which will also assist in restoring the international trust.
@kulsoom. Then how do you define partners? America has been giving us aid for a long time and they have been trying to improve our infrastructure and the list goes on and on. Whenever Pakistan needs aid, America always supports them. I feel the obl operation will give birth to a new relationship of peace.
If any of you are under the illusion that Pakistan and US are dependant on each other or have a good alliance then you better wake up come out of this illusion.
US is encircling Pakistan, eroding it from within and putting up its bases around Pakistan. For a nation created to defend Islam and a nation who hold nuclear weapons, don’t be fooled if America holds out his hand to shake yours. America has no friends and does not need any – for it has gone into war and terrorised the world to accept anything it says.
@Awakening Tempest Let us first understand, that every nation has their own interest and they guard these interests for their future prosperity. In every alliance of nations, the tricky part is to look for common interests. There is mistrust in US-Pak relationship and the mistrust you expressed, is also expressed by the Americans. Instead of pushing to sever ties, we should look for a balance in relationship.
The relationship with Pakistan and US is only one sided and beneficial to US only. Take a look at the link below. It will clear up your perception of this willing alliance from both sides – the truth could not be more further apart.
Pakistan – is forced into US relationship at gun point.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5369198.stm
@ Kalsoom Agreed that Pak-US relationship has mistrusts and has seen many highs and lows, but if we conduct our end of the business honestly, we can mend this relationship and also commit the international community to treat us equally.
I think the recent Abbotobad raid had also tacit approval from the trio of Zardari,Gillani and Kiyani. But I think it was to be an operation by Pakistan alone. But USA did its own operation to premept Pakistan to upgrade Obama ratings in 2012.