Among the 19 hijackers that struck targets in New York and Washington on 9/11, none was an Afghani or Pakistani. They were Arab Muslims, mostly from Saudi Arabia, based in Europe and trained in USA, in all probability by Jews. Yet all hell broke on Afghanistan and now Pakistan is being punished for its uncommitted crimes and US blunders. It may be recalled that when the US and its allies decided to invade Afghanistan in October 2001 on a flimsy excuse of getting hold of Osama bin Laden and disrupting and dismantling Al-Qaeda to avenge terrorist attacks allegedly masterminded by Osama, in that timeframe Al-Qaeda was an unknown entity. If nabbing or killing blue-eyed boy of CIA Osama and his 2-3000 ill-organised and ill-equipped henchmen from different countries was the real purpose, there was absolutely no reason for carrying out grand mobilisation and invading Afghanistan where he was based. Either dialogue together with coercive diplomacy should have been carried out for another month or so, or some proof of his involvement furnished to Mullah Omar as asked by him to justify handing over his guest, or his rational suggestion of putting Osama on trial in a neutral country heeded to. In case these efforts failed, the US should have then carried out a combined covert cum commando operation backed up with well-coordinated intelligence backup support to round them up. Drones or cruise missiles could have been used to for the purpose. However, the US tried to kill a fly with a huge hammer, which still managed to fly away. The real purpose of invasion was not Osama but to topple Taliban regime that had disagreed with unjust terms and conditions of US oil and gas tycoons wanting to pipe down energy resources from Central Asia to European and US markets via Afghanistan and Pakistan. Eager to give practical shape to its New World Order, the US wanted to convert Afghanistan into a permanent military base wherefrom it could monitor regional countries of its interest.At no stage of the operation ‘Enduring Freedom’ invading forces put their boots on ground. The battle was fought and won using the aerial platform. Massive air and missile power was used to devastate Afghanistan. Ground fighting was done by Northern Alliance forces duly backed by intense artillery, rocket and tank fire and carpet bombing. US-UK ground troops joined in once the Taliban decided to abdicate under a planned strategy and moved into hideouts in Tora Bora. Having learnt that the entire Al-Qaeda and Taliban leadership including Osama had taken shelter in caves and tunnels of Tora Bora mountain range, the US military should have gone all out to nab them or as a minimum isolated them through encirclement and tightened the noose around them to prevent their escape and then a combing operation launched. Afghan-Pakistan border should have been effectively sealed rather than relying on ill-trained Frontier Corps (FC) of Pakistan to undertake this dirty work from its end of the border. The much trumped up RDF, ready to move into any troubled spot on short notice should have been called in considering the stakes involved. No such thing was done since US higher ups showed disinterest when they were informed about Osama’s presence in Tora Bora.
Instead of carrying out a search and sweep ground operation against Tora Bora, the US military took the easy route of ceaseless pounding from air hoping that the inmates would be smoked out and surrender would become inevitable. Taking advantage of the smoke screen created as a result of reckless bombing and inhibition of allied forces, the whole lot including Osama and Mulla Omar slipped out. Not a single Al-Qaeda or Taliban leader could be arrested. It was a huge intelligence and military failure but the matter was hushed up. There is a school of thought which is of the view that the US military in order to get rid of the menace, deliberately allowed Osama and others to escape to Pakistan to justify continued occupation of Afghanistan and to subsequently put the bridle around Pakistan. Once he escaped, he was made into a Frankenstein monster that vanished into thin air. Ever since Osama escaped from Afghanistan on 16 December 2001, the US officials are indulging in meaningless conjectures. At no stage they admitted their failure to nab him dead or alive. The US Senate has come out with an unconvincing explanation that former Defence Secretary Rumsfeld rejected calls for reinforcements when Osama was within grasping reach. He supposedly took the plea that induction of extra forces would trigger a backlash of local population against US military. It is a childish and lame excuse to cover up an oversight for which the US and Pakistan are paying dearly. It wants to put across that the US military had the capability but was denied.
Having miserably failed to perform its primary task, the US was left with no choice but to cover up its embarrassment by pressurising Pakistan to do what it could not do. Had Pakistan not helped in arresting over 600 Al-Qaeda and Taliban operatives including some high profile leaders, US scorecard would have been blank. Instead of appreciating its efforts and sacrifices it rendered, the US started mistrusting Pakistan Army and the ISI and started to indulge in immoral blame game alleging that it was soft towards Afghan Taliban. India and Israel were instrumental in poisoning the minds of the US. These cheap tactics were employed to hide their failures and conceal launching of covert operations against Pakistan for the fulfilment of its multiple objectives.
Endless sensational stories about whereabouts of Osama and his exploits were fed to the media to keep him alive and to keep American public distracted and placated. The more he was demonised in the western world more he got popular in the Muslim world and attained the status of a hero. The US deployed every resource at its disposal to get him. A worldwide massive manhunt backed by high-tech electronic and satellite means was launched and the earth combed from one end to the other. All mobile and line phones, internet, foot and vehicular movements were monitored and houses pierced through geo-stationery satellites but he remained untraced. Agencies of other developed countries as well as RAW and Mossad took part in search operations. Having scanned all nooks and corners of the world, the US finally came to the conclusion in 2008 that Osama and other top leaders of Al-Qaeda were hiding either in Afghanistan or in Pakistan or somewhere along Pak-Afghan border belt. Latter assumption was considered more plausible. Services of reputed Scotland Yard were hired, head money raised to $50 million and network of informers engaged to track down most wanted man. It was also reported that Osama was suffering from acute kidneys problem and required frequent dialysis. Reports of his death were also circulated.
When all efforts failed and feelings of impotent rage intensified, they found some solace in making Pakistan a convenient scapegoat. Osama was initially plonked on the top of K-2 and then somewhere in FATA closer to Afghan border. Under this plea, the US military became aggressive and repeatedly expressed its desire to move into FATA to stalk the most prized prey. The US then modified its stance and stated that FATA was the most dangerous place on earth which was a breeding ground for terrorists and suicide bombers and a launching pad for cross border terrorism into Afghanistan. A little later the story was made juicier by declaring FATA as the main base of Al-Qaeda and from where possible attack on US homeland could emanate. A raid by marines was launched in a village in Angoor Adda in September 2008. But for firm stand taken by Gen Kayani, such attacks would have become a routine matter. In search for Osama and other top leaders of Al-Qaeda, CIA accelerated drone attacks in 2009 against suspected targets.
Hilary Clinton on her last visit to Pakistan blurted out that Osama and other senior Al-Qaeda leaders were present in FATA since 2002 and it was incomprehensible that Pakistan leadership didn’t know about it. Gordon Brown substantiated this claim and now Obama has stated without mincing his words that Al-Qaeda is present in Pakistan from where 9/11 attacks were planned and planning for another attack is in the offing. This conclusion was probably drawn from the passport of Pakistan born German national Bhaaji recovered from South Waziristan during Rah-e-Nijat. Western journalists and Dawn TV channel got so excited that they forgot about the operation and focussed their questions on this aspect only to rope in Pakistan in 9/11. What it amounts to is that the US and Britain suspect that Pakistan is sheltering Osama and is linked with Al-Qaeda as well as with Afghan Taliban.
The fact of the matter is that knowing his medical condition, it is humanly not possible for Osama to remain in hiding for eight years in treacherous terrain and that too in FATA that had come under the complete influence of CIA and FBI in 2002. The duo reigned supreme till as late as 2007. The two agencies had established their own outposts and worked towards eliminating all pro-government Maliks, elders and notables, dismantling jirga and political agent system, eroding the authority of police, Khasadars and FC and paving the way for Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to emerge as the strongest force in the entire tribal belt. ISI was virtually pushed into the background so that covert operations could proceed unhindered and unobserved. The TTP was funded, trained and equipped with sophisticated weapons and equipment to pose formidable challenge to Pakistan Army. Tons of armaments with Indian markings hidden in huge tunnels and caves that have been unearthed from Swat and South Waziristan are mind boggling.
The purpose was to embroil the Army against a dreadful force and lock the two in an un-winnable war. The TTP was tutored to terrorise the public in FATA through ruthless measures so as to defame Afghan Taliban. Intention was to kill three birds with one stone. Under such circumstances, to expect Osama to leave the companionship of time-tested Afghan Taliban and marry up with unknown and untested Pakistani Taliban with whom Afghan Taliban had not established any association is far-fetched and whimsical. Moreover, the ISI had helped in tracing and arresting hundreds of Al-Qaeda leaders and Musharraf was averse to Osama. There was no reason for Pakistan under Musharraf that had ditched Afghan Taliban and had put all eggs in the basket of USA to shelter Osama. One can at best laugh at the silly fabrication that has no head or tail.
The theory of Al-Qaeda safe havens in FATA has been invented to deflect attention from US failures. Osama has been kept alive to justify continued occupation of Afghanistan. Now that Gen McChrystal’s wish of additional 30,000 troops has been fulfilled, rather than feeling relieved and more confident, he has come under greater pressure and has come out with yet another lame excuse that unless Osama is captured or killed, Al-Qaeda cannot be defeated. He must understand that even if it is hypothetically accepted that he is alive, does he really think that he is in any position to monitor and run the affairs of Al-Qaeda that has become an international organisation and has its tentacles spread far and wide. Al-Qaeda has strong bases in Iraq, Somalia, Sudan and North Africa and is linked with all the Islamic movements within Muslim world. Its system of multi-layered leadership, logistics, communication and command and control system remain unexplored. Knowing his nature of disease he contracted many years ago, medically his survival under adverse conditions is next to impossible. Osama card has been revived and being played up with evil intentions. Osama is dead, so stop the crap and stop flogging the dead horse and let his soul rest in peace.
The writer is a defence and security analyst based in US. link hidden.
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