One year ago, Congress defunded public media. Now that we're 100% community funded, please become a sustaining member or increase your existing membership today.
This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.
Pakistanis question how much their government knew about bin Laden raid
This frame grab from the Saudi-owned television network MBC (Middle East Broadcasting Center) shows alleged terror mastermind Osama bin Laden sitting between his Egyptian lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri (L) and Suleiman Abu Ghaith, the spokesman of his al-Qaeda network, in an undated videotape broadcast by the Dubai-based MBC April 17, 2002.
(
AFP/Getty Images
)
The United States remains "deeply unpopular" in Pakistan, according to Cyril Almeida, a columnist/editor at Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper.
Local Pakistani television, says Almeida, was questioning whether the Pakistani military knew about the attack on bin Laden's compound ahead of time, and if they knew why they didn't do anything to stop it.
Almeida says that this operation "happening under the nose of our security establishment has caused some to question what is going on in this country."
Tensions were "already at an all-time high," says Almeida, following the Raymond Davis Affair earlier this year – the incident involving a CIA agent who said that he'd shot two men who were trying to rob him and was arrested by local authorities.
Almeida says that what usually happens after operations like this, such as drone strikes and other American activities in Pakistan, is that Pakistani officials start leaking information to the local media. In this case, officials aren't giving information either publicly or privately, which Almeida says raises "awkward questions."
Some commentators and journalists have pointed out that, in the past, American officials have confided information in Pakistani authorities – which then got leaked, allowing targets to potentially get away.
The compound where bin Laden was found was a "stone's throw" one of Pakistan's "premiere military installations."
Sponsored message
"For that to have occurred in that area," says Almeida, "to have a 12-foot high wall ringing a large compound and barbed wire, if it did not invite questions from the local police or the army officials, that sounds pretty much like a lot of incompetence."
One year ago, Congress voted to defund public media, eliminating a critical $1.7 million from our budget every year going forward. But they couldn’t silence us, and we’re not going anywhere. LAist is now 100% community funded and that means we’re taking our future into our own hands and turning to you to keep local reporting strong.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our nonprofit newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our communities. We are free to follow facts wherever they lead and to hold power to account without fear or favor. Our only loyalty is to our readers and listeners and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen Southern California’s communities.
If this story helped you, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
