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Hunt for Osama bin Laden Narrowed to Hostile, Rugged Region of Pakistan
EFL. Pakistan? Ya donât say?!The hunt for Osama bin Laden has been narrowed to a 40-square-mile section of the Waziristan region of Pakistan, senior U.S. officials told ABCNEWS. How many B-52âs would it take to flatten 40 square miles? "[It is] a very hostile area in terms of geography, mountains, terrain, ravines and two ferocious tribes, the Wazirs and the Mahsuds who dominate the area," said Dr. Akbar Ahmed, professor of International Relations at American University in Washington, D.C. Authorities are casting a net around the towns of Angoor Ada and Wana in southern Waziristan, which are infested with al Qaeda supporters, but it is a difficult and dangerous area to operate in. Local residents showed ABCNEWS the mountain homes of known al Qaeda operatives, graffiti praising the Taliban leader Mullah Omar, who is also believed to be hiding in northern Waziristan, and the marketplaces and bazaars where authorities believe that bin Laden and his entourage could get its supplies. At least eight people were murdered in the town of Angoor Ada, in broad daylight, on the suspicion they were informing the U.S. of bin Ladenâs whereabouts, according to locals. As a result, locals are tightlipped about al Qaedaâs presence. Ya think? Locals also told ABCNEWS that one tribe has been known to kill their own relatives for helping Americans with development and infrastructure work on either side of the Afghan-Pakistan border. Authorities told ABCNEWS there is new information from electronic intercepts and intelligence on the ground that shows bin Laden is very much alive, somewhere in the rugged terrain of Waziristan. Local sources there said al Qaeda has affiliates in different cities from Wana to Karachi, who are responsible for transporting al Qaeda members and sending messages by camel, enabling bin Laden to avoid U.S. spy planes and satellites overhead. Four FBI and CIA agents are stationed with Pakistani troops to relay U.S. intelligence information, but even the Pakistanis have a hard time operating there. By treaty with the Wazir tribe, they are not allowed further than 100 yards on either side of the road, according to Ahmed, who once held a political post in the Northwest Frontier Province of Pakistan, which includes Waziristan. "This really is a closed area," he said. "The government of Pakistan has very limited control. Beyond 100 yards of both sides of the road, they have no control, which means there is no criminal law, no civil procedure codes, no normal laws of Pakistan function." Why doesnât this surprise me? The tribal code also focuses on revenge, hospitality and honor, according to Ahmed, so if bin Laden was hiding in this area, all the codes would be applied. "He would be hiding as a guest, so the law of hospitality would be involved," said Ahmed. "If someone handed him over for the huge reward that is being offered, the honor of the tribe would be at stake." Tribal customs and traditions aside, Saleh-Hayat said it is imperative of Pakistan, "to now focus on the tribal belts and to extend its laws into those areas ⊠but it is a gradual process." In other words, donât hold your breath. U.S. special forces are stationed across the border in Afghanistan with approximately 45 checkpoints should bin Laden head there, but authorities said there are many unfrequented routes and it is impossible to seal the entire border. Special forces in Afghanistan, however, are not as specialized as they once were. This specifically hurts the hunt because, he added, in order to deploy intelligence resources to collect information on bin Laden, the U.S. needs Arabic speakers. "If youâve drawn off many if not all of your Arabic language resources and sent them off to Iraq youâre shorthanded in terms of dealing with intelligence collection problem of fixing bin Ladenâs location," said Cannistraro. "So there are fewer resources to deal with in trying to basically find and capture, the principal leader of a terrorist organization thatâs killing Americans." Iraqâs not going anywhere. I throw whatever was needed into Afghanistan/Pakistan to get this prick. Posted by: tu3031 2003-09-08 |
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