WikiLeaks Files Show U.S. Troops Were Yards From Bin Laden Compound In 2008

by Alex Alvarez | 1:54 pm, May 3rd, 2011

» 7 comments

The capture of Osama bin Laden was obviously years and years in the making, and, as WikiLeak’s series of leaked embassy cables show, back in October of 2008, U.S. forces had actually been stationed several yards from the suburban Abbottabad compound where bin Laden and several of his family members and colleagues were ultimately found. The cables also show that U.S. forces may have returned months later as well.

Abbottabad, a quiet, affluent suburb of Pakistan, happens to be home to the Pakistan Military Academy, and U.S. troops had come to the area in order to train members of Pakistan’s Frontier Corps.

The cables also show cooperation between the U.S. and Pakistan:

The information about the US troops is contained in the account of a meeting in Washington between then deputy secretary of state John Negroponte and Pakistan’s foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, discussing security co-operation and concerns across the country.

After both parties agreed the security plans lacked resources, Pakistan’s national security advisor, Mahmud Ali Durrani, referred to the training co-operation.

“Durrani pledged Pakistan’s support for the US Training-of-Trainers for the Frontier Corps starting in Abbottabad in October,” the report read.

h/t The Guardian

Abbottabad, Compound, Osama bin Laden, Pakistan, Wikileaks

Edith Massey

Yeah but Bush didn’t care about getting Osama, he barely even thought about him remember. Might have something to do with the Bushes being so tight with the bin Laden family.
http://www.swissarmyjew.com Keeva

I doubt Bush had ties to Bin Laden. That is just more partisan trash, but the Bush administration had been downplaying the capture or killing of Bin Laden for several years by 2008 when it became obvious it was not going to happen quickly.

The question this raises is how the Pakistani military didn’t know given the obvious stuff like barbed wire and trash burning. Our troops would have had no reason to take action at that time.

It is remarkably wrong to try to blame Bush for not knowing this at the time given the apparent misdirection the Pakistanis were engaging in. When all is said and done the initial intel originated during Bush and the Obama administration refined it into actionable intel.
Barack Must Go

I hear back in early 2007 while president Bush was visiting the area, he ( the president ) had to take a wicked piss. Rumor has it that this occured just as his motorcade passed by the alleged ( at the time ) bin Laden occupied compound. They stopped right in front, two secret service agent exited the vehicle and knocked on right on the front gate and called out to no avail. So they returned to the vehicle and continued out of town for approximately 9.7 kilometers to the local Exxon/Mobil station where ( without incident ) the president was able to relieve himself while the secret service topped off the tank and purchased passion fruit slushies for everybody. What a pisser..huh?
Jackyboy

Edith Massey said:
Yeah but Bush didn’t care about getting Osama, he barely even thought about him remember. Might have something to do with the Bushes being so tight with the bin Laden family.

That is just stupid, and on this site that’s saying something.
Pablo

Jackyboy said:
That is just stupid, and on this site that’s saying something.

She’s a specialist. A real pro in the field.
Thelonious Funk

Who cares? We are better off not knowing anything from WikiLeaks, right?
Nachi

As BushDrunk merrily marched onward!