The Osama Drama

This is yet another conspiracy theory that has come up after the death of Osama Bin Laden giving an account of how the CIA contractor, Raymond Davis fits in the picture.

In August 2010 Pakistani authorities shared intelligence with US about the compound in Abbottabad. After its own intelligence gathering, US ascertained that the compound was occupied by Osama’s children.

In January 2011 the young CIA contractor worked “extra hard” to gather information related to ISI and Al Qaeda relationship. The contractor, now well-known as Raymond Davis the “American Rambo” received a call from one of his assets, on January 27 about a high value target. Raymond Davis hired a rent a car, to deceive the ISI agents keeping a tap on him, and drove to Lahore, while his security detail followed him in a bullet proof Land Cruiser. The ISI agents falling for his trap followed the embassy’s Land Cruiser. Raymond Davis arrived at Lahore one hour earlier than his detail and met with the asset. The asset gave him some pictures of an intelligence building at Tarbela and recording of a phone call. Listening to the phone call Raymond Davis realized the gold mine he had struck.

In the next hour, the ISI higher ups realized that Raymond Davis had given them a slip earlier in the morning and in the couple of hours he had in Lahore, he may have obtained some important information. Immediately, they put two contractors on his tail. Raymond Davis seeing a tail feared the worse and shot them both in the back, at a traffic stop, without logically realizing that there was no way ISI could have know what he was holding.

His security detail which was close behind rushed to his “rescue” however, by then the police had chased and arrested him, while the security Land Cruiser, running over pedestrians, escaped towards US embassy compound in Islamabad. ISI officers quickly reached the scene and confiscated the memory sticks only to realize Raymond Davis had unearthed a deep secret which even their immediate bosses had no knowledge about.

Raymond Davis in police custody

The sensitivity of information unnerved the entire echelons of the ISI and even its own officers were sent under house arrest while the concerned cell stepped forward to handle to matter. The biggest secret of the century was now out. No body, except the concerned cell, knew that Osama bin Laden had died and his body was kept frozen at Tarbela. Raymond Davis got to know. But now Pak top brass knew it was only a matter of time before US obtained the intel.

In the next six weeks Pakistan blocked all leaks related to Osama’s death, however, when Raymond Davis was released on March 16, the secret was out and everyone in the US chain of command now wanted to use the information to further personal goals from General Petraeus to President Obama.

On March 17, knowing that Pakistan had lost its trunk card General Pervaiz Kayani released a press statement in which he critically criticized drone attacks, first from him. From then on Pak Military raised its stance against drone attacks, fearing that US now might target its nuclear assets. While in USA politics was at its full swing.

General Petraeus wanted to use Osama bin Laden’s death for his future political ambitions, while President Obama wanted the credit to help his sliding popularity. While the scuffle continued, the other issue still pending was how to confirm Osama’s death. In the next one month, nearly every week a top US official visited Pakistan, everyone meeting with General Kayani trying to convince him to hand over Osama’s body, while the stance from Pakistan remained, “Osama, Who?” It was the first time in history that so many US top officials had visited and met with a military chief of a foreign country in such a short time.

In a meeting with General Kayani, General Mattis asked about Pakistan’s cooperation in capturing Osama bin Laden. Pakistan knew that US knew that Pakistan knows that US knows that Osama is dead. But Pakistan continued the innocent game of “Osama Who?” while US continued to play the game that “Osama must be captured”. General Mattis left with veiled threats and stresses that Pakistan must do more against the Al Qaeda and Taliban, or indirectly saying that Osama bin Laden must be handed over.

Then, Adm. Mike Mullen met with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Khalid Shameem Wynne and General Kayani on April 20. Admiral Mullen again demanded indirectly that Pakistan needs to help USA in locating Osama bin Laden. Pakistan’s response was again, “Osama, Who?” Admiral Mullen, however, left with another threat that if they came to know about Osama bin Laden’s location they would go ahead and take unilateral action.

In response to continued threats from USA, Pakistan started taking back its air bases from US in an attempt to avoid launching of any operation from its own soil. As a result on April 22 the news appeared that Pakistan had taken Shamsi Airbase back from CIA, US forces. While Obama Administration was pilling pressure on Pakistan, General Petraeus visited Pakistan on April 26 and met with General Kayani openly asking him to hand over Osama bin Laden, otherwise get ready to face the consequences. Pakistani Military couldn’t understand Obama Administration’s continued position on ‘capturing’ Osama bin Laden when they knew he was already dead. General Petraeus left with the ultimatum that either Pakistan handed over Osama or US would get him.

On April 28 President Obama signed General Petraeus’ transfer to CIA and next day signed the orders to attack the Abbottabad compounds. Thus Osama bin Laden’s credit was assured to President Obama.

On 29 April after President Obama signed the orders to “bring back” Osama bin Laden, Pakistani security agencies got a report that another order had been signed which had authorized US forces to neutralize Pakistan’s nuclear assets, if needed. The report was nothing short of seeing a death angel for the top Pak Military brass.

As night fell on Sunday, 1 May, four choppers from a US Afghan base flew at a low altitude towards its destination in Abbottabad, to the same compound where Osama’s children were in the hiding. It was then that Pak Army was notified that they had a choice: either face an entire barrage of US choppers attacking Pak nuclear assets or hand over Osama’s body.

In the meanwhile the small gun battle at the Abbottabad compound continued and to give the drama some authenticity the US forces torched one of their own choppers. Pressed for time a Pakistani helicopter flew from Tarbela carrying Osama bin Laden’s dead body. Once the Pakistani helicopter reached the compound the three US choppers and the Pakistani helicopter flew towards the Afghan border.

An aerial view of the compound

A damaged Stealth Chopper

The three bodies left behind

The next day, the world woke up to the news that Osama bin Laden was dead and President Obama had delivered what President Bush and Dick Cheney could not. Overnight, Obama became a hero with his approval rating surging above 50 percent increasing his chances to serve TWO terms as President.

 An eye-witness account of the raid in Abbottabad

Though there are still many questions that remain unanswered but one fact remains, that this is the start of the third theater of war and evidently this time the target is Pakistan.

 Webster Tarpley Exposes the Osama Drama by the US