Pakistan Armed Forces admitted some shortcomings in developing intelligence on Osama bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad but insisted that the achievements of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) against al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates in Pakistan have no parallel.
General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani chaired the 138th Corps Commanders' Conference on Thursday at General Headquarters Rawalpindi with a one-point agenda: the Abbottabad incident in which Osama Bin Laden was killed by US Navy Seals. The incident and its implications on the military as well as the military's relations with the United States were discussed at length.
The ISPR released details of the meeting in a press release which revealed that the Forum was informed that around 100 top level al Qaeda leaders, operatives were killed and arrested by ISI, with or without support of CIA. However, in the case of Osama Bin Laden, while the CIA developed intelligence based on initial information provided by ISI, it did not share further development of intelligence with the ISI - contrary to the existing practice between the two services. Nonetheless, an investigation has been ordered into the circumstances that led to this situation.
The ISPR stated that COAS made it very clear that any similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, will warrant a review of the level of military or intelligence co-operation with the United States. The Corps Commanders were informed about the decision to reduce the strength of US military personnel in Pakistan to minimum essential.
As regards the possibility of similar hostile action against Pakistan's strategic assets, the Forum reaffirmed that, unlike an undefended civilian compound, Pakistan's strategic assets are well protected and an elaborate defensive mechanism is in place.
The Forum, the press release further adds, took serious note of the assertions made by Indian military leadership about conducting similar operations, and made it very clear that any misadventure of this kind will be responded to very strongly. There should be no doubt about it, the press release added. The Forum reiterated the resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan and to fight the menace of terrorism, with the support and help of the people of Pakistan.
Meanwhile, Pakistan on Thursday termed the US covert operation in Abbottabad as violation of its sovereignty and warned that if any other country resorted to such adventurism inside its territory, it would create regional catastrophe. "We feel that, this kind of adventurism or miscalculation would result in a terrible catastrophe," said Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir, when his comments were sought in response to the Indian Army chief's statement that India is capable of conducting similar covert operations hideouts' across the border.
"There should be no doubt in anybody's mind that Pakistan has adequate capacity to defend itself. We are proud of our armed forces, security agencies and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) that have contributed enormously in the anti-terror campaign," he said. He said American action in Abbottabad involved legal issues concerning violation of sovereignty and these should be addressed amicably for long-lasting global peace.
The Foreign Secretary was briefing media on different security aspects shrouding Abbottabad operation by the US forces reiterating that the action which led to the killing of Osama bin Ladin was a covert operation and Pakistan armed forces were not consulted.
Bashir said Pakistan has adequate capacity to uphold its honour, defend its sovereignty and safeguard its security adding that our military and political leadership is well equipped and watchful of the defence requirements of the country. Referring to the concerns of local media on national security, he said that no Pakistani citizen should feel demoralised in this regard.
Giving details of the operation, he said the US helicopters reached the scene evading Pakistani radars and our authorities came to know of the incident when one of the helicopters crashed, adding that the relevant units reached the operation site within 15 minutes. He further said that Pakistan Air Force was alerted and two F-16s were air-borne.
The Foreign Secretary confirmed that US chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mike Mullen telephoned Pakistan's Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani at around 3:00 am and informed him about the Abbottabad operation. Among other things, Bashir said that Mullen also raised the issue of Pakistan's sovereignty of which even the Americans were also mindful.
He said the compound where Osama bin Ladin was killed is about four kilometers from Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), which is a training institute. This particular institute does not require the sort of defence that we require for our military and strategic assets especially aerial and ground defence, he clarified.
He said the covert operation had raised a number of questions and pointed out that even the statement of the president of UN Security Council had emphasised that member states must ensure that any measure taken to combat terrorism was in compliance with the obligations under international law and in particular human rights, refugee and humanitarian law. "There are red-lines in Pakistan's co-operation with the US and other members of the international community and these should be observed," he added.
Referring to the CIA Chief's remarks that Pakistan's ISI was either guilty of complicity or incompetent, the Foreign Secretary said such statements continued to surface and resurface and were aimed at pressurising Pakistan to do more. "This is false and hypothetic allegation that flies in the face of what Pakistan and ISI have been able to accomplish," he remarked, adding that performance of no other intelligence agency including CIA could be compared with that of the ISI in war against terror.
The foreign secretary said that the aspect of incompetence was being looked into but added that if it was an intelligence failure then as pointed out by Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in France, it was a global intelligence failure.
He further said that there was no information within the US system about those who were ultimately responsible for 9/11 incident and the US government and CIA failed to prevent them. "This is not the time for anybody to indulge in luxury of passing value judgements," he further said, adding that ISI has done a commendable work and has a brilliant track record of combating terrorism and interdicting al Qaeda.
Citing the Tora Bora mountains bombing by the US against the advice of Pakistan, he said that flawed military strategy enabled al Qaeda elements to disperse in different directions and in the meantime Pakistani armed forces moved into Terah Valley and picked up 248 fleeing al Qaeda operatives, he added.
He further said that so far all the major arrests of the al Qaeda members that have been made were either by ISI on its own or in joint operation with CIA, prominent of them include Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, Abu Faraj Libbi, Rumzi, Abu Zubaida, Khalfan, Abu Hamza Rabia and so-called Bali bomber from different cities and places of the country.
Bashir rejected the notion that elements within the ISI or the government were providing cover to Osama, adding that it was absolutely wrong. He said that US itself had acknowledged that some of the leads that ultimately led to the identification of the Abbottabad compound resulted from the information shared between ISI and CIA.
To a question whether Osama was also among killed in the US operation, he said that it has been confirmed by the family members that he was also among those killed. He further said that the family members and others found in the compound were with Pakistan.
He said Pakistan would also look into all aspects and hoped that more information would surface as to how long Osama lived in the compound and what local support he enjoyed. He also rejected the impression that Pakistan-US relations were at the lowest point after the incident and pointed out that he visited Washington recently and US special envoy Marc Grossman visited Pakistan and held fruitful meetings with Pakistani leadership, adding that US acknowledges Pakistan's co-operation.