Nearly a decade ago I was sleeping in an icy goat shed outside Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in the shadow of the "White Mountain" of Tora Bora. This was supposed to be the "end game" maneuver to kill Osama bin Laden, who was believed (and later confirmed) to be hiding in one of the cave complexes from which he once made a name for himself repelling a Soviet siege.
He was within the reach -- but not the will -- of American forces at that time nine years ago.
We even heard a voice believed to be his on the radio.
But the U.S. army didn't send in the infantry, and its unreliable mujahideen proxy force let him slip out the back door.
Today's special ops raid to kill the man designated "UBL" by the U.S. government contains a number of surprises. First of which, the fact that it wasn't an expensive UAV supertoy, but a helicopter loaded with armed men who assassinated bin Laden.
Secondly, that his body, according the POTUS, is in the 'custody' of American forces. Likely to stave off the inevitable 'Osama Lives!' memes that will begin percolating ... now.
But most interestingly -- or not -- is where he was reportedly holed up. For the past decade, we've been told the 9-11 architect and spiritual leader of pan-Islamist militancy was most likely hiding on the Pakistan side of the border in the lawless Northwest Frontier Province -- a place outside the control of Pakistan's government and, from my experience, is little changed from the 12th Century.
Reports indicate he was in a "mansion" north of Islamabad (Pakistan's political capital) and Rawalpindi (the true, military capital). Not inside the NWFP. Despite Obama's unconvincing assurances Pakistan "helped" in the effort, it certainly lends the appearance of state patronage.
Fingers will point at duplicitous, rogue elements within Pakistan's intelligence service, but would that distinction be applied to CIA activities?
And of course, Fox News has already hedlined "Obama Bin Laden" dead, and not for the first time.
For a good read on Tora Bora, check out what Peter Bergen wrote for The New Republic in 2009.
Comments