Osama Bin Laden is dead and his corpse is in US hands.

[Dago]

I'm wondering whether the helicopters could have got in and out without PAF knowledge.

jamming pods? altitude? flying low

[HKDan]

I'm wondering whether the helicopters could have got in and out without PAF knowledge.

IM guessing that it was either a raid from a Pakistani miltary airfield and the Pakistanis were fully informed, or CV-22 Ospreys out of Afghanistan. I can't think of another way that the U.S. could have done it from outside Pakistan.

[Blademaster]

Here's Obama making a statement.

[hammer]

Congratulations guys!! Can someone from US spl forces hang his body upside down and take a pic and post it on the WAB, please ? I would love to see it. ... hmmm... next stop Zawahiri's mansion.

[RollingWave]

hopefully, this is a the start of a something good, and not just the end of a sad story.

[troung]

[Mihais]

Have skimmed through the thread.While this may offer emotional satisfaction,it is nonetheless irrelevant in the greater scheme of things.However the ''mission accomplished'' attitude is now official.This my friends ain't no victory,its only the pretext for a retreat.
The Pakistani connection is dubious to say the least and that needs more analysis.The moment seems just too good.

[HKDan]

BBC correspondent Syed Shoaib Hasan speculates that this operation may have been carried out by U.S. forces operating from a Pakistani military facility in Tarbela Ghazi

[Dago]

The Blackhawks have the range to get there from Afghanistan. However, Seahawks or Blackhawks wouldn't have the range from the Indian ocean, unless they flew over Afghanistan and refueled maybe twice. Ospreys could of had the distance, if flown from naval assets, first over Afghanistan then lower once in Pakistani territory.

[hammer]

I really can't believe that the Pakistanis did not know about this operation beforehand. They probably feared a backlash and don't want the outside world to know, any part they might've had to play in this operation.

[S2]

hammer Reply

"I really can't believe that the Pakistanis did not know about this operation beforehand."

I dunno. At some point this real story will come out. It'll be good. Who initially broke the news in August and how. How was the place surveilled? HUMINT or "technical means". Some combination of both? What confirmed the target status in late February? What caused the trigger to be pulled now and not earlier or later? Logistics of the op?

And, of course, when (if) the Pakistanis knew. Like I said earlier, they're already in full melt-down mode and claims of an SSG hit one week ago with OBL put on ice for us being tossed by a award-winning so-called journalist.

ISPR notably silent so far.

[Bhaarat]

I really can't believe that the Pakistanis did not know about this operation beforehand. They probably feared a backlash and don't want the outside world to know, any part they might've had to play in this operation.

They would've known but only at the last moments for on ground facilitation of the op. Surely it wouldn't suite them to let the world see that Osama was found deep inside Pakistan, camouflaged near an army compound.
But as the US politicians proved with their merry words, all's well that ends well - no one is going after Pakistan right now.

Regards,
Bhaarat

[Mihais]

"I really can't believe that the Pakistanis did not know about this operation beforehand."

I dunno. At some point this real story will come out. It'll be good. Who initially broke the news in August and how. How was the place surveilled? HUMINT or "technical means". Some combination of both? What confirmed the target status in late February? What caused the trigger to be pulled now and not earlier or later? Logistics of the op?

And, of course, when (if) the Pakistanis knew. Like I said earlier, they're already in full melt-down mode and claims of an SSG hit one week ago with OBL put on ice for us being tossed by a award-winning so-called journalist.

ISPR notably silent so far.

Sir the very idea of ISI not knowing is insulting.The man was in their backyard and he was the most hunted man on Earth.The Americans also knew his whereabouts since at least 9 months ago.If it was anything ,Sir,it was a trade-off.Bin Laden for American retreat,that's my bet.
Sir,this was an execution,not a combat mission.As for the Pakistanis,they know duplicity and how to stage a circus show.They MUST pretend they killed Bin Laden a. because they must not lose face inside and b.they must not look like they held the man for years,while their allies were turning the earth upside down.

[hammer]

I dunno. At some point this real story will come out. It'll be good. Who initially broke the news in August and how. How was the place surveilled? HUMINT or "technical means". Some combination of both? What confirmed the target status in late February? What caused the trigger to be pulled now and not earlier or later? Logistics of the op?

What puzzles me is that the operation took place very close to Pakistan military academy. The place is swarming with serving and retired Pak army officers. Also confirms the fact that OBL could not have survived this long without Pakistani assistance.

And, of course, when (if) the Pakistanis knew. Like I said earlier, they're already in full melt-down mode and claims of an SSG hit one week ago with OBL put on ice for us being tossed by a award-winning so-called journalist.
ISPR notably silent so far.

LOL. Yeah, I have read her posts. Denial is the first sign, then comes panic and then comes conspiracy theories. I guess ISPR is silent coz, they haven't decided yet, if they should celebrate or mourn. And that depends on the crowd in the streets.

[JAD_333]

Sir the very idea of ISI not knowing is insulting.The man was in their backyard and he was the most hunted man on Earth.The Americans also knew his whereabouts since at least 9 months ago.If it was anything ,Sir,it was a trade-off.Bin Laden for American retreat,that's my bet.

Interesting thesis, but it doesn't fit the facts. If it was tradeoff and the Pakistanis knew where he was all along, why wait 9 months to order the hit?