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Bin Laden: Even in death
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Infringing sovereignty: Musharraf criticises US action
Musharraf called bin Laden’s death a “positive step” and criticised the US for launching the raid within...
Former president calls the operation a direct violation of Pakistan's sovereignty. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Former military ruler Pervez Musharraf called Osama bin Laden’s death on Monday a “positive step” but criticised the United States for launching the raid on the al Qaeda leader within Pakistan’s borders.
Musharraf told Reuters that Pakistani intelligence ought to have known bin Laden was living in Abbottabad. He also said al Qaeda supporters may take revenge against the United States and Pakistan.
Describing the killing as a victory for the people of Pakistan, Musharraf said: “It’s a very positive step and it will have positive long-term implications.” “Today we won a battle, but the war against terror will continue,” Musharraf said in Dubai, where he has a home.
Musharraf said, however, that the operation had infringed on Pakistan’s sovereignty: “It’s a violation to have crossed Pakistan’s borders,” he said in an interview.
Musharraf also criticised Pakistan’s intelligence apparatus for failing to find bin Laden, whose group staged the Sept 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
“It’s an intelligence failure,” said Musharraf. “The intelligence ought to have known.”
Pakistani authorities were told the details of the raid on bin Laden only after it had taken place, highlighting a lack of trust between Washington and Islamabad.
Musharraf called bin Laden’s decision to hide near Islamabad, rather than in the remote regions of the country where he was thought to be hiding, “an intelligent act”.
At the same time, Musharraf admitted that the attack came at a time when al Qaeda’s influence in Pakistan had been replaced by growing Taliban influence.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 3rd, 2011.
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Uncle Mush sold the Sovereignty for US Dollors and now has a cheek to ask to talk about this!!!
It was on his watch that OBL decided to move to his last Residence!!! He too has lot to answer for in regards this mess, which at present is the last thing the people of Pakistan really needed, for this guy to be found in their own back living better life than most most pakistanis ever dreamed of living!!!!!Recommend
It is amusing to hear from Musharraf about sovereignty of Pakistan. He was the person who handed over the sovereignty, citizens including dr.Aasia, ISI and everything to US. Recommend
Ah, they vaunted Pakistani sovereignty issue. I guess this is the same sovereignty which was violated when the US wanted to give billions in aid directly to the Pakistani people, bypassing the corrupt politicians who deemed it their sovereign right to skim, neigh gouge, the vast majority of the aid to enrich themselves. Funny how sovereignty never seems to enter the picture when the ISI funds and supports the taliban attacking Afghanistan and India. Sheltering and funding the head of an organization plotting attacks in Africa, the Arabian peninsula, Europe, and America isn’t a violation of sovereignty either? When a government has no respect for other countries’ rights to live in peace and freedom from attack, it can have no expectation of respect for its own sovereignty. Recommend
When you provide sanctuary to terrorist your part of the problem – not part of the solution. You can stick that “sovereignty” line where the sun don’t shine.Recommend
Well said Subhan Basha!Recommend
Only if US would not have taken a direct action we would have continued with our stories of OBL is not in Pakistan. Shame on them to enter Pakistan and unmask our lies. They should be hated by all powerful Pakistanis who were protecting OBL for years in his especially designed fortress compound. Recommend
How come ISI known as one of the ‘best’ spy agencies in the world did not know about the whereabouts of OBL or did they? Recommend
@Hedgefunder:
Please elaborateRecommend
When Pakistan can’t clean up it’s garbage, the U.S. comes in and does. Be happy for that Pakistanis.Recommend
Look who is talking?Recommend
“If a State is manifestly failing to protect its citizens from mass atrocities and peaceful measures are not working, the international community has the responsibility to intervene at first diplomatically, then more coercively, and as a last resort, with military force.”
http://www.who.int/hiv/universalaccess2010/worldsummit.pdf
“Threshold for military interventions
According to the International Commission for Intervention and State Sovereignty (ICISS) Report in 2001 (which was not adopted by national governments), any form of a military intervention initiated under the premise of responsibility to protect must fulfill the following six criteria in order to be justified as an extraordinary measure of intervention:
1. Just Cause
2. Right Intention
3. Final Resort
4. Legitimate Authority
5. Proportional Means
6. Reasonable Prospect”
The full document is available at-http://www.iciss.ca/report2-en.asp
After reading this document, I find it unimaginable that Musharaf is claiming that U.S. violated Pakistan’s sovereignty when they invaded bin Laden’s hideout.Recommend