Abbottabad commission report: What is happening behind the scenes?
A statement issued by the government last week stating that the Abbottabad Commission will release its finding report this month was apparently a tactic to “pressurise” the commission and the announcement was made without consulting its members.
Officials and support staff working on the report told The Express Tribune that the judicial commission was in fact far from completing the final report and the press announcement has put undue pressure on the body.
“In fact, we are all surprised as to how such a press statement could be issued. I am working on compiling the report and I don’t believe we can finish it this month,” an official said.
The source, however, added that after the press release was issued, the team has started working on the compilation in a “hasty manner” and therefore, it seems very unlikely that a “thorough” report could be compiled this month.
One of the reasons for this could be the fact that the judicial commission is yet to finalise which interviews to include in the report and which to discard.
Some of the members of the commission also have travel plans this month, which may cause further delay in the publishing of the report.
“There are major differences amongst the members about the content of the report, and if it is completed this month, it may be done in haste, and that will not be an accurate report,” said the official, adding that the most crucial question the investigations will try to answer is: “Was Osama bin Ladin even present in that compound?”
“Although we found his wives and children there, I am amazed at the general public perception, after conducting interviews from Abbottabad, that the al-Qaeda chief was not present in the same compound. The denial amongst the people of Abbottabad is so strong that the commission members were forced to consider this possibility too,” the staffer said.
The staff member also claimed that there is “no chance” of retracing Bin Laden’s steps since the commission has not come across any such proof. “As of now, from the evidence or interviews I have been privy to, it is unlikely that we will get to know how the al-Qaeda chief was present there in the first place.”
When asked about what the differences amongst the members were, the source revealed that one of the members, General Nadeem, wanted to include into the investigations the presence of US personnel in Pakistan, and how the CIA was able to monitor the house where Bin Laden lived.
“He insisted on including the investigations about former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani giving unauthorised visas to the Americans.”
The official added that all the commission members want the report to be made public, and it is likely that any institution could be held responsible. According to the staffer, more than 100 people have been interviewed by the commission, including a number of journalists, analysts, security officials, government officials and diplomats.
When contacted, head of the commission Justice Javed Iqbal and other members of the commission were not available for comments.
The commission was due to submit its report by the end of last year and its mandate was to ascertain facts regarding the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, following his killing by US Navy Seals in May 2, 2011.
Justice Iqbal is heading the commission, which includes Lt Gen (retd) Nadeem Ahmed, former Inspector General of Police Abbas Khan and former ambassador Ashraf Jahangir Qazi. Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi has been working as the secretary of the commission.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2012.
COMMENTS (17)
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@Nasrullah Khan: I have to agree with you, but whether it is for the same reasons I am not really sure. Ever since 9/11 the world has been going through an "Alice in Wonderland scenario", and I never fail to be amazed that anybody can take what is being said seriously. Firstly we had 9/11 which was purported to be carried out by Saudi hijackers, but for some mysterious reason the Taliban got the blame for it and were bombed almost into oblivion. Then Iraq was accused of having Nuclear weapons. America could not find any but bombed Iraq into the stone age anyway. Then America supposedly found Osama bin Laden, shot him between the eyes and then for reasons known only to President Obama dropped his body into the sea. Now we have the Abbotttabad Commission in a state of crisis because there is no evidence that Bin Laden was ever in Abbottabad. Now Hilary Clinton is accusing the Pakistan Government of harbouring a multitude of terrorists within Pakistan. It will not really matter how many problems the Pakistan Government solves for the Americans we know Hilary will just keep on coming up with additional problems. Nasrullah Khan, you are quite right. America has created a fairy land, but it is more akin to Sleeping Beauty, and the whole world is in a state of sleep or perhaps low functioning if they believe the nonsense being pushed at us.
@Mansoor Akhtar: And Snow White and the seven dwarfs lived just down the road.
The key part of the news is "General Nadeem, wanted to include into the investigations the presence of US personnel in Pakistan, and how the CIA was able to monitor the house where Bin Laden lived.
“He insisted on including the investigations about former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani giving unauthorised visas to the Americans.” The general is upset with HH that he issued visa to Americans and they were able to trace and monitor OBL despite him being in the most secured palce in Pakistan. No wonder HH is being treated the way he is by the manufactured Memo and ISI chief. All the anger is that OBL's discovery in Abbottabad has exposed the security forces and no excuses can hide it.
well statements of OBLs wives and his off springs would be more reliable than any Tom, Dick or Harry on the street.however this commission's main effort seems to conceal rather than reveal something,
@Cautious: Dear Cautious, I have noticed that you continually do put-downs on Pakistan, and suggest that Pakistan is not cooperating with America. Perhaps, if the Americans had indulged in cooperating in just the smallest way with Pakistan, instead of using espionage, the Abbottabad Commission would have something to go on, and the Government would be less upset. As it is America by its own words has removed all the evidence, if any existed, and we know the Americans tell lies so the truth will never come out. In other words America created a public relations disaster. On another tack, it may interest you to know that since America started this skirmish over ten years ago Pakistan has lost 35,600 people killed and 40,000 injured. These figures come from Boston University and I would call this cooperating wouldn't you? I do not think America will find too many allies who make this type of contribution. However, I would think it is a corner Pakistan would, quite rightly, love to get out of, in much the same way`that most of the U.S./NATO countries are attempting to do if they can find the right excuse.
This Commission has always been a sham --- why fuss over what interview is included when you haven't done any serious work on determining who within your "establishment" has been helping OBL. This report will likely be the last nail in the coffin as far as your relationship with American goes and because of that it's unlikely to be finalized let alone released. It's another one of Pakistan's "chest thumping" exercises which has backfired and painted you into another corner.
One has to feel somewhat sorry for the Abbottabad Commission members, and I am glad I was not chosen to be on the team. On May 2nd, 2011 the Americans were up to their usual intrigue, spreading disinformation about Osama bin Laden, pretending to kill him and conveniently taking his body away so that the Pakistan authorities, and indeed the world, could not verify the truth of the matter. I am not really sure how many Pakistan Government laws, and Abbottabad city ordinances were broken that night, but I am sure the number was huge. Also, how much truth did the Americans keep from the Pakistanis? I think we can be reasonably certain that Washington would be infuriated if it happened to them. After all they are still winging about 9/11 many years after the event and they only lost a few people compared to the vast number of innocent people they have killed since then. The bottom line is that Americans tell lies continually, and since 9/11 they have expanded disinformation exponentially. I hope the Abbottabad Commission Report says it the way it happened and do not go for a cover up just to please the Americans. As an aside, the Americans are always doing put downs on Pakistan and saying how generous they are. I wonder if the Americand payed for the clean up at Abbottabad. They blow walls up, two helicopters crashed or exploded, guns firing. It must have been expensive.
in our country, unfortunately, any important case is hidden behind the curtons of commission. no one can tell whether OBL was there or not, people living around that compound can tell better. so if people from that area denying the presence of OBL, this can be believable. anyhow, we all have to wait for the true findings of that commission.
Osama never lived in Abbottabad. The 4 women who were the so-called 'wives' were just farm hands picked up to make up the story. The Americans were never there. The tail of a helicopter was planted there as 'evidence' that a raid had happened. Witnesses say that the tail fin left behind was made of plywood.
Who recruited Dr Afridi.How come he knew about OBL presence and we did not.Strange, cannot accept the fact that Americans and Dr Afridi knew his presence and all of Pakistan did not.
"He (General Nadeem) insisted on including the investigations about former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani giving unauthorised visas to the Americans".
How it will help that Army(ISI) failed to detect him in Abbottabad from their backyard for many years? ….ridicules and trying to change the main focus
At least Americans were doing practical work to find most wanted terrorist. Indeed credit goes to them.
Great Job being done by the super commission, headed by a superb judge of our SC.
The commission report, if and when published, will most likely have nothing consequential except that it will provide some grist for the media mills to grind for a few weeks. That has been the pattern with all the various commissions' findings so far.
Judges are tune to long term case hearings right from the beginning of their careers - so it is a usual case for them - probably my children will be able to see the report when it comes.
Another eye wash report. When from public perception started affecting the findings of the commission. If US could guess and locate and OBL, couldn Pak atleast find out how and with whose help and when he came ? Lots of people want to hide lots of things about OBL, That can only be the conclusion
So we already know what the Commission is up to. All that we needed to investigate was whether OBL was there. If we somehow prove that OBL was not there, we can prove that no operation was conducted, OBL was not killed, and the whole world is lying.