Where in the world is Osama?

America and Pakistan must understand that catching someone like Osama bin Laden is possible only through cooperation.

A report by CNN on October 18 quoted an unnamed Nato official, “with access to very sensitive intelligence”, as saying that Osama Bin Laden is living “comfortably in a house” in Pakistan, close to his second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri. Before making a comment, one has to consider the timing of the report, which comes days before a new round of the US-Pakistan inter-ministerial dialogue is to take place. The Pakistanis, especially the hawks, will say that this is a story deliberately leaked, with questionable credibility and its intent is to pressurise Pakistan, especially on the matter of launching an operation in North Waziristan against the Haqqani network. However, the fact remains that this recent report is one of many that have surfaced in the past couple of years on Osama bin Laden’s reported presence — from Parachinar in Kurram to even upper Swat.

The Pentagon and America’s Special Envoy to Pakistan and Afghanistan Richard Holbrooke have, however, acted quickly to contest the report. Mr Holbrooke has been quoted as saying that hardly a day goes by when a claim is not made on Osama’s alleged whereabouts. Pakistan’s response — and it has said this on a number of occasions — is that if there is any credible evidence on Osama then it must be shared with Pakistan so that it can act. Furthermore, while much is made of Pakistan wanting to have certain groups on its side, as bargaining chips in any future set-up for Afghanistan, there is also the other view, which says that America and the Pentagon need people like Osama to be on the run, or else invasions of countries like Afghanistan and Iraq may be less easier to sell to the American taxpayer. Whatever the truth, the reality is that both America and Pakistan need to understand that the only way of catching someone like Osama bin Laden is through cooperation and not by playing games with each other.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 20^th, 2010.