On seeing the dramatic live action TV footage of Navy Seals jumping into the compound of Osama bin Laden, and killing him, US President Barrack Obama gleefully yelled, "justice had been done." He misused the word "justice", he should have said, "Retribution has been accomplished". Visiting Ground Zero, President George Bush had vowed revenge against Osama bin Laden and other perpetrators of 9/11 bombings of World Trade Center and Pentagon. It has taken ten long years and thousands of terrorist bombings, and hundreds of thousands of lives lost by terrorist attacks, and US bombings in Iraq, Afghanistan and FATA (drone bombing's) before President Barrack Obama could claim that, "Justice has been done". Osama bin Laden was killed on the morning of May 02, 2011, during a well planned and professionally conducted night attack by US Navy's commando's called Navy Seals.
Thirty five US Navy Seal personnel fully equipped for a surprise shock assault, took off from Bagram Airfield north of Kabul in four Black Hawk Stealth helicopters. They flew in the lap of high hills ranging from six to eight thousand feet, before emerging near Tarbela. By flying between high hills and evading radar detection and using most advanced low level flight navigation technology, the four Blacks zeroed on Osama bin Laden's compound undetected, and launched a powerful ambush and killed the most wanted enemy of America.
For the safety of the pre-emptive attack by the Black Hawk helicopters, United States Air Force had positioned an armada of EC 130E/H, MC 130, E-3 AWACS, and F-15 long range fighters with BVR- beyond visual range capability. According to the Washington reporter of Pakistan Observers "Operation Neptune Spear" conducted on May 02 night comprised four Black Hawk armed helicopters and twenty advanced aircraft including EC 130 H and E-2C AWAC's to jam Pakistani radars, F18E Super Hornet fighters from a US Navy aircraft Carrier specially positioned for this mission to intercept PAF F-16's, and Type-68, MH-X and MV 22 helicopters. Several of these aircraft and helicopters were orbiting close to FATA inside Afghanistan, in readiness to assist the assaulting Black Hawks, in case things went wrong. It can be assumed that these aircraft flew drone like patterns, to confuse the Pakistani radars.
Their route to Osama bin Laden's compound near Pakistan Military Academy PMA Kakul in Abbottabad cantonment ensured complete secrecy and zero possibility of radar detection. Pakistan Air Force has a number of high power radars, which operate round the clock, and look deep into Afghanistan. There are also a few low level radars with limited range, for the defense of vital installations along the border adjoining Afghanistan. These modern radars, were operating at the time the Black Hawk intruders entered Pakistan air space, flew for 40 minutes en-route to Abbottabad, remained over the target for about forty minutes and took another forty minutes to exit Pakistani air space. All the PAF radars were operative and vigilant, but did not detect the Stealth (radar evading) Black Hawks, flying in radars shadow between high hills. The PAF also has a few SAAB Erieyes AEW-AWAC's for radar detection and electronic surveillance and intelligence. They were not airborne, because such a heli-borne threat from the West was never visualized.
American Black Hawk attack planners had rightly assessed that USAF aircraft flying and orbiting west of the FATA will arouse no suspicion. American assessment that flying the mountain terrain pattern no Pakistan Army unit or Pakistan Air Force fighter or ground to air missile could react before one hour was proven correct. Had such an air borne attack force come from the East, the PAF air defenses would have reacted within five minutes, and the radar controlled guns and SAM's-surface to air missiles would have fired and brought down the attack helicopters including the USAF or USN Black Hawks. But the attack helicopter assault came from the West, which was unexpected. It ensured total radar evasion, and therefore no detection or reaction by Pakistani air defense system was possible.
Mobile Observer Units-MOU's are a vital component of the PAF Air Defense system. In the 1965 and 1971 Indo-Pak wars the Wireless or Mobile Observer squadrons were deployed along the Indo-Pak border, and in arcs around vital airfields and important installations. The MOU's send voice mail report of low level enemy aircraft entering Pakistan. Being experts at aircraft recognition, they are able to report type, height, estimated speed and direction of the enemy bombers and fighters. Before 1965 war the PAF had developed aircraft interception system based on visual and audio reporting by the Mobile Observer units. As many as 35 Indian Air Force bombers and fighters were intercepted and destroyed by PAF fighters based on MOU's accurate reporting. These units were not deployed along the Pak-Afghan border. I am confident that had the Mobile Observer units been deployed, the US Black Hawks would have been detected, and F-16's or FJ-17 Thunder fighter interceptors would have been immediately launched.
The Pakistani nation needs to understand the limitations of Pakistan's military response to the May 02 attack on Osama bin laden compound in Abbottabad. American nation and its leaders claim Operation Geronimo as "mission accomplished". For Islamabad it exposed failure of intelligence agencies and of the military. Pakistan's response exposed intelligence failure of Himalayan proportions. Osama bin Laden was thought to be dead as a result of carpet bombing of the network of caves in Tora Bora mountains where the al Qaeda leader was hiding. But he slipped out into Pakistan, and lived here ever since. What did the CIA, ISI and the Military Intelligence do to track, search and hunt for him needs to be revealed by the US and Pakistani Intelligence Brahmins. Gilani has shielded the Inter Services Intelligence Agency which was supposed to monitor bin Laden's movements, hide outs and residence. ISI did catch over one hundred al Qaeda commanders and key leaders, but had no inkling of where Osama bin Laden was since ten years. That he was living in our middle, in Abbottabad cantonment, next to Pakistan Military Academy has come as a huge shock. Prime Minister Gilani has rightly praised the ISA as a national asset. But after the Germino fiasco the Pakistani nation has the right to ask, what was the Police, Intelligence Bureau, FIA, the Military Intelligence and the ISI doing while Osama bin Laden and his family were enjoying the bracing weather of Haripur and Abbottabad, since seven and a half years.
Here was the al Qaeda warlord, who was instrumental in the death and maiming of one hundred thousand Pakistani men women and children, destruction of three hundred mosques, fifty shrines, five hundred schools, road side bombings, bombings of Army and Police Training Centers. The al Qaeda and Taliban terrorists violence has brought the Pakistani economy to its knees. Foreign investment has dried up, yet the terror mastermind is living as "our guest", in our midst. Who were his protectors and his couriers? Our intelligence agencies have floundered on the rocks of failure. And there is an urgent need of top to bottom overhaul.
Gilani Sahib has rejected US allegations of incompetence and complicity. Incompetence is galore. We cannot hide it, and our failuremust not be put under the mat. The roots of Police and IB incompetence are excessive political interference, deficient funding, corruption and poor leadership all around. While rejecting American allegations of complicity, it is in order to fully investigate and clearly establish, who facilitated OBL's movements and long residence in Pakistan, especially close to the Pakistan Military Academy and in the middle of three Army Regimental Centers. The PM has rightly blamed the CIA, and global intelligence agencies for not tracking OBL's movements. Osama bin Laden was their focus, yet they lost track of him. Pakistan has handed over hundreds of al Qaeda operatives and allowed US drone bombings of FATA villages. So if there is any complicity, it is with the Uncle Sam-big brother America and not with al Qaeda and Taliban, who plan to continue killing us.
Ayaz Ahmed Khan, Pakistan Observer (Islamabad), May 14, 2011, http://pakobserver.net/detailnews.asp?id=92133
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