Bin Laden's widow says they lived in Pakistani house for 5 years

[The HBS Guy]

Bin Laden's widow says they lived in Pakistani house for 5 years​

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD | Fri May 6, 2011 8:04am EDT

(Reuters) - One of Osama bin Laden's wives told Pakistani interrogators that the al Qaeda leader and his family had been living for five years in the compound where he was killed by U.S. forces this week, a security official said on Friday.

The official, who identified the woman as Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, the youngest of bin Laden's three wives, told Reuters she was wounded in the U.S. raid on Monday.

The security official said Abdulfattah told investigators: "We have been living there for the past five years."

Both Pakistan's army and its powerful spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), have been facing mounting pressure to explain how it was possible for bin Laden to live deep inside Pakistan undetected for years.

Pakistani security forces took between 15 and 16 people into custody from the compound after U.S. forces removed bin Laden's body, said the security official. Those detained included bin Laden's three wives and several children.

Separately, a senior Pakistani intelligence official briefing Pakistani journalists on Thursday evening said that bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, fell out six years ago over the distribution of money. He gave no other details.

U.S. special forces used helicopters to attack the compound in Abbottabad, 50 km (30 miles) north of the capital, Islamabad.

Pakistani security officials say neither bin Laden nor his comrades offered any resistance during the raid.

"From the clues, evidence what we have got is they stormed in with firing shots and knocked them down," a security official said.

Another security official on Thursday said their killing was "cold-blooded."

The raid on the compound, around 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from Pakistan's main military academy, has further strained relations between the two uneasy allies.

Pakistan's military top brass have expressed anger that the United States did not inform them of the attack beforehand.

In his first comment on the raid, Pakistan army chief General Ashfaq Kayani on Thursday threatened a review of military and intelligence cooperation should the United States repeat similar unilateral action.

He also told senior military commanders that it had been decided to reduce the strength of U.S. military personnel in Pakistan to the "minimum essential."

The army has admitted intelligence failures over the presence of bin Laden in the country and ordered an inquiry into these "shortcomings."

"We didn't know Osama bin Laden was hiding in this house until we took these people into custody and they confirmed that he (bin Laden) has been killed," another security official said.

The military, which has long been seen as the most effective institution of the unstable nation, has also been facing growing criticism at home over the perceived violation of country's sovereignty by the U.S. forces.

(Additional reporting by Kamran Haider; Editing by Michael Georgy and Alex Richardson)

Bin Laden's widow says they lived in Pakistani house for 5 years | Reuters

 

[The HBS Guy]

5 Years!

 

[Emmie]

Now after this reveal world can say whatever it wants to say, we (Pakistanis) have no option but to be all on ears....

 

[ares]

^It is not the world which gave this statement, but is an official press release from Pakistani govt, is based on interrogation of OBL's widow ..who is in Pakistani custody.

 

[pak-marine]

]The army has admitted intelligence failures over the presence of bin Laden in the country and ordered an inquiry into these "shortcomings."

Liars

 

[The HBS Guy]

Now world can say whatever it wants to say, we (Pakistanis) have no option but to be all on ears....

It's not the world who's saying this. It's OBL's wife. The world is merely reporting.

And you can't even give the excuse of another country forcing her to say this. This woman is under Pakistani custody and she has told this to Pakistani interrogators.

I mean seriously, what were your agencies doing for 5 years?

 

[Emmie]

^It is not the world which gave this statement, but is an official press release from Pakistani govt, is based on interrogation of OBL's widow ..who is in Pakistani custody.

You didn't get to my point... I was actually pointing out dreadful aftershocks following Abbatabad operation... Everyday is bringing more and more embarrassment which is further reinforced by such articles..

 

[Emmie]

It's not the world who's saying this. It's OBL's wife. The world is merely reporting.

And you can't even give the excuse of another country forcing her to say this. This woman is under Pakistani custody and she has told this to Pakistani interrogators.

I mean seriously, what were your agencies doing for 5 years?

Please refer to my reply to ARES for your misunderstanding...

 

[forcetrip]

You didn't get to my point... I was actually pointing out dreadful aftershocks following Abbatabad operation... Everyday is bringing more and more embarrassment which is further reinforced by such articles..

You could switch your flags first. Do not think you are really a Phakistani.

 

[The HBS Guy]

Please refer to my reply to ARES for your misunderstanding...

Apologies, mate. My bad.

 

[The HBS Guy]

You could switch your flags first. Do not think you are really a Phakistani.

And you're here to give free-of-cost e-certificate of citizenship to people?

Seriously, don't derail the thread.

 

[Emmie]

I mean seriously, what were your agencies doing for 5 years?

They have been busy making cheese omelette for their superior generals....

 

[Developereo]

According to this report, she claims they only moved there 5-6 months ago. Maybe she doesn't speak English well.

Bin Laden

Sources said one of the two women taken into custody from the compound by Pakistani forces was one of Osama bin Laden’s several wives.

“She is Yemeni and became unconscious during the operation,” said an official. Pleading anonymity, he said the woman was provided necessary medical aid till she became conscious. 



“During preliminary investigations, the lady said they moved to the Abbottabad house five to six months ago,” the Pakistani official said, adding that she did not provide further information about bin Laden or his shifting to the house. 



 

[The HBS Guy]

According to this report, she claims they only moved there 5-6 months ago. Maybe she doesn't speak English well.

Bin Laden

Sources said one of the two women taken into custody from the compound by Pakistani forces was one of Osama bin Laden’s several wives.

“She is Yemeni and became unconscious during the operation,” said an official. Pleading anonymity, he said the woman was provided necessary medical aid till she became conscious. 



“During preliminary investigations, the lady said they moved to the Abbottabad house five to six months ago,” the Pakistani official said, adding that she did not provide further information about bin Laden or his shifting to the house. 



The Reuters' report was published today. The report you posted, published two days ago, could very well be due to the confusion amid the fog of war.

Besides, with Pakistanis themselves claiming that they were passing on the information about the compound to CIA since 2009, this report in your link is doubtful even from a Pakistani POV.

 

[Meengla]

I don't know why people discount that having a proximity to a military academy does not mean one can't hide there. Pakistan has military installations all over the country and there are really many millions who live within a couple of miles of radius from them. OBL's was not even a mansion. This was a brilliant decision by OBL--and lets face it, he was a mass murderer but he was not stupid. He chose his location wisely. People have guards, they have high walls, burqahs abound, and generally you stay away from others houses lest, in some areas because os security, you could be shot if you approach some guarded houses. At any rate, the on-going narrative for past 10 years has been: OBL is living somewhere near the Afghan border, surrounded by handful of Arab guards who have orders to shoot OBL if Americans are near.