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Pakistan general angry over bin Laden polio ruse
19 JULY
A top Pakistani general says the CIA's use of a fake polio vaccination program during the hunt for slain Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden represented a "breach of trust" between the US and Pakistan's government.
Bin Laden was killed when US special forces attacked his compound in a secret raid in May.
It has since been reported the CIA used a fake international polio eradication program as a front to track the fugitive terrorist leader down in the city of Abbottabad.
Reports say the vaccinations were offered in Abbotabad and then DNA from the program was checked to see if any of bin Laden's family members were present in the town.
General Nadeem Ahmed, a member of the Pakistani board of inquiry into the US raid, said in an interview with 774 ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine that the CIA's undermining of people's trust was "unfortunate".
"No intelligence agencies are supposed to be using NGOs [non-government organisations ] or implementing partners to get some information," he said.
"This is principally, morally, legally incorrect.
"If somebody's hearing, I will strongly recommend please do not undermine the confidence that the government of Pakistan, or for that matter any national government, has on you, because there is a trust between you and the government."
General Ahmed, the former head of the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, said the inquiry into the raid had begun, but was reluctant to divulge details.
"We have just started," he said of the inquiry.
"We have had two sessions. The first session we looked at and decided on the modalities, [such as] how we want to proceed with [those who] are going to be called as witnesses.
"I don't want to go into the details because it's all confidential."
General Ahmed did confirm air force witnesses had been spoken to and that the inquiry would move onto talking to the military, army, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), civilians and the US.
Army 'ridiculed'
General Ahmed says US officials have not been asked if they will cooperate, but if they choose not to then the inquiry will put on record the fact that they refused to comment.
"We will do our utmost best to find out the details, and I think there are sufficient details available within the country," he said.
"I think the embarrassment part has already happened.
"The army and the ISI [were] ridiculed by everyone and by the civil society, by the media, by the people on the street, because all of them were disappointed. They never expected this thing to happen.
"But I think, after seeing the initial reaction of the different stakeholders, and what has happened thereafter, people see a clear design - responsible people in the military in the US coming up and saying silly things, then the deliberate leaks in the US media, saying things which are not correct.
"So everybody has started to now understand that there is a deliberate design to undermine the security establishment.
"And therefore I can see they have closed ranks with the security establishment now. So I think it is was overcooked, overdone."
General Ahmed said he did not think anyone from the ISI would have sheltered bin Laden.
"[When all is] said and done [the] government, army, ISI are not irresponsible people, they would never do such a stupid thing which would show them in such a bad light," he said.
"Irrespective of the USA, I have absolutely not an iota of doubt on this, that no government in Pakistan, no military in Pakistan, no intelligence organisation in Pakistan would do such a stupid thing."
Pakistan general angry over bin Laden polio ruse - ABC Melbourne - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
19 JULY
A top Pakistani general says the CIA's use of a fake polio vaccination program during the hunt for slain Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden represented a "breach of trust" between the US and Pakistan's government.
Bin Laden was killed when US special forces attacked his compound in a secret raid in May.
It has since been reported the CIA used a fake international polio eradication program as a front to track the fugitive terrorist leader down in the city of Abbottabad.
Reports say the vaccinations were offered in Abbotabad and then DNA from the program was checked to see if any of bin Laden's family members were present in the town.
General Nadeem Ahmed, a member of the Pakistani board of inquiry into the US raid, said in an interview with 774 ABC Melbourne's Jon Faine that the CIA's undermining of people's trust was "unfortunate".
"No intelligence agencies are supposed to be using NGOs [non-government organisations ] or implementing partners to get some information," he said.
"This is principally, morally, legally incorrect.
"If somebody's hearing, I will strongly recommend please do not undermine the confidence that the government of Pakistan, or for that matter any national government, has on you, because there is a trust between you and the government."
General Ahmed, the former head of the Pakistan National Disaster Management Authority, said the inquiry into the raid had begun, but was reluctant to divulge details.
"We have just started," he said of the inquiry.
"We have had two sessions. The first session we looked at and decided on the modalities, [such as] how we want to proceed with [those who] are going to be called as witnesses.
"I don't want to go into the details because it's all confidential."
General Ahmed did confirm air force witnesses had been spoken to and that the inquiry would move onto talking to the military, army, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), civilians and the US.
Army 'ridiculed'
General Ahmed says US officials have not been asked if they will cooperate, but if they choose not to then the inquiry will put on record the fact that they refused to comment.
"We will do our utmost best to find out the details, and I think there are sufficient details available within the country," he said.
"I think the embarrassment part has already happened.
"The army and the ISI [were] ridiculed by everyone and by the civil society, by the media, by the people on the street, because all of them were disappointed. They never expected this thing to happen.
"But I think, after seeing the initial reaction of the different stakeholders, and what has happened thereafter, people see a clear design - responsible people in the military in the US coming up and saying silly things, then the deliberate leaks in the US media, saying things which are not correct.
"So everybody has started to now understand that there is a deliberate design to undermine the security establishment.
"And therefore I can see they have closed ranks with the security establishment now. So I think it is was overcooked, overdone."
General Ahmed said he did not think anyone from the ISI would have sheltered bin Laden.
"[When all is] said and done [the] government, army, ISI are not irresponsible people, they would never do such a stupid thing which would show them in such a bad light," he said.
"Irrespective of the USA, I have absolutely not an iota of doubt on this, that no government in Pakistan, no military in Pakistan, no intelligence organisation in Pakistan would do such a stupid thing."
Pakistan general angry over bin Laden polio ruse - ABC Melbourne - Australian Broadcasting Corporation
