Pakistan Gives Bin Laden Free Pass

September 06, 2006 6:10 AM

Brian Ross Reports:

Ht2_pakistan02_060524_nrOsama bin Laden, America's most wanted man, will not face capture in Pakistan if he agrees to lead a "peaceful life," Pakistani officials tell ABC News.

The surprising announcement comes as Pakistani army officials announced they were pulling their troops out of the North Waziristan region as part of a "peace deal" with the Taliban.

If he is in Pakistan, bin Laden "would not be taken into custody," Major General Shaukat Sultan Khan told ABC News in a telephone interview, "as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen."

Bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere in the tribal areas of Pakistan, near the Afghanistan border, but U.S. officials say his precise location is unknown.

In addition to the pullout of Pakistani troops, the "peace agreement" between Pakistan and the Taliban also provides for the Pakistani army to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners.

"What this means is that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan," said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism director.

The agreement was signed on the same day President Bush said the United States was working with its allies "to deny terrorists the enclaves they seek to establish in ungoverned areas across the world."

The Pakistani Army had gone into Waziristan, under heavy pressure from the United States, but faced a series of humiliating defeats at the hands of the Taliban and al Qaeda fighters.

"They're throwing the towel," said Alexis Debat, who is a Senior Fellow at the Nixon Center and an ABC News consultant. "They're giving al Qaeda and the Taliban a blank check and saying essentially make yourselves at home in the tribal areas," Debat said.

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September 6, 2006 in Osama bin Laden | Permalink | User Comments (18)

User Comments

I think that is very dumb and they should capture him after what he did to the united states of america

Posted by: whitney | Sep 6, 2006 1:08:22 PM

I think Pakistan is also giving a free pass to Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny and the Toothfairy, all of whom seem to be equally illusive as Bush's vacation buddy Osama.

Posted by: joe | Sep 6, 2006 1:52:00 PM

Dont you people see that we are dealing with the mentally ill,hell we have thousands here in this country,we just lock ours away!

Posted by: brent | Sep 6, 2006 3:43:59 PM

Goes to show how much of a sham the whole war on terror is. Bin Laben is just another lakey on the CIA payroll.

Posted by: Fred | Sep 6, 2006 4:25:20 PM

time to carpet bomb waziristan into dust. maybe it's time to clean out our cruise missle inventory too!

Posted by: Aaron McGuire | Sep 7, 2006 8:51:45 AM

The war on terror isn't a sham.The word terror should be replaced with radical-islam which wants all us "infidels" to convert or die.

Posted by: ben | Sep 7, 2006 10:45:26 AM

actually before u make ignorant comments like that if we carpet bombed wazir then we would have engaged in a war with a ally because wazirristan is in pk and that would be bombing pakistan which would not be as easy to defeat as iraq or afganistan because it has nukes. And before u make ignorant comments on "radical islam do some research on it from the islamic point of view instead of wat u hear on the news.

Posted by: anonymous | Sep 7, 2006 2:48:41 PM

what happened to the war on terror? our president vowed to go after the terrorist ,anywhere they are,any country that harbor's terrorist was not or ally,they killed over 3000 people,attacked our goverment,attacked our military ship's,and our civilian people. they attack our ally'saround the world. now the goverment of iran is being aloud in the country, what has happened? is america being sold out? isthis the america our ancester's made/ i think not. it is time for america to straghten up,what i am hearing everyday is the most unamericanstate of affairs in history

Posted by: paul s. hull | Sep 7, 2006 3:12:37 PM

In context, Pakistan is now the new Cambodia...except Cambodia didn't possess nuclear weapons...and Pakistan/bin Laden is tantamount to Lebanon/Nasrallah...what to do, what to do?

P.S. Go Steelers!

Posted by: Jay | Sep 7, 2006 4:50:58 PM

Interesting; Pakistan creates the Taliban to infiltrait Afganistan to seize control of the poppy feilds in the late 80's early 90's... after 9/11 Pk poses as an ally in the fight against terrorism with America... then when they think no one is looking they sign a "peace agreement" with Al-Quaeda so they can legitimize their real lack of support in capturing Bin Laden.

The U.N. and their resolutions made a mess of Desert Storm (1441), and a mess in Israel (1559) and now we're finding out our supposed allies aren't allies... the truth is right their in front of you yet most of you still want to burry your head in the sand.

I've figured you cut-and-run guys out, if you actually were honest with yourselves and admitted that these terrorists are wrong ... you would have to become resolute and do something about the situation. Sticking your head in the sand will not stop these guys, they want to world to be run under "Sharia Law" and they said "every man,woman, and child" that gets in their way is a target. "

Posted by: Dave | Sep 7, 2006 5:44:32 PM

Americans are being brain washed into thinking Iran is a terrorist state.

The american government makes these claims through the media that Iran is giving money to terrorists everywhere.. yet no one has actually varified any of that.

You are the direct result of their propoganda machine. People like you.

Posted by: Andrew | Sep 9, 2006 8:05:55 PM

anyone trying to tell americans that iran is not a terriest state just look at there leader . I beleave he held american hostages back in the 80,s

Posted by: richard murrison | Sep 10, 2006 11:14:01 PM

any country in the wold that fired one nuclear weapon and hit the US would be wiped off the map within a few hours.you better wait and hope Bush is not in office.

Posted by: tom | Sep 21, 2006 11:02:36 AM

Pakistan doesn't want to find bin Laden because it's not in their best interest.

Prior to 9/11, Pakistan was subject to economic sanctions for its development of nuclear weapons and regarded as a military dictatorship. Pakistan actively supported the Taliban and their friends in al Qaeda.

After 9/11, sanctions were dropped in exchange for Pakistani cooperation in the war on terror. Overnight, America stopped treating Pakistani President Musharaf as a military dictator and regarded him as an ally.

The Pakistani's know that if bin Laden and Zawahiri are ever caught, America will lose interest in Pakistan. American aid will dry up.

As long as bin Laden is free, Pakistan and its military dictator can count on U.S. support. If they caught him, it would all go away.

This presents a delicate balancing act for Pakistani officials, expecially since bin Laden's people have been trying to assassinate Pakistani leaders.

The Pakistani strategy seems to be one of keeping bin Laden weak while keeping him out of American hands.

Posted by: Richard Brudzynski | Sep 21, 2006 2:52:43 PM

The man is not worth any comments. The press gives him and his pack of rats too much publicity. A brave man? I think not. For someone to claim to want to be a martyr yet hides to protect himself? What a leader. You go blow yourself up for the cause while I hide among the women and children. Every now and then I'll send a video to let the world and future followers know that I am still alive.

History will write about the man simply because of the chaos he "tried" to create for the human race. It will write about his failure simply because sane minds will eventually win out. Violence only creates other violence. His philosophy of causing death and creating fear to improve the Islamic cause is ludicrous. If Pakistan thinks he can live in peace they need to look around them. The only peace for him will be when he is laid to rest. Behind him he will leave a world and a legacy of hate, death, and destruction for his own people. What a leader.

Posted by: Steve Timmons | Sep 24, 2006 8:16:00 AM

i think this is all part of Bush's plan. he doesnt want bin laden caught. If he did we would have him by now. We intentionally let him escape in tora bora. He's more valuable to us on the loose than he is in custody

Posted by: jay | Oct 8, 2006 2:28:03 PM

The part where you said "we let him escape in Tora Bora" and he is "more valuable loose than in custody" And for the guy that says America is full of media propaganda. Why don't you go over to Iran, Iraq, Pakistan" They have no propagana what so ever in those countries. They only teach the children that it was the Jews or America who bombed themselves on 9-11. Some of you need to wake the #$%2 up and know who the real bad guys are. I know that America doesn't do everything perfectly but they sure as hell are NOT THE BAD GUYS!!!!!!!!!

Posted by: KB | Jul 24, 2007 10:31:27 PM

All of these comments are very interesting. It is hard to tell what the truth really is especially when you consider all of the secrecy the governments hold on these types of issues. However, I do know one a couple of things. Osama and his buddies are sick and miserable and want everybody else to be the same. They will all have to spend eternity in hell as I am sure some are already experiencing. Islam is supposed to be a peaceful religion and there are some Muslims that exemplify that. However, such as in any religion, many become fanatical and lose touch with reality and commit insane acts of cruelty and barbarism as is the case with extremists.

Posted by: Gary Pearson | Nov 25, 2007 2:53:46 PM

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