Cell Phone Found in bin Laden Raid Raises U.S. Distrust of Pakistan

In the raid that killed Osama bin Laden, U.S. forces seized the cell phone of bin Laden’s courier, and information on that phone is raising new concerns about Pakistan and its intelligence service.

The cell phone revealed contacts with Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, a Pakistani militant group with ties to Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the New York Times reported.

Citing senior American officials, the newspaper reported that Harakat was a part of bin Laden’s support network in Pakistan. This revelation raises questions about whether Pakistani intelligence used Harakat (and perhaps other militant groups) to help shelter and support bin Laden.

According to analysts, Harakat leaders have strong ties with al Qaeda and the Taliban. And in the 1980s and early 1990s, the group operated with the support of Pakistan’s intelligence agency during Afghanistan’s war against the Soviet Union. The agency has also enlisted Harakat’s help in Pakistan’s conflict with India over Kashmir.

However, the cell phone’s contents are not a “smoking gun” linking Pakistani intelligence with bin Laden.

In response to the New York Times article, a Pakistan army spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas, told Reuters that the military “rejects the insinuations” in the report.

“It is part of a well-orchestrated smear campaign against our security organizations,” he continued in the text message to the news agency. “Pakistan, its security forces have suffered the most at the hands of al Qaeda and have delivered the most against al Qaeda; our actions on the ground speak louder than the words of the Times.”

Discovery of the cell phone adds to American suspicion of the Pakistani intelligences agency, which increased dramatically when U.S. forces found bin Laden living comfortably in Pakistan.

Although frustrated with the relationship, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee at a June 23 hearing that the United States cannot “walk away from this relationship and ignore the consequences.”

She pointed out that Pakistan is a nuclear-armed state located in a strategic region. “And we have seen this movie before,” she said. “We have seen the cost of disengaging from the region.”

Clinton reported that she recently went to Pakistan and had “very candid discussions with its leaders.” In her talks with the Pakistanis, she emphasized that the United States has “clear expectations” from its anti-terrorism partner, which include defeating the violent extremists that have also killed innocent Pakistanis.

Nigel Roberts is the United Nations correspondent for Politic365. He has been a political, economic and international affairs reporter for more than a dozen years. Nigel also freelances in public relations and communications. He holds a master’s degree in Political Science/International Relations from the City University of New York Graduate School & University Center.

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3 Responses to Cell Phone Found in bin Laden Raid Raises U.S. Distrust of Pakistan

1. Esmeralda says:

   1:55am July 7, 2011 at 1:55 am

   I find it interesting that we had a flimsy link between 9/11 and Iraq that was sufficient to invade the country but a clear link between Al Quaeda and Pakistan is not enough for us to break our relationship or cut off financial support.

   Reply

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