dagblog - Comments for "Pakistan defends role, questions 'unilateral' US action"

Addendum, from today's

AmericanDreamer — Fri, 06 May 2011 14:34:44 +0000

In reply to Pakistan defends role, questions 'unilateral' US action

Addendum, from today's WashPost: "Pakistani military, government warn U.S. against future raids":

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/pakistan-questions-legality-of-us-operation-that-killed-bin-laden/2011/05/05/AFM2l0wF_story.html

To which I hope the Administration reply is "Your concern is noted."

Which, in this case, roughly translated out of diplospeak, means "Thanks, but no thanks, you two-faced, lying sons of b******. We'll do what we believe we need to do to protect ourselves and innocents from other countries as well, including your own. We normally favor and prefer notification as a courtesy to the host government. If you had proven yourselves remotely trustworthy over the years we would not view the situation in remotely the same way. Got it?"

Pakistan pays U.S. lobbyists

artappraiser — Fri, 06 May 2011 06:02:30 +0000

In reply to Pakistan defends role, questions 'unilateral' US action

Pakistan pays U.S. lobbyists to deny it helped bin Laden

By Tim Reid, Reuters, May 5, 2011 1:16pm EDT

WASHINGTON- Pakistan's Washington lobbyists have launched an intense campaign on Capitol Hill to counter accusations that Islamabad was complicit in giving refuge to Osama bin Laden.

Alarmed by lawmakers' demands to cut off billions of dollars of U.S. aid after bin Laden was found living in a Pakistani safe house for six years, President Asif Ali Zardari has ordered a full-court press to quell mounting accusations that it helped the al Qaeda leader avoid capture.

Mark Siegel, a partner in the Washington lobbying firm of Locke Lord Strategies -- which is paid $75,000 a month by the Pakistani government -- told Reuters on Thursday he had spoken twice to Zardari since U.S. special forces killed bin Laden on Sunday, and "countless" times to the Pakistani ambassador in Washington
[.....}

Patrick Leahy, the Democratic chairman of the Senate subcommittee that allocates foreign aid, said on Thursday he wants a complete review of U.S. aid to Pakistan.

Leahy said he was certain that some Pakistani military and intelligence officials knew that bin Laden was hiding so close to Islamabad.

"It's impossible for them not to have some idea he was there," Leahy told Vermont Public Radio.

But Siegel, referring to claims by the Afghan government that Pakistan must have known bin Laden's whereabouts, said: "Must have known doesn't mean knew."

Siegel's firm was retained by the Zardari government in 2008 and has earned nearly $2 million in fees since then, according to Justice Department records. Siegel said his firm is paid $900,000 a year by Pakistan.

Since bin Laden's death, Siegel says he has been on Capitol Hill every day to promote Pakistan's position on the bin Laden killing, talking to congressmen, senators and their aides.

It already comes out of

kyle flynn — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:58:45 +0000

In reply to Thanks for the info. They

It already comes out of health care.

It turns out he's the one who

acanuck — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:54:58 +0000

In reply to It was definitely only the

It turns out he's the one who (apparently unwittingly) outed Seal Team Six as the hit squad. In his speech, Obama was careful not to say which unit carried out the job.

Thanks for the info. They

acanuck — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:48:40 +0000

In reply to Under federal law, a

Thanks for the info. They probably had about five minutes' heads-up. Not quite enough time to reallocate the funds. In the end, it'll probably come out of health care.

It was definitely only the

kgb999 — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:29:11 +0000

In reply to Well played, sir. Probably

It was definitely only the top - maybe only the 4. It kind of sucks, but I don't see how to approach it differently. We have idiot Republicans who tweet their own position when visiting troops in a war zone.

(nod to the Biden joke ... lol!).

Under federal law, a

we are stardust — Thu, 05 May 2011 03:25:25 +0000

In reply to Well played, sir. Probably

Under federal law, a Presidential Finding, which is highly classified, must be issued when a covert intelligence operation gets under way and, at a minimum, must be made known to Democratic and Republican leaders in the House and the Senate and to the ranking members of their respective intelligence committees—the so-called Gang of Eight. Money for the operation can then be reprogrammed from previous appropriations, as needed, by the relevant congressional committees, which also can be briefed.

Well played, sir. Probably

acanuck — Thu, 05 May 2011 02:35:01 +0000

In reply to No other intelligence

Well played, sir. Probably just Boehner, Reid, Pelosi, McConnell, and the heads of two or three relevant committees. But that counts as informing Congress these days. The real risk was probably letting Biden in on what was going down.

No other intelligence

kgb999 — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:58:39 +0000

In reply to Don't think so. Prove me

No other intelligence operatives in other countries were told of the attack before it occurred -- including Pakistani operatives -- according to administration officials. Vice President Joseph Biden informed congressional leadership of the attack shortly before it took place, aides on the Hill told the Huffington Post.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/01/osama-bin-laden-dead-killed_n_8...

Don't think so. Prove me

acanuck — Wed, 04 May 2011 22:42:50 +0000

In reply to Don't have the quote handy

Don't think so. Prove me wrong.