Bush Takes Credit?

[Howey]

Is Bush taking credit for the death of bin Laden?

London, May 10: The US raid that led to the death of Osama bin Laden, may not actually be President Obama's handiwork. A report by a British daily suggests that former US president George W Bush had in place a deal with Pakistan government that would allow the US forces to conduct a raid similar to 'Operation Geronimo' to nab Laden if he was ever found in Pakistan.

According to a report published by the Guardian, the deal was struck between Pervez Musharraf and George Bush in 2001 when both of them were the presidents of their respective countries.

Under the deal, Pakistan was supposed to allow US forces to conduct a unilateral raid inside its territory in search of Osama, al Zawahiri and all the top al-Qaeda leaders and that both sides agreed that Pakistan will strongly protest the incursion.

The report quotes a senior US official with the knowledge of counter-terrorism operations as saying, "There was an agreement between Bush and Musharraf that if we knew where Osama was, we were going to come and get him...The Pakistanis would put up a hue and cry, but they wouldn't stop us."

The report has also quoted a senior Pakistani official as confirming that the deal was struck under Musharraf and renewed by the army during the "transition to democracy" – a six-month period from February 2008 when Musharraf was still president but a civilian government had been elected.

The daily quotes the official as saying, "As far as our American friends are concerned, they have just implemented the agreement."

Informing that the recent outpour of protests by Pakistani government and leaders including General Pervez Musharraf as the "public face of the deal", the senior US official was quoted as saying, "We knew they would deny this stuff."

The report underlines an exposure by the Wikileaks US embassy cables, in which Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, was quoted as saying to a US official in August 2008, "I don't care if they do it, as long as they get the right people. We'll protest in the National Assembly and then ignore it."

So, is all the talks by Pakistani leadership about the violation of their sovereignty by the US an eye-wash. Going by the reports, it seems that certainly is the case.

[lil mike]

Is Bush taking credit for the death of bin Laden?

The thread name is a little disingenuous.  Bush isn't taking or trying to take credit.

But the "secret deal" rang a bell.  I think it's in reference to this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/21/60minutes/main2030165.shtml

Home60 Minutes .NEW YORK, Sept. 24, 2006
Musharraf: In the Line of Fire
Pakistan's President Tells Steve Kroft U.S. Threatened His Country


That indoctrination is part of a rising tide of anti-American sentiment, aggravated by Musharraf’s cooperation with the United States in the war on terror, an alliance that was forged on Sept. 11, 2001. At the time, Pakistan was one of a few countries supporting the Taliban government in Afghanistan, which harbored Osama bin Laden. The U.S. made it clear that that relationship would have to end, and Musharraf says the message was delivered by then-Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage in the most undiplomatic terms.

"The Director of Intelligence told me that he said, 'Be prepared to be bombed.' Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age," Musharraf remembers.

What was his reaction?

"One has to think and take action in the interest of the nation and that's what I did," the president explains, adding that he thought it was a "very rude remark."

Armitage disputes the exact language, but doesn’t deny that the message was strong. Musharraf says he believes his director of intelligence and says he took it as a threat.

"It was a threat, certainly," Musharraf says. "I took it that the United States, after having whatever happened to the World Trade Center, would be a wounded country – a wounded sole superpower and they are going to do anything to counter and to punish the perpetrators. Now, if we stand in the way of that, we are going to suffer."

Musharraf, who had seized power in a military coup barely two years earlier, decided that Pakistan could not survive with the U.S. as an adversary and offered his cooperation.


Clearly we were not going to let Pakistan stand in our way if we had a bead on Bin Ladin.  Really it was less an agreement and more of a statement of intent.


Interestingly, the Indian press has been going crazy since the death of Bin Ladin.  I've never seen so many references and links to Indian news sources.  Bin Ladin dead represents a real opportunity for them, and they would like to peel the US away from Pakistan.

[Howey]

The thread name is a little disingenuous.  Bush isn't taking or trying to take credit.

Why? Did you not see a question mark?

The thread name is a little disingenuous.  Bush isn't taking or trying to take credit.

But the "secret deal" rang a bell.  I think it's in reference to this:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/09/21/60minutes/main2030165.shtml

Sure...but this story states a deal made ten years ago...

Interestingly, the Indian press has been going crazy since the death of Bin Ladin.  I've never seen so many references and links to Indian news sources.  Bin Ladin dead represents a real opportunity for them, and they would like to peel the US away from Pakistan.

Actually, the story was linked to from Drudge and the original story is credited to The Guardian.

[44nutman]

Bush is not taking credit. He is holed up on his farm. I would agree others are trying to give credit to Bush, but Bush himself seems happy enough to stay out of the limelight, other than to drive Hannity around his farm when a book comes out.

[betteroffhere]

Bush is not taking credit. He is holed up on his farm. I would agree others are trying to give credit to Bush, but Bush himself seems happy enough to stay out of the limelight, other than to drive Hannity around his farm when a book comes out.

cause he knows his role...

and what can happen to you if you step out of line...first hand