Rogue ISI, military may have known of Osama's hideout: Musharraf
WASHINGTON: Pakistan’s former President, Pervez Musharraf told ABC News in a recent interview that there is “a possibility that rogue lower-level members of Pakistan’s Inter-Service Intelligence and military may have had knowledge of Osama bin Laden’s location in Abbotabad.”
“It’s really appalling that he was there and nobody knew. I’m certainly appalled that I didn’t know and that intelligence people from that time onward didn’t know for six years that he was inside. And there is no excuse for this great, massive slip-up. And an investigation is in order and people must be punished for this big lapse. As a policy, the army and ISI fighting terrorism and extremism, al Qaeda, Taliban. But rogue element within is a possibility,” he said.
“The possibility as I said, at the lower level, somebody following a policy of his own and violating the policy from above, is a possibility.”
Sovereignty issue
Musharraf said he agreed with Pakistan’s refusal to allow United States back into bin Laden’s compound.
“No government can accept a violation of their sovereignty,” Musharraf said in an interview with ABC News Chief Law and Justice Correspondent Chris Cuomo.
“Certainly it was a violation of our sovereignty, and I don’t know if there were armed troops around, and if they saw some helicopters firing in a house without knowing who they are dealing with, there was a possibility of a clash like that, and firing from Pakistani troops on ground could have taken place,” he said.
Musharraf also warned the US that if it continues to alienate Pakistan as they did in the bin Laden raid, the US will be the “loser.”
According to Musharraf, the “feelings of mistrust are mutual. What kind of friend is that you haven’t taken us into confidence?” he said.
“You can’t clap with one hand. If you don’t trust Pakistan, how can Pakistan trust you?”
The former president called the belief that Pakistan sides with al Qaeda simply “sad. That is very sad if your countrymen think that Pakistan is more sympathetic or more partial to the Taliban and Al Qaeda,” he told Cuomo.
A deal with the US?
According to Musharraf, there was never a deal struck during his tenure to allow the US to make a unilateral attack on Pakistan’s soil if bin Laden was found.
“I do not accept anybody getting up and saying there was a deal. There was no such deal. And that was in 2001 between me and President Bush. I personally was trying to cast my mind back to 2001 after 9/11 and in those three, two and a half months left, after September 2001, I do not remember, recollect, that I even spoke to President Bush. And besides, we didn’t even discuss this issue about allowing such an action,” he said.
(source:http://tribune.com.pk)
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