After the raid on Osama Bin Laden's hideout, the elite squad that conducted the bold operation walked away with something possibly even more valuable than the body of the Al-Qaeda leader — his data. The operation yielded hard drives and other computer equipment, including the cellphone of one of Bin Laden's most trusted couriers. That phone could lead to answers about the most troubling question that remains: How did Bin Laden live so close to the capital of Pakistan undetected?
In the events leading up to the dramatic raid, U.S. intelligence agents watched Bin Laden's couriers closely. Eventually that intel led to the fortified compound where he was killed. Now, data collected from a courier's phone points to a relationship between the compound's inhabitants and Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, a militant Islamic group with friendly ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency.
After the death of Bin Laden, the relationship between the U.S. and Pakistan has become increasingly strained. Since the Al-Qaeda compound was conspicuously close to Pakistan's capital city, Abbottabad, the U.S. government is naturally skeptical of Pakistan's claim that it had no knowledge of the terrorist leader's whereabouts. Of course, now the plot thickens, and all eyes are on Pakistan for an explanation.
More from Tecca:
No comments:
Post a Comment