Friday, June 24, 2011

Cellphone links Osama bin Laden to Pakistan spies

The cellphone of Osama bin Laden’s trusted courier, which was recovered in the raid that killed both men in Pakistan last month, contained contacts to a militant group that is a longtime asset of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, senior American officials who have been briefed on the findings say.

The discovery indicates that Bin Laden used the group, Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, as part of his support network inside the country, the officials and others said. But it also raised tantalizing questions about whether the group and others like it helped shelter and support Bin Laden on behalf of Pakistan’s spy agency, given that it had mentored Harakat and allowed it to operate in Pakistan for at least 20 years, the officials and analysts said.

It remains unclear if the group helped shelter bin Laden on behalf of Pakistan's spy agency. But the phone might help explain how bin Laden was able to live in a town dominated by the Pakistani military and only a few hours from Pakistan's capital, Islamabad.

“It’s a serious lead,” an American official told the Times. “It’s an avenue we’re investigating.”

The phone discovery might also provide clues as to how bin Laden escaped from the Tora Bora region of Afghanistan nearly 10 years ago when American forces tried to capture him, it states.

Harakat has deep roots in Abbottabad and the strong ties with the area may have been why bin Laden chose to live there and managed to survive undetected for years.

The Pakistan-based group, described in detail here, is classified as a terrorist organization by the United States. It has conducted raids on Indian security positions and is active in Kashmir, reports AFP.

No comments:

Post a Comment