Cables: U.S. near bin Laden in '08, didn't know it

OSAMA BIN LADEN over his compound

/ CBS/AP

U.S. troops were unwittingly within a few hundreds yards of Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound in October 2008, WikiLeaks cables reveal.

According to a report in the Guardian, diplomatic cables show the U.S. military was "training the trainers" of Pakistan's Frontier Corps. Abbottabad is home to the Pakistan Military Academy.

Special Section: The Killing of Osama bin Laden

The compound where bin Laden was tracked down and killed by Navy SEALs is near the academy. On Tuesday, White House counterterrorism adviser John Brennan said that bin Laden was likely in the highly fortified compound for five or six years, meaning that the U.S. military presence in the city overlapped with his.

The revelation comes in notes about a meeting between then-U.S. Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte and Pakistani officials.

"[Pakistan's national security adviser Mahmud Ali] Durrani pledged Pakistan's support for the U.S. Training-of-Trainers for the Frontier Corps starting in Abbottabad in October," the report read.

It's possible U.S. forces were in Abbottabad for a second time months later, according to the cables, which noted the slow pace of construction of a permanent training site in the city of Warsak. The subsequent training session was scheduled for early 2009.

[signseeker1717]

The compound was built in 2005; it's believed that it was built specifically for OBL, and that he had lived there since (that makes it SIX years, so, yes, he would've been there in October, 2008 and beyond.

2005 is the same year Bush dismantled the unit that was looking for OBL. He had also made several comments publicly that he didn't know where OBL was, didn't care, didn't give him much thought.

Maybe Pakistan took those actions as signs we had lost interest in tracking him down?

Have we gotten our money's worth over the years? I think there was a time when we did; they captured some high value terrorists in the post 9/11 period. It was also essential that we had at least marginal cooperation for the war in Afganistan.

No doubt there's going to be a lot of backlash towards Pakistan, and lots of people calling for a complete cutoff in funds.

Yes, I know, this situation is OUTRAGEOUS, BUT we cannot simply cut them off and walk away - they are a nuclear power with a corrupt, unstable political situation and powerful army, in a very strategic location, and a partner (albeit a schizophrenic one) in the war on terror. It is in our country's best interest to continue a working relationship.

But we most certainly need to renegotiate the parameters of that relationship.

[LiftingSkirts]

test

[erasmus111]

What are ya testing?

[mik88]

The U.S. is training Pakistani military? Giving them support money? And all this time they were hiding Bin Laden and who knows who else? Don't you think it's time for the U.S. to stop giving them money and training (which will one day be used against the U.S.)? You know it's going to come back and bite the U.S. in the butt.

[MontyMoose]

I AM SO GLAD the Osama bin Laden has been buried at sea.
Every day when I use the urinal I have hope that my output will reach him!!!

[infantryman1968]

Cables: U.S. near bin Laden in '08, didn't know it


LOL!

So where is the proof Bin Ladin was there when the advisors were there?

Nice try CBS.

While your at it, explain why you and Obama lied to the Amercian Public by saying torture was being conducted at Gitmo.

[bilrobi1]

I'm sorry, I thought you guys were in favor of "enhanced interrogation?

[love2ridend]

Read the whole article Training in early 2009 also. Who was President then?

[Well_You_Aint_Me]

Depends on how early.

Why wasn't the info passed on, as obligated, from one POTUS to the next?

[brian_norwood]

I 2008, that would have been Bush. In 2009, that would have been Obama. And your point is?

[HuntinFishin]

I wonder who was president at that time? Must have been one of those bleeding heart gutless liberals....no wait a minute....