Pakistan arrests CIA's informants on bin Laden

Osama bin Laden and the compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, where he lived for several years and was eventually killed in by a U.S. Navy SEAL team.

/ CBS/AP

Five people who would be heroes in America are currently sitting in a Pakistani jail, having been arrested for their part in feeding the CIA information on Osama bin Laden's hideout there.

One of the men arrested includes a Pakistani Army major who officials said copied the license plates of cars visiting Bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, The New York Times reports. Another person arrested includes the man who owned the safe house rented to the CIA while it gathered information for the May 2 bin Laden operation, the Associated Press reports.

Details of the arrests and the current condition of those arrested are sketchy. The news came to The Times from U.S. officials with knowledge of a closed briefing last week with members of the Senate Intelligence Committee and Michael J. Morell, the deputy C.I.A. director.

A Pakistani government official refused to confirm or deny the arrests in an interview Wednesday with CBS News' Farhan Bokhari.

"No one is allowed to work outside a structured framework," said the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "If there have been any arrests, I suspect that's because these people were working without permission."

Two timed blasts kill 34 in Pakistan
Pakistan to Panetta: No U.S. boots on the ground
Voice of Al Qaeda: Number Two Talks Bin Laden
Special section: The killing of Osama bin Laden

Pakistan's security forces were largely seen as having been embarrassed by the bin Laden raid, as the U.S. did not announce their intentions prior to taking military action there. Pakistani officials have been quick to denounce the raid as it is apparently deeply unpopular with the general populace there.

"There is a strong feeling in the ISI (Pakistani spy agency) that they have been stabbed in the back by the CIA," a senior Western diplomat, who insisted on anonymity, told Bokhari.

Since the raid, not only have devastating attacks by Islamic militants continued in Pakistan, but so have U.S. military drone strikes on suspected al Qaeda and Taliban members in the tribal regions.

The bin Laden raid in general has built up distrust on both sides of the relationship between the Pakistan and the U.S., with Pakistani officials decrying what was seen as a unilateral strike on their soil, and U.S. officials openly questioning how bin Laden could have lived in Pakistan for so long without anyone knowing about it.

Additionally, U.S. officials have begun to question whether the America should continue to send aid to Pakistan, which so far has amounted to $20 billion since 2001. Sen. Dick Luger (R-Ind.), the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement after the raid that detailed the reasons it has been so difficult to deal with Pakistan's leadership:

"One of the main problems in dealing with Pakistan is that its government is not a monolith, but rather a collection of different power centers that interact in complex ways. There is the elected civilian government, which over the years has not always been strong or stable; the uniformed military, which has seized power at various junctures; the intelligence service, which has its own independence within the military; and, we are told, a shadowy group of former intelligence agents that can act on its own. These different actors alternately compete and cooperate with one another, and their influence periodically waxes and wanes. Equally vexing, each of the players can support U.S. policies one moment, but obstruct them the next. Add to this mix volatile public elements that can be whipped into an anti-American fervor, and you have a partner who can seem, as some have said, to be both firefighter and arsonist."

[Masha_B]

Where is the Amnesty International lobbying to free these men?

[DLC312]

By reading this story It really seems to me that the Pakastan Government ISN'T on the same page as we are and Arn't on Our Side. I personal feel that the Pakastana are not an allie of America. Give it time and we just might be at war with them.

[lamarquc]

Actually, it was to be expected. Worse has yet, I am very afraid
and hope will not, to happen. Bin Laden was on his death-bed via
kideny failure, receiving dialysis, Pakistan has nuclear power +
must deal with varied factions hostile to US, they are walking a
tight rope. The spectacle of US-joy, the same ones exhibited by
Arabs on 9/11, shocked me. I thought "we" would behave better!
And I too am glad Bin Laden is dead, but Not this way-PR-move
strictly, in my view. This was not in the US's best interest!

[henryknox32]

I don't think that we can trust any of them ! They will tell us what we want to hear as long as we are stupid enough to believe them ,and then they will betray us at every turn . We are dealing with a mentality from the seventh century . My question is , how did the Pakistani government find out who the people assisting the CIA were ? Do these people qualify for the reward ? In addition , we should keep any aid that we send to them and give it to Arizona , and some of the people who have lost their homes in various ways .

[Jeepsrule]

We need to quit complaining on this blog about Pakistan and start writing Congress and let them know how we feel about Pakistan. India is a better choice as an Ally. If it were not for oil the Middle East would provide nothing to the world, but a hate filled religion hell bent on dominating us all. We need to cut all funding and place an economic embargo on Pakistan.

[mooring7]

CBS HAS CENSORED MY COMMENTS AND ALSO CENSORED THE RESPONSE TO THAT ACTION WHEN POINTING OUT THAT BOTH THE WORD I USED IN MY FREE EXPRESSION OF SPEECH WAS USED IN PROPER CONTEXT BOTH IN THE ORIGINAL COMMENT AND THEN THE REBUTTAL COMMENT . I RESENT THE INFERENCE BY WAY OF CENSORSHIP THAT I USED ANY SUCH WORD IN A VULGAR OR ILLICET MANNER. THANK YOU CBS FOR VIOLATING MY FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS.....

[rf35]

Dude, the site uses a program that keys on certain words regardless of context and censors them. It's pretty stupid, but I noticed dick is no longer censored since Cheney is out of Washington.

P.S. The Caps Lock key is located on the left side just above the Shift key. Please press it to turn it off.

[AttyFAM]

Folks,

I can well understand the intense anger you all feel with Pakistan. I feel it too. But making policy has less to do with emotion, and more to do with necessity. Let me show you some of the problems.

Supply to Afghanistan. Right now personnel are flown into Kygyzstan and then on to Kabul. But supplies are too much for transport by air. So they are brought in by ship to Pakistan, off-loaded onto 2 ton military trucks and convoyed through Pakistan to Afghanistan. If we designate Pakistan as an enemy resupply of materiel would be halted.

Part-Time Friend. Occasionally, Pakistan acts as a friend. In early 2010, Pakistan launched military offensives into the Swat Valley and later into North Waziristan. The Swat Valley venture was the more successful, especially as all the world knew in advance about the assault into North Waziristan. And this last week, Pakistan helped the US locate and kill an Al Qaeda leader. So the problem is, how much of a friend is Pakistan, and how much of an enemy.

Wahhabism: The third consideration is that while Pakistan is almost wholly Muslim, and mostly Sunni Muslim, there has been since the early 1700s a strong Wahhabist subculture, that has mainly occupied the Swat Valley and the mountains since that time. That is the Pakistan link to Al Qaeda, and the Government of Pakistan is at odds with that group as it wants to overthrow the central government and impose pure Sharia law. So, to a certain extent, the government there has a need to provide substantive cooperation to the USA while publicly being seen to oppose us.

[amominillinois]

It's sad to see that the Obama administration was so busy grandstanding about Bin Landen's capture and death that they forgot to protect those who helped us capture him. After this mistake, who is going to stick their necks out again to help the US??

This is just another thing that makes me question Obama leadership. I doubt I will vote for him again.

[mooring7]

I SAID IT HERE WHEN BIN LADEN WAS KILLED THE PAKISTANI'S WEPT IN THE STREETS AND SHOUTED DEATH TO AMERICA......GEORGE BUSH! CALL HOME !! REMIND OBAMA THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT STAND WITH US ARE AGAINST US.......YOU SAID IT TEN YEARS AGO..... QUE PASA BARACK ? TAKE ALL THE FORIEGN AID AWAY FROM AFGANISTAN AND PAKISTAN AND GIVE I TO INDIA.....STIMULATE THE ECONOMY HERE BY ARMING THE USA AND ITS TRUE ALLIES TO THE TEETH AND STOP ***** FOOTING WITH TERRORIST NATIONS.... OH YEAH AND FIND A RECORDING OF TINY TIM'S "TIP TOE THRU THE TULIPS" IF YOU ARE GOING TO CONTINUE WITH A FORIEGN POLICY THAT BELIEIVES THAT WE HAVE EARNED THEIR ALLIANCE JUST BECAUSE WE PAY THEM OFF. THESE PEOPLE HATE US BECAUSE WE ARE AMERICANS AND EVEN IF THE STATE ODF ISREAL DID NOT EXIST IT WOULD BE THE SAME.... WE ARE THE INFIDELS.....AND NOW PAKISTAN HAS ARRESTED AND WILL PROBABLY TORTURE BEYOND WATER BOARDING THOSE ARRESTED BECAUSE THEY HELPED US FIND THE MAN WHO ORDERED THE DEATH OF THOUSAND OF AMERICANS. HARRY TRUMAN CALL HOME !

[mooring7]

CBS YOU HAVE CENSORED BY COMMENTS AND USE USE OF THE WORD ***** FOOTING. WHICH IS AN EXPRESSION USED TO DESCRIBE THE SOFT STEPS TAKEN BY A KITTEN OR A CAT WHEN MOVING AS NOT TO MAKE NOISE. YOU DELETED THE WORD ***** WITHOUT CONSIDERING THAT THE COMMONLY USED ADJECTIVE TO DESCRIBE A FELINE ANIMAL IS ***** CAT.

[raibette]

I'm sure if you continue to rant and rave at CBS- concerning their RIGHT to censor what they chose on the website they ALLOW you post comments- they shall instantly issue a worldwide apology and offer you oodles of money to compensate for your stress and suffering. (There, now I sound as daft as you do) Please, give up these meager attempts for attention, decrying your rights have been withheld. Also, if you wish for other individuals to take anything you say seriously, press that little button above the left shift key. CBS is offering a free service in allowing its viewers to comment on and discuss the topics of the stories it publishes. Key lesson: You are allowed the use of the discussion boards and if one so chooses to violate the terms of agreement for using said medium the offending words and/or comment shall be withheld by CBS.

[enaid3]

We should start by dropping the big one on Pakistan!

[TheKnowerseeker]

Either that or bios/chems.

[raibette]

@litteredtop: The bomb certainly would make 'piece(s)' for the Middle East :P

[akibeel]

Stabbed in the back? How does that feel? If your friggin' ISI would have been doing their job, as you have stated all along, this raid need never had happened.
Pull all of the funds to this country