washington, july 7 — secret military operation in 2005 capture senior members of al qaeda in pakistan’s tribal areas aborted @ last minute after top bush administration officials decided risky , jeopardize relations pakistan, according intelligence , military officials.
target meeting of qaeda leaders intelligence officials thought included ayman al-zawahri, osama bin laden’s top deputy , man believed run terrorist group’s operations.
mission called off after donald h. rumsfeld, defense secretary, rejected 11th-hour appeal porter j. goss, director of central intelligence agency, officials said. members of navy seals unit in parachute gear had boarded c-130 cargo planes in afghanistan when mission canceled, said former senior intelligence official involved in planning.
mr. rumsfeld decided operation, had ballooned small number of military personnel , c.i.a. operatives several hundred, cumbersome , put many american lives @ risk, current , former officials said. concerned cause rift pakistan, reluctant ally has barred american military operating in tribal areas, officials said.
decision halt planned “snatch , grab” operation frustrated top intelligence officials , members of military’s secret special operations units, united states missed significant opportunity try capture senior members of al qaeda.
frustration has grown on past 2 years, said, al qaeda has improved abilities plan global attacks , build new training compounds in pakistan’s tribal areas, have become virtual havens terrorist network.
in recent months, white house has become increasingly irritated pakistan’s president, gen. pervez musharraf, inaction on growing threat of taliban , al qaeda.
dozen current , former military , intelligence officials interviewed article, of whom requested anonymity because planned 2005 mission remained classified.
spokesmen pentagon, c.i.a. , white house declined comment. unclear whether president bush informed planned operation.
officials acknowledge not mr. zawahri attended 2005 meeting in north waziristan, mountainous province miles afghan border. said united states had communications intercepts tipped them off meeting, , intelligence officials had unusually high confidence mr. zawahri there.
months later, in may 2005, c.i.a. launched missile remotely piloted predator drone, killing haitham al-yemeni, senior qaeda figure whom c.i.a. had tracked since meeting.
has long been known c.i.a. operatives conduct counterterrorism missions in pakistan’s tribal areas. details of aborted 2005 operation provide glimpse bush administration’s internal negotiations on whether take unilateral military action in pakistan, general musharraf’s fragile government under pressure dissidents object cooperation united states.
pentagon officials familiar covert operations said planners had consider political , human risks of undertaking military campaign in sovereign country, in area pakistan’s tribal lands, government has tenuous control. shortcomings, pakistan has been vital american ally since sept. 11 attacks, , militaries of 2 countries have close ties.
pentagon officials said tension inherent in decision approve such mission: smaller military footprint allows better chance of mission going undetected, exposes units greater risk of being killed or captured.
officials said 1 reason mr. rumsfeld called off 2005 operation number of troops involved in mission had grown several hundred, including army rangers, members of navy seals , c.i.a. operatives, , determined united states no longer carry out mission without general musharraf’s permission. unlikely pakistani president have approved operation of size, officials said.
outside experts said american counterterrorism operations had been hamstrung because of concerns general musharraf’s shaky government.
(more)
click expand...
Comments
Post a Comment