As long as he leads a “peaceful life.” Right. You think I’m kidding?
Osama bin Laden, America’s most wanted man, will not face capture in Pakistan if he agrees to lead a “peaceful life,” Pakistani officials tell ABC News.
In addition to the pullout of Pakistani troops, the “peace agreement” between Pakistan and the Taliban also provides for the Pakistani army to return captured Taliban weapons and prisoners.
“What this means is that the Taliban and al Qaeda leadership have effectively carved out a sanctuary inside Pakistan,” said ABC News consultant Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism director.
If he’s going to lead a peaceful life in the mountains then why is he negotiating for the return of weapons and terrorists? What could he possibly need them for?
Scratch Pakistan off the short list. This is way beyond stupid.
**UPDATE 9/6/06 0830**
Now ABC’s Brian Ross folows up his post titled “Pakistan Gives Bin Laden Free Pass” with “Pakistan Denies Bin Laden Gets a Pass.” So, Brian, which is true?
The government of Pakistan today denied it would allow Osama bin Laden to avoid capture under terms of a peace agreement it signed with Taliban leaders in the country’s North Waziristan area.
It would appear that Pakistan is negotiating with the Taliban but still supports the manhunt for Bin Laden. Hmmmmm.
“If he is in Pakistan, today or any time later, he will be taken into custody and brought to justice,” the Pakistani ambassador to the United States, Mahmud Ali Durrani, said in a statement.
The ambassador said a Pakistani military spokesman, Major General Shaukat Sultan, had been “grossly misquoted” when he told ABC News Tuesday that bin Laden would not be taken into custody “as long as one is being like a peaceful citizen.”
If you read through the short telephone interview it becomes apparent that there was a language barrier/translation problem between ABC and the General being interviewed.
Clear as mud, right? I wonder who is doing Brian’s fact checking.
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