ISLAMABAD, May 3 (PTI): The Pakistani Taliban on Tuesday warned that they would target Pakistan and the US to avenge the killing of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden by US special forces in a raid near the garrison city of Abbottabad. In an audio message issued to the Pakistani media from an undisclosed location, Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan spokesman Ahsanullah Ahsan confirmed the death of bin Laden, the world's most wanted man, and said his group would take revenge for his killing.
"We will avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden. Pakistan is now the first target of the Taliban and the US the second," said Ahsan, who spoke in Pashto. He warned that Pakistan's leaders were on the Taliban's hit list.
In telephone calls to journalists in northwest Pakistan shortly after the US announced the killing of bin Laden yesterday, Ahsan warned that top Pakistani leaders, including president Asif Ali Zardari, and the Pakistan Army would be the "first targets" of his group.
Ahsan also said in his audio message that the US should not be jubilant about killing bin Laden as American authorities took 10 years to find the al-Qaeda chief. "We killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (in 2007). After three months of planning, we sent a suicide bomber to kill her... We completed our objective in three months while the US was trailing Osama bin Laden for 10 years," he said.
"We will avenge the killing of Osama bin Laden. Pakistan is now the first target of the Taliban and the US the second," said Ahsan, who spoke in Pashto. He warned that Pakistan's leaders were on the Taliban's hit list.
In telephone calls to journalists in northwest Pakistan shortly after the US announced the killing of bin Laden yesterday, Ahsan warned that top Pakistani leaders, including president Asif Ali Zardari, and the Pakistan Army would be the "first targets" of his group.
Ahsan also said in his audio message that the US should not be jubilant about killing bin Laden as American authorities took 10 years to find the al-Qaeda chief. "We killed former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto (in 2007). After three months of planning, we sent a suicide bomber to kill her... We completed our objective in three months while the US was trailing Osama bin Laden for 10 years," he said.
‘US troops were ready to capture Osama alive’
Washington, May 3 (PTI): The US troops were prepared to capture Osama bin Laden alive, but his resistance and use of a woman as shield forced them to kill the al-Qaida leader, the White House said. "If we had the opportunity to take bin Laden alive, if he didn't present any threat, the individuals involved were able and prepared to do that. We had discussed that extensively in a number of meetings in the White House and with the (US) President," John Brennan, National Security Advisor for Counterterrorism and Homeland, told reporters at White House.
Bin Laden was killed in a pre-dawn operation yesterday in Pakistan's Abbottabad, 120 km from Islamabad. "The concern was that bin Laden would oppose any type of capture operation. Indeed, he did. "There was a firefight. He therefore was killed in that firefight, and that's when the remains were removed. But we certainly were planning for the possibility, which we thought was going to be remote, given that he would he likely resist arrest but that we would be able to capture him," he said.
The White House official said they were trying ensure that mission was accomplished safely. "We were not going to put our people at risk. The president put a premium on making sure that our personnel were protected, and we were not going to give bin Laden or any of his cohorts the opportunity to carry out lethal fire on our forces. "He was engaged, and he was killed in the process. But if we had the opportunity to take him alive, we would have done that," he said. Brennan said Osama bin Laden was engaged in a firefight with those entered the house. "Whether or not he got off any rounds, I'd quite frankly don't know," he said.
Brennan said the course of action and the subsequent decisions have been made over the course of the last several months. "There was a working group that was working this on a regular basis, if not a daily basis, over the last several weeks, looking at every decision and based on what type of scenario would unfold, what actions and decisions would be made," the official said. "It was looked at from the standpoint of, if we captured him, what would we do with him, where would he go. If he was killed, what would we do with him and where would he go?" he added.
Bin Laden was killed in a pre-dawn operation yesterday in Pakistan's Abbottabad, 120 km from Islamabad. "The concern was that bin Laden would oppose any type of capture operation. Indeed, he did. "There was a firefight. He therefore was killed in that firefight, and that's when the remains were removed. But we certainly were planning for the possibility, which we thought was going to be remote, given that he would he likely resist arrest but that we would be able to capture him," he said.
The White House official said they were trying ensure that mission was accomplished safely. "We were not going to put our people at risk. The president put a premium on making sure that our personnel were protected, and we were not going to give bin Laden or any of his cohorts the opportunity to carry out lethal fire on our forces. "He was engaged, and he was killed in the process. But if we had the opportunity to take him alive, we would have done that," he said. Brennan said Osama bin Laden was engaged in a firefight with those entered the house. "Whether or not he got off any rounds, I'd quite frankly don't know," he said.
Brennan said the course of action and the subsequent decisions have been made over the course of the last several months. "There was a working group that was working this on a regular basis, if not a daily basis, over the last several weeks, looking at every decision and based on what type of scenario would unfold, what actions and decisions would be made," the official said. "It was looked at from the standpoint of, if we captured him, what would we do with him, where would he go. If he was killed, what would we do with him and where would he go?" he added.
