Bin Laden Fallout Strains U.S.-Pakistani Relations from the CFR

Bin Laden Fallout Strains U.S.-Pakistani Relations

Candid statements from U.S. and Pakistani officials about the U.S. military operation that killed Osama bin Laden highlight rising tensions in bilateral diplomatic relations. Director of the CIA Leon Panetta said that Pakistani intelligence (FT) was kept in the dark about the raid for fear that secrecy may have been jeopardized. U.S. lawmakers said that Congress will review, and possibly suspend, the $1.5 billion in annual aid to Pakistan (WSJ) if the country's leadership is found to be complicit in abetting bin Laden.

Leaders in Islamabad criticized the unilateral and unauthorized nature of the U.S. strike, saying such decisions "cannot be taken as a rule." Top Pakistani officials continued to deny allegations that they harbored bin Laden, despite the obvious embarrassment for Pakistani intelligence (NYT). Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani laid blame on global intelligence agencies, suggesting the intelligence oversight (BBC) was not Pakistan's alone. Pakistan's foreign ministry said the ISI had been sharing information about bin Laden's compound with the "CIA and other friendly intelligence agencies since 2009."

Analysis:

Shabbir Cheema, director of Governance and Democracy Initiatives at the East West Center, looks at the likely impacts of bin Laden's death on U.S.-Pakistani relations.

Bin Laden's death is a real and symbolic blow to al-Qaeda, and its stature in the Middle East is already diminished by the pro-democracy movements in the region, but the group remains lethal. Seven CFR experts discuss.

On his CFR blog The Water's Edge, James M. Lindsay examines the political benefits that bin Laden's death presented to the Obama administration.

This CFR Issue Guide provides background and analysis on the foreign policy implications of bin Laden's death.

Background:

Foreign Affairs offers a collection of articles on al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

This CFR backgrounder on al-Qaeda offers historical insight into the international terrorist organization behind the September 11 attacks.

Multimedia:

In this video, CFR's Daniel Markey explores the implications of bin Laden's death for U.S. relations with Pakistan, where the al-Qaeda leader was hiding.

See what CFR's Crisis Guide: Pakistan, recent winner of an Overseas Press Club award, has to say about the roots of Pakistan's challenges, what it means for the region and the world, and some plausible futures for the country.