USIP's Moeed Yusuf discusses the death of Osama bin Laden and the implications for Pakistan.
May 2, 2011
USIP's Moeed Yusuf discusses the death of Osama bin Laden and the implications for Pakistan.
- How is the death of bin Laden playing out in Pakistan?
- What impact will this have on bilateral relations?
- What impact does this have on the U.S. image in Pakistan?
How is the death of bin Laden playing out in Pakistan?
It has probably embarrassed many within the strategic community in Pakistan. The immediate reaction, however, was a positive one; media channels portrayed a sense of achievement pointing to President Obama's speech late Sunday night in which he mentioned support from Pakistan. This morning, however, it has become clear that the Pakistanis were not on board and were only informed after the fact. While it is too early to tell, this revelation will raise a lot of questions in Pakistan and perhaps even between Pakistan and the U.S.
What impact will this have on bilateral relations?
This largely depends on the facts which have yet to be unearthed. If it turns out that bin Laden had been living there without any knowledge of the Pakistanis and that the Pakistanis ultimately supported the U.S.'s move, there may not be any fallout. I suspect this is more likely than not the case as the Pakistani state has been targeting al-Qaida along with the U.S. for some time. I see no interest for the Pakistani state to harbor any al-Qaida operative.
What impact does this have on the U.S. image in Pakistan?
This comes at a particularly difficult time, amid existing tensions over the presence of U.S. operatives within Pakistan. The Raymond Davis saga is still fresh in the minds of the Pakistanis and this operation - clearly a major one - will also be viewed as having been conducted by U.S. operatives within Pakistan. The government is likely to come under more pressure and vested interests are likely to spin this to raise further anti-U.S. sentiment.