Washington. .- The United States did not inform Pakistan of the operation against the leader of Al Qaeda, Osama bin Laden, because it could jeopardize the mission, said the CIA director, Leon Panetta said in an interview with Time magazine published today. Americans feared that Pakistan "could alert the goals," Panetta said in the first interview after the operation that killed the leader of Al Qaeda.
For months U.S.. UU. considered a larger attack that included coordination with other countries, especially Pakistan, but ruled out the involvement of CIA ally because "any effort to work with the Pakistanis would jeopardize the mission," said Panetta. Another plan considered by U.S.. UU.
was a bombing from B-52 or a cruise missile attack but these options were discarded due to the possibility of great "collateral damage", ie casualties among the civilian population. Panetta told Time the discussions during the last week among senior officials in the intelligence services until they came to "circumstantial evidence" pointing to the presence of Bin Laden in the city of Abbottabad.
Among experts, Panetta found some worried that a repetition of the mistakes that led to failure in 1980, an attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, and others who feared a repeat of what happened in Somalia in 1993, when two helicopters Americans were shot down. Panetta said some of his advisers wondered what would happen if a U.S.
helicopter sent to the mission was shot down and, amid the incident, appeared by the Pakistani military. But Panetta concluded that there was sufficient evidence to afford to launch the mission, and last Thursday was a meeting "crucial" in which President Barack Obama heard the arguments of his advisers.
The tests were still uncertain about the presence of Bin Laden's residence would be attacked and the decision was in the hands of the president. Panetta learned that the president had accepted the arguments of the director of the CIA last Friday, when "Obama said he authorized the mission helicopters and formalized the order with a signed letter." A conference room with no windows, on the seventh floor of CIA headquarters in Langley (Virginia) became the command center of the mission, in direct communication with the commanders on the ground and special forces units Navy SEALS, who executed the operation.
Among those present were General William McRaven, head of Special Forces Joint Command, who Panetta repeatedly asked what was exchanged messages and codes in communications. "When I finally McRaven said they had found 'Jerome', the code assigned to Bin Laden-loose worldwide bated breath," said Panetta.
When the helicopters attacked the premises took flight there was a unanimous applause in the hall of Langley. Pakistan denies having approved the transaction The Pakistani government today categorically denied having authorized or have prior information on the operation launched by U.S.
special forces on its territory against Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. In a statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry expressed reservations about "the way the U.S. government carried out the operation" that ended the life of the leader of Al Qaeda. 
For months U.S.. UU. considered a larger attack that included coordination with other countries, especially Pakistan, but ruled out the involvement of CIA ally because "any effort to work with the Pakistanis would jeopardize the mission," said Panetta. Another plan considered by U.S.. UU.
was a bombing from B-52 or a cruise missile attack but these options were discarded due to the possibility of great "collateral damage", ie casualties among the civilian population. Panetta told Time the discussions during the last week among senior officials in the intelligence services until they came to "circumstantial evidence" pointing to the presence of Bin Laden in the city of Abbottabad.
Among experts, Panetta found some worried that a repetition of the mistakes that led to failure in 1980, an attempt to rescue American hostages in Iran, and others who feared a repeat of what happened in Somalia in 1993, when two helicopters Americans were shot down. Panetta said some of his advisers wondered what would happen if a U.S.
helicopter sent to the mission was shot down and, amid the incident, appeared by the Pakistani military. But Panetta concluded that there was sufficient evidence to afford to launch the mission, and last Thursday was a meeting "crucial" in which President Barack Obama heard the arguments of his advisers.
The tests were still uncertain about the presence of Bin Laden's residence would be attacked and the decision was in the hands of the president. Panetta learned that the president had accepted the arguments of the director of the CIA last Friday, when "Obama said he authorized the mission helicopters and formalized the order with a signed letter." A conference room with no windows, on the seventh floor of CIA headquarters in Langley (Virginia) became the command center of the mission, in direct communication with the commanders on the ground and special forces units Navy SEALS, who executed the operation.
Among those present were General William McRaven, head of Special Forces Joint Command, who Panetta repeatedly asked what was exchanged messages and codes in communications. "When I finally McRaven said they had found 'Jerome', the code assigned to Bin Laden-loose worldwide bated breath," said Panetta.
When the helicopters attacked the premises took flight there was a unanimous applause in the hall of Langley. Pakistan denies having approved the transaction The Pakistani government today categorically denied having authorized or have prior information on the operation launched by U.S.
special forces on its territory against Al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. In a statement, the Pakistani Foreign Ministry expressed reservations about "the way the U.S. government carried out the operation" that ended the life of the leader of Al Qaeda.
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