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Sunday, May 8, 2011

Saudi Arabia and Turkey tried to get Pakistan to turn over bin-Laden

OK, then riddle me this: how can negotiations happen when bin-Laden is not hiding in Pakistan with the help of the government?

We do not find out about the attempted negotiation until the last paragraph.  I wonder why it was not important enough to put at the head of the article. 

Anybody?  Hello?


From DAWN May 8 by Syed Rashid Husain

Malik gives Zardari’s message to Saudi king 


Interior Minister Senator A. Rehman Malik called on His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud. - APP Photo

The unscheduled visit and presence of the cream of Saudi leadership at the meeting between Mr Malik and King Abdullah set off a wave of speculations in Riyadh. Some observers saw the occasion as an aftermath of Osama bin Laden’s killing while some others linked it to, what they said, was an effort by Washington to reset its ties with Islamabad and Riyadh in the wake of the Arab uprising.

The Saudi leaders who attended the meeting included Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, Chief of General Intelligence Prince Muqrin bin Abdulaziz, Secretary General of the National Security Council Prince Bandar bin Sultan bin Abdulaziz, Minister of State and Commander of the National Guard Prince Miteb bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, Adviser to the King, Prince Abdulaziz bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz and Saudi Ambassador to Pakistan Abdulaziz bin Ibrahim Al Ghadir.

Mr Malik was accompanied by Ayaz Mohammad Khan, Pakistan’s charge d’ affaires in Riyadh.

According to sources, the post-Osama scenario and recent developments were examined at length. The two sides pledged to stand by each other in times of need. They agreed to continue consulting and coordinating with each other on every major development.According to political analysts, an exchange of high-level visits in the weeks ahead cannot be ruled out.

The interior minister’s visit came at a time when fingers are increasingly being pointed in Washington towards Islamabad and its security apparatus over the presence of Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. Some press reports over the past few days have indicated that Saudi Arabia and Turkey had tried, albeit unsuccessfully, to persuade Pakistan to hand over Osama bin Laden to the United States.

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