News is breaking right now that Intelligence operations led American forces to kill Osama bin Laden. Navy SEALs attacked from helicopters 30 miles North of Islamabad in Abbottabad, Pakistan a wealthy suburb and regimental center of the Pakistan Army. Simple human intelligence (HUMINT), such as tracking couriers, is said to have unraveled his location. Ironically the hideout was betrayed by its enhanced security — much larger with more control (taller fences, waste incinerators, no obvious sources of income) compared with other houses in the area.
President Obama’s speech indicated the operation started in August 2010. The timing coincides with deployment of US military helicopters to Ghazi, 30 miles north-west of Islamabad, to provide humanitarian assistance).
A shipload of U.S. Marines and helicopters have arrived to boost relief efforts in flooded Pakistan.
The “USS Peleliu” arrived off the coast near Karachi along with helicopters and about 1,000 Marines.
While that was public news, this operation was kept secret even from the Pakistan authorities after several previous operations were known to have leaked — suspects fled the target buildings before US soldiers arrived.
Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy
Although the killing will stir controversy related to positive identification, let alone the dual-edge of humanitarian assistance or America’s relationship with the Muslim world, there is another reason to pause and review the details.
Like the recent black helicopter AH-6 operations in Somalia, which I have written about before, (this operation is said to have used the MH-60) America has been focused recently on development of a more effective approach to asymmetric threats — rapid response by very small teams to kill and extract high-value targets in foreign territory.
This is not the automation of smart bombs, laser shields, drones or nuclear deterrence. This news is America’s demonstration of classic intelligence and exceptional human capability.
The fact that it happens deep within the confines of another country means there is also a more traditional long-range global military support and supply chain element to the story — the helicopters were said to be launched from Ghazi, the site of a humanitarian mission. But the small team and low or no civilian casualty count suggests that America’s operational capabilities have evolved significantly in just a few years.
These aren’t the drones bin Laden was expecting.
Update: Some reports say one of the four helicopters in the mission was destroyed. Other reports, including eye-witness accounts, say only two helicopters were involved and they came from Jalalabad, Afghanistan; 200 miles East of Abbottabad. Perhaps there were two on the ground and two in a higher-elevation support role? The official line has been that a mechanical failure was the cause of the crash. A forced landing inside of the compound also could have been expected or even planned, similar to the 1970 Operation Ivory Coast in North Vietnam, designed to get troops on the ground as quickly as possible and distract from others.
The landing was a hard one, but successful. Rotors contacted some of the tall trees which bordered one side of the landing area. It was anticipated that damage would occur and the plan provided for the HH-3 to be considered a loss. By means of an explosive charge with a timing device, it was to be destroyed upon departure of our troops from the compound.