2013-04-16 10:05:26 +02:00

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news
worldnews
al-qaeda
8521561
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# Osama bin Laden dead: US used new Predator and Reaper drones to track al-
Qaeda leader
## A new type of stealth drone flew dozens of missions deep into Pakistan to
gather intelligence on Osama bin Laden's house before the raid to kill him,
according to American officials.
![Osama bin Laden dead: US used new Predator and Reaper drones to track al-
Qaeda leader ][1]
The secret flights are the latest evidence of the mistrust between Pakistan
and the US Photo: EPA
[![Rob Crilly][2]][3]
By [Rob Crilly][4], Islamabad 4:44PM BST 18 May 2011
[Follow Rob Crilly on Twitter][5]
Predator and Reaper drones are frequently spotted glinting overhead in the
country's tribal areas before unleashing Hellfire missiles on terrorist
targets.
However, the officials said the CIA used a newer model equipped with stealth
technology to fly undetected at high altitudes to provide hours of video of
the suspect compound in Abbottabad, little more than 30 miles from the
Pakistani capital and well beyond the usual operating area for the drones.
"It's not like you can just park a Predator overhead - the Pakistanis would
know," a former US official told The Washington Post newspaper.
The secret flights - possibly involving a Lockheed Martin model known as the
RQ-170 Sentinel - are the latest evidence of the mistrust between Pakistan and
the US, and show how CIA agents kept their Pakistani colleagues in the dark.
Pakistani intelligence services have been blamed in the past for tipping off
members of the Afghan Taliban as American forces homed in on their location.
## Related Articles
* [Bin Laden: message from beyond the grave][6]
19 May 2011
* [Pakistan militants hit checkpoint][7]
18 May 2011
* [Osama bin Laden killed: Saif al-Adel acting as al-Qaeda's 'caretaker
leader'][8]
18 May 2011
* [Osama bin Laden raid: Blow-by-blow account of the mission 'that nearly
went wrong'][9]
18 May 2011
* [Osama bin Laden killing could justify killing Col Gaddafi][10]
17 May 2011
At the same time, Pakistan's military and intelligence hierarchy is coming
under fire at home for having allowed the US operation, seen as a breach of
Pakistan's sovereignty.
The scale of the task they face in fighting extremism was evident yesterday.
Swarms of militants attacked a police checkpoint outside the north-western
city of Peshawar, killing two policemen, in the latest terrorist assault since
bin Laden was shot dead.
The attackers numbered more than 70 and launched a second assault after being
repulsed in an intense fire fight, leaving 15 militants dead.
"They were armed with AK-47 rifles and rockets. We successfully repulsed the
first attack. They attacked again and then there was an exchange of fire that
lasted for about two- and-a-half hours," said Abdul Jabbar, a security
official.
Pakistan has seen a wave of attacks since bin Laden was killed.
The Pakistan Taliban claimed responsibility last Friday for a suicide attack
on a paramilitary training centre which killed at least 89 people.
Meanwhile, it emerged yesterday that al-Qaeda had appointed an interim leader.
Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian former special forces officer, has taken temporary
control, according to the al-Jazeera news channel, while a succession battle
is played out. Adel was close to Bin Laden in the 1990s and helped plan the
bomb attacks against the American embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam in
1998, according to American prosecutors.
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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/al-qaeda/8521561/Osama-bin-Laden-
dead-US-used-new-Predator-and-Reaper-drones-to-track-al-Qaeda-leader.html
Telegraph
## [Al-Qaeda][16]
* ### [News »][17]
* ### [World News »][18]
* ### [Asia »][19]
* ### [Pakistan »][20]
* ### [Rob Crilly »][3]
In news
[![Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban][21] ][22]
### [Taliban leader reported killed][22]
[![Pakistan naval base attack][23] ][24]
### [Taliban attack Pakistan naval base][24]
[![The killing of Osama bin Laden could be used as legal justification for the
death of Muammar Gaddafi, MPs have been told. ][25] ][26]
### [Bin Laden's posthumous message][26]
[![Osama bin Laden dead: Taliban suicide bombers kill 80 in Pakistan revenge
attack][27] ][28]
### [Witnesses describe bomb aftermath][28]
[![60 Minutes - CBS news][29] ][30]
### [Obama: Pakistan may have known bin Laden whereabouts][30]
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