Top PAF Officials Brief Pak Probe Panel On Osama RaidGen. Petraeus: "I will wage my third war in Pakistan" (after assuming charge of the miltarised CIA)

A Pakistani panel probing the secret US military raid that “killed” Osama bin Laden ( died in 2001 During Tora Bora Campaign )  was today briefed by senior air force officials, ahead of its key visit to the al-Qaeda chief’s compound in Abbottabad next week.

The commission, which is headed by a former Supreme Court judge, visited the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) headquarters, where the chief of the Headquarters  Air Defence Command briefed its members on events leading up to the American Terrorist operation in Abbottabad on May 2.

The panel was informed about the locations of low and high-altitude radars and their operational readiness during war and peace time, an official statement said. The chief of the Headquarters  Air Defence Command indicated situations where the radar system cannot detect an intruding aircraftor helicopter due to terrain limitations.

He said for the past many years and before May 2, PAF had maintained a peace time posture on its western border with Afghanistan.

The commission was also briefed by pilots who flew aircraft for scanning the area for any intruders on the night between May 1 and 2.”On learning about the operation, PAF immediately took adequate operational measures as per standard operating procedure,” the statement said. PAF aircraft continued their presence in Abbottabad area till early morning on May 2 and later returned to their bases. The Air Officer Commanding and pilots responded to questions from the commission.

The panel has been asked by the government to ascertain how Bin Laden managed to live in Pakistan  for several years, investigate the US operation that “killed” him, determine the nature and causes of “lapses” by authorities, and make suitable recommendations. The inquiry commission will visit the “al-Qaeda” chief’s compound in Abbottabad during September 13-15, officials said.