Pakistan cements China ties amid tension with U.S.

By Steven Jiang, CNN

May 17, 2011 11:19 a.m. EDT

Beijing (CNN) -- Watching local customers savor chicken curry and sip mango lassi during lunchtime at his Pakistani restaurant, Mughal's, in the trendy Sanlitun neighborhood of Beijing, owner Aasif Jaleel reflects on the deep ties between China and his homeland beyond the culinary bond.
"I have been traveling to really small and remote places in China," said the 43-year-old Islamabad native who has lived in the Chinese capital for a decade. "When people hear you're from Pakistan, they always mention that Pakistan is a lao pengyou -- an old friend."
As the two countries prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations Saturday, Pakistani leaders certainly share such warm feelings toward China, especially in light of the strained Washington-Islamabad ties after the recent killing of Osama bin Laden by U.S. special forces inside Pakistan.
Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao last year called Sino-Pakistani ties "firm as a rock," and his Pakistani counterpart echoed the sentiment Monday.
"To test a friend whether true or not, it needs time and means under crisis," Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told China's state-run media before leaving for a four-day official visit to China, during which he is scheduled to meet Wen and Chinese President Hu Jintao.
"We appreciate that in all difficult circumstances China stood with Pakistan -- therefore we call China a true friend and a time-tested and all-weather friend."
Although Gilani's trip was planned long before bin Laden's death, some observers see his comments as a jab to the United States and expect him to further strengthen ties with China to counter mounting U.S. criticisms. While many Americans suspect Pakistan of covertly harboring bin Laden, China has been quick to defend its ally.
"The Pakistani government is firm in resolve and strong in action when it comes to counterterrorism -- and has made important contributions to the international counterterrorism efforts," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said the day after the killing of the al Qaeda leader.
She called it "absurd" that Pakistan would reportedly allow China to examine the wreckage of a U.S. stealth helicopter that crashed in the raid on the bin Laden hideout.
But military relations have been close since Pakistan became one of the first countries to recognize the Communist government on the Chinese mainland. Sharing Islamabad's strategic concern over India, China has long been the main arms supplier to Pakistan.
China has helped Pakistan build its main nuclear power plant, despite Washington's unease over the safety of nuclear materials in a violence-prone country with Islamic militancy running strong. Some analysts believe Beijing also supported Islamabad's nuclear weapons program.
"Pakistan plays a major role in bridging China to the Muslim world," Teng Jimeng, a professor of American studies at Beijing Foreign Studies University, explained the special relationship between the two countries.
"As China continues to rise economically, it is searching for more natural resources," he added. "Pakistan could provide another route to ship oil and other resources into China."
China's fast-growing trade ties with Pakistan's archrival, India, however, show the limits of the Sino-Pakistani relationship. The Beijing leadership's increasing wariness over Muslim militants -- many with strong links to Pakistan -- in China's restive far western Xinjiang region could also put the all-weather friendship to the test.
Back in the popular Pakistani restaurant in Beijing, owner Jaleel sees diminishing U.S. influence in his country almost as a foregone conclusion.
"Americans invested a lot of money in Pakistan, but it was not invested in the right direction or in the right areas," said the businessman who started his career with IBM in Pakistan and later opened Beijing's first Subway sandwich shop. "The money mostly was invested in the war -- and the common people don't see the benefits."
Jaleel feels happy to see the rise of a longtime Pakistani ally who has stood by his nation through thick and thin.

"Wars, floods, earthquakes -- whatever the situation China has always been very friendly to Pakistan and has always supported Pakistan," he said. "I feel the stronger China is, the more helpful it will be for Pakistan."

Bin Laden raid was humiliating to Pakistanis, Gates and Mullen say

By Adam Levine, CNN National Security Producer

May 18, 2011 10:43 p.m. EDT

Washington (CNN) -- The ability of the United States to enter Pakistan, kill Osama bin Laden and leave without detection was a humiliation to Pakistanis, Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said Wednesday.
But Gates and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, insisted there is no evidence Pakistani's senior leadership knew of the bin Laden compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
"If I were in Pakistani shoes, I would say I've already paid a price. I've been humiliated. I've been shown that the Americans can come in here and do this with impunity," Gates told reporters at the Pentagon, responding to a question about what should be done if someone in Pakistan's government did know. "I think we have to recognize that they see a cost in that and a price that has been paid."
Mullen told reporters the incident was a "humbling experience" for the Pakistanis that has led to "internal soul-searching."
"They've been through a lot tied to this, and their image has been tarnished. And they care, as we all do, and they care a lot about that. They're a very proud military," Mullen said.
Both he and Gates said there is nothing to suggest senior Pakistani leadership knew the al Qaeda leader was in their midst. The United States does suspect some in the government, military or intelligence knew, but for now that is just a U.S. suspicion. They said they have found no evidence to support it.
"I mean, the supposition is somebody," Gates said. "We don't know whether it was, you know, retired people, whether it was low-level. Pure supposition on our part. It's hard to go to them with an accusation when we have no proof that anybody knew."
Mullen said the relationship between the two countries faces challenges going forward but its continuance is crucial for the United States.
"I think it would be a really significantly negative outcome if the relationship got broken," Mullen said.
Gates said he is frustrated by the Pakistani reluctance to go after al Qaeda and Taliban elements in northwest Pakistan. The raid on bin Laden's compound has opened an opportunity to address that issue again but the Pakistanis have warned the United States that another such covert raid would not be tolerated.
"The Pakistanis, over the last couple of weeks, have expressed the view that they are willing to go after some of these people and that we should not repeat the bin Laden operation, because they will undertake this themselves," Gates said.
The secretary and the chairman also expressed great concern about all the details on the raid that have been made public.
Gates noted an agreement had been reached in the government not to discuss "operational details" but "that lasted about 15 hours."
"We want to retain the capability to carry out these kinds of operations in the future. And when so much detail is available, it makes that both more difficult and riskier," he told reporters.
Mullen warned the impact of all the leaks to the media is "close to jeopardizing this precious capability that we have."

His criticism was not aimed only at those inside the government who are talking to the press without authorization. In addition, he said, "we've had far too many retired members who've spoken up."

Prosecutor requests arrest warrants for Gadhafi, 2 others

 

From Nic Robertson, CNN

May 16, 2011 7:34 a.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Libya dismisses the accusation and blames rebels for the violence
• The ICC's chief prosecutor says he has "direct evidence" linking Gadhafi to abuses
• Gadhafi's son and brother-in-law are also named in the warrant request
• The evidence will be presented to a panel of judges

The Hague, Netherlands (CNN) -- The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court sought the arrest of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi and two relatives Monday, linking them to "widespread and systematic" attacks on civilians as they struggle to hold power.
Luis Moreno-Ocampo told reporters his office has "direct evidence" linking Gadhafi, his son Saif al-Islam and brother-in-law Abdullah al-Sanussi to crimes against humanity as longtime Libyan strongman attempts to put down a three-month-old revolt.
Their arrests are "the only way to protect" civilians in areas under the regime's control, Moreno-Ocampo said.
"The evidence shows that Moammar Gadhafi personally ordered attacks on unarmed Libyan civilians," he said. "His forces attacked Libyan civilians in their homes and in the public space, shot demonstrators with live ammunition, used heavy weaponry against participants in funeral processions and placed snipers to kill those leaving mosques after prayers."
Libya did not sign the treaty that created the International Criminal Court and indicated it would ignore the prosecution move. Governments spokesman Musa Ibrahim denied the allegations and criticized what he called the "incoherent" conclusions of the prosecutor's office.

 

"We have never in any stage of the crisis in Libya ordered the killing of civilians or hired mercenaries against our people," Ibrahim said. "In fact, it is the rebels who took up arms in the middle of our peaceful cities."
Saif al-Islam is a close adviser to his father, while al-Sanussi serves as Gadhafi's head of intelligence. Saif al-Islam organized the recruitment of mercenaries to defend the regime and al-Sanussi participated in attacks on demonstrators, Moreno-Ocampo said.
Authorities believe Gadhafi "personally ordered" attacks on unarmed civilians, he told CNN, and al-Sanussi is "his right-hand man, the executioner."
"Gadhafi organized to arrest any suspected dissident, and they tortured them and they disappeared," Moreno-Ocampo said.
Judges on the court must now decide whether to issue the arrest warrants Moreno-Ocampo wants. They have never turned down a request from him in his 10 years with the court, he said.
A panel of judges in The Hague can accept his request, reject it or ask for more evidence. It could take weeks or months for the judges to decide what to do.
Moreno-Ocampo said senior officials in the Libyan regime have called him in the past few days to offer him their support. He did not name them but indicated that "less than 10" had done so.
Gadhafi has "absolute authority" in Libya, Moreno-Ocampo told reporters. "It's a crime to challenge Gadhafi's authority and he used his authority to commit the crimes."
Monday's move was the first time the International Criminal Court has taken action while a conflict was ongoing. It is the culmination of an investigation that began February 15, when demonstrations against Gadhafi's regime accelerated. Since then, war has erupted in Libya as the strongman has tried to stay firm on his grip on power.
"Gadhafi ruled Libya through fear," Moreno-Ocampo said Monday, "and I think Libyans are losing that fear."
Libyan Deputy Foreign Minister Khalid Kaim dismissed a possible ICC action ahead of Monday's announcement, saying that because Libya is not a signatory of the Rome Statute that established the ICC, the government will "just ignore it."
The probe took investigators to 11 countries and included the review of 1,200 documents and interviews with about 50 witnesses. A report issued in early May found the alleged crimes against humanity include the alleged commission of rape by supporters of Gadhafi's government, as well as the deportation or forcible transfer of citizens during the civil war in the country.

"It is indeed a characteristic of the situation in Libya that massive crimes are reportedly committed upon instruction of a few persons who control the organizations that execute the orders," the report said. "Arresting those who ordered the commission of crimes, should the judges decide to issue warrants, will contribute to the protection of citizens in Libya."

Bin Laden was communicating with other terrorists, U.S. official says

By Barbara Starr, CNN

May 12, 2011 1:18 a.m. EDT

.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Handwritten materials from compound show responses, U.S. official says
• Personal journal has guidance on how to attack U.S.
• Ideas, not concrete plans, are seen, official says

(CNN) -- Data and documents taken from the compound show that messages from Osama bin Laden did make it out of the compound to other members of al Qaeda, a U.S. official says.
"There are strong indications there is back and forth with other terrorists," the official said.
U.S. officials have said they view the raided compound as the al Qaeda leader's "command and control center" but had not explained before why they believed that to be the case.
"These are not just the writings of an elderly jihadi," the official said.
The source said there is evidence of two-way written communications demonstrating that not only was bin Laden sending messages, he was getting responses as well.
Bin Laden relatives want probe and proof of death
The official also provided new details on bin Laden's personal journal, which was seized during the Navy SEAL raid, the official said. The handwritten journal, which was referred to last week by other officials as the al Qaeda playbook, is being reviewed by intelligence officials. Other handwritten materials are being reviewed, too.

The initial assessment is that the writings are from bin Laden, not the other occupants of the house. The official emphasized that the U.S. government is continuing to look at all the material, and the initial assessment could change.
The journal includes information about the importance of attacking the U.S. and lists key dates on the American calendar -- including July 4, Christmas and the 10th anniversary of September 11 -- and other guidance for how to attack the United States, the official said. U.S. investigators believe similar information is contained in other documents, the source said.
Official: Bin Laden death offers 'new narrative' ahead of Obama speech
Both New York and Washington are mentioned in the document.
The idea of targeting railroads, which authorities warned about last week, was learned from this notebook, the official said.

At this point, the official said, there is no indication of a time, date or place for any specific attack, and much of what has been seen are more bin Laden ideas than actual plans.

U.S. was prepared to fight Pakistani forces, officials say

By Barbara Starr, CNN

May 10, 2011 11:45 a.m. EDT

SEALs ready to fight Pakistani military

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• "No firepower option was off the table," a U.S. official says
• If bin Laden was caught, he would have been taken to Afghanistan and then a U.S. ship, a U.S. official says
• The helicopter that replaced the crashed one was carrying a battlefield medical team, sources say

(CNN) -- The Obama administration had "very detailed contingency plans" for military action against Pakistani forces if they had tried to stop the U.S. attack on Osama bin Laden's compound, according to two U.S. officials familiar with the plan.
Their names are not disclosed because of the sensitive intelligence information involved.
"No firepower option was off the table" during the Navy SEALs' 38-minute mission on the ground, or during the time U.S. helicopters were in the air, one official told CNN. "We would have done whatever we had to in order to get our men out."
The two U.S. officials also told CNN about the plan if bin Laden had been captured alive, which included taking him to Afghanistan and then out to the USS Carl Vinson in the Arabian Sea.
All of the senior U.S. officials in the White House Situation Room during the assault were prepared to call their Pakistani counterparts if fighting between U.S. and Pakistani forces appeared imminent, one of the officials told CNN. The SEALs at all times retained the right of self-defense, and they could have fired at the Pakistanis to defend themselves.

 

During the time the SEALs were on the ground, while some were inside the compound, others were covertly placed just outside the compound walls to provide perimeter security and keep people away. Some of those SEALs would have been able to speak enough of the local language to communicate with townspeople if they had come across them, one source told CNN.
As the assault on bin Laden's compound commenced, the United States had a number of aircraft flying protective missions. None of the aircraft entered Pakistani airspace, but they were prepared to do so if needed. These included fixed wing fighter jets that would have provided firepower if the team came under opposition fire it could not handle.
Additionally, the Air Force had a full team of combat search and rescue helicopters including MH-53 Pave Low and HH-60 Pave Hawk helicopters flying.
The helicopter that came in to replace the crashed stealth helicopter was carrying a battlefield medical team that was flying overhead and ready to land if SEALs were wounded, one of the CNN sources said. That helicopter landed at the compound within about thirty minutes of being called.
U.S. military and intelligence assets were conducting continuous reconnaissance of Pakistani military installations to watch for any indication of movements, but the Pakistani military never responded while the U.S. forces were there, one U.S. official indicated.
On Monday, Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani praised the Pakistani military's response to the sudden arrival of U.S. forces. "The air force was ordered to scramble," he said. "Ground units arrived at the scene quickly. Our response demonstrates that our armed forces reacted, as was expected of them." Still, he added, "There is no denying the U.S. technological ability to evade our radars."
Even though it was anticipated that bin Laden would resist the Navy SEALs that assaulted his compound, and therefore be killed, the Obama administration had a plan in place for dealing with bin Laden if he was captured alive, according to both U.S. officials.
The plan was for bin Laden to be flown back to Afghanistan aboard U.S. military helicopters and then flown out to the USS Carl Vinson in the north Arabian Sea. There was a team of lawyers, medical personnel, interrogators and translators standing by to deal with bin Laden if that was the scenario that unfolded. A major concern was to immediately "preserve evidence" and put bin Laden into a legal framework that would ensure he could be charged and tried some day, the official said. "We didn't want to have some case thrown out on a technicality."
The official indicated the standby teams included the type of expertise normally within U.S. units in Afghanistan, so it's likely personnel did not even know who their potential target would have been. The official noted that bin Laden would have undergone the same type of medical checks and photographing that surrounded Saddam Hussein when he was captured.

After bin Laden was killed by the Navy SEALs at the compound, his body was flown back to Afghanistan, and then to the Carl Vinson where he was buried at sea. Admiral Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, placed a phone call to his counterpart General Ashfaq Kiyani asking for U.S. aircraft to re-enter Pakistani airspace -- several hours after the raid -- so the body could be flown out to the Vinson.

Source: U.S. needs permission to interview bin Laden wives

Abbottabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan will allow the United States to question or take into custody the apparent wives of Osama bin Laden only if their "country of origin has been asked for permission," a senior Pakistani intelligence source told CNN on Monday.
Pakistani officials have said bin Laden's family members will be repatriated to their home countries after initial interrogations. One of bin Laden's wives is from Yemen, the official said, while a well-placed U.S. official who would not speak on the record said the other two are from Saudi Arabia.
All three were taken into Pakistani custody after the May 2 raid by U.S. commandos that killed bin Laden, the leader of the al Qaeda terrorist movement. The raid succeeded in scratching the man behind the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington off the U.S. most-wanted list, but it has strained ties with a key American ally in the battle against al Qaeda and the Taliban.
The 29-year-old Yemeni wife, Amal Ahmed Abdulfattah, was wounded during the raid. The U.S. official identified the other two women as Khairiah Sabar, also known as "Umm Hamza," and Siham Sabar, or "Umm Khalid."
The official identified the other men killed in the raid as bin Laden's son Khalid; two couriers, known around the town of Abbottabad by the aliases Arshad Khan and Tariq Khan. The official would not provide their real names.
The wife of one of the couriers also died, the official said.
In Pakistan's parliament Monday, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani rejected allegations that his government had failed to adequately pursue the world's most-wanted terrorist. While calling bin Laden's death "justice done," Gilani repeatedly assailed U.S. violation of Pakistani "sovereignty" in conducting the operation without Pakistan's knowledge or involvement.

 

"Allegations of complicity or incompetence are absurd," Gilani said. "We emphatically reject such accusations. Speculative narratives in the public domain are meant to create despondency. We will not allow our detractors to succeed in offloading their own shortcomings and errors of omission and commission in a blame game that stigmatizes Pakistan."
Bin Laden was found in a compound in Abbottabad, a city with a heavy military presence about 50 km (31 miles) from Islamabad. That has led several U.S. officials to question whether some within the Pakistani government or military helped shield bin Laden or failed to look for him.
Gilani said Pakistan "attaches high importance" to its relations with the United States. But in a fiery speech frequently interrupted by applause from some lawmakers, he added, "Unilateralism runs the inherent risk of serious consequences."
The prime minister insisted that Pakistan's response to the sudden arrival of U.S. forces deep within its territory in the nighttime operation deserves praise.
"The air force was ordered to scramble," he said. "Ground units arrived at the scene quickly. Our response demonstrates that our armed forces reacted, as was expected of them." Still, he added, "there is no denying the U.S. technological ability to evade our radars."
And in an apparent reference to longtime rival India, Gilani said, "No one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed forces to defend our sacred homeland."
Gilani spoke as Pakistani news reports raised the possibility that a top CIA officer's identity had been disclosed. Pakistani news outlets Monday named a man they identified as the CIA station chief there, but a senior Pakistani intelligence official said the name was inaccurate and he did not know where it came from.
"If we were going to release the name, we would release the right one," the official said.
A senior U.S. official with knowledge of the matter said that if the report were true, identifying a CIA officer "crosses a red line in intelligence protocol."
The CIA would not comment on the issue. But a U.S. official said there is "no current plan to bring home the current chief of station" in Pakistan.
"The current CIA station chief is a true pro, someone who knows how to work well with foreign partners and is looking to strengthen cooperation with Pakistani intelligence," the official said.
Pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement last week admitting "shortcomings in developing intelligence" on the terrorist leader's presence in the country. Dozens of people in Abbottabad have been arrested because of their suspected connections to the compound where bin Laden was shot and killed, a Pakistani intelligence official said last week, and investigators want to know whether any of the people are al Qaeda members or sympathizers.
U.S. President Barack Obama said he thinks bin Laden likely had a group of supporters within Pakistan helping to keep the al Qaeda leader secure for years, despite the U.S.-led international manhunt that extended for nearly a decade with Islamabad's ostensible support.
In an interview with CBS' "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday night, Obama said, "We think that there had to be some sort of support network for bin Laden inside of Pakistan. But we don't know who or what that support network was."
The president said U.S. officials "don't know whether there might have been some people inside of government (or) people outside of government, and that's something that we have to investigate."
"More importantly," he added, "the Pakistani government has to investigate."
In his CBS interview, Obama also said sending U.S. troops on a dangerous mission to get bin Laden was worth the risks, even though it was not certain bin Laden was in the compound.
"Obviously, we're going into the sovereign territory of another country and landing helicopters and conducting a military operation," he said. "And so, if it turns out that it's a wealthy, you know, prince from Dubai who's in this compound and, you know, we've sent special forces in, we've got problems."

Obama's national security adviser, Tom Donilon, said he has not seen any information to indicate Pakistani officials knew bin Laden was living in Abbottabad. But if evidence is discovered that is "highly disturbing, we'll certainly press that," he said

Obama meets bin Laden raiders, promises victory over al Qaeda

By the CNN Wire Staff

May 6, 2011 10:02 p.m. EDT

Obama to SEALs: 'Job well done'

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: Canine involved in operation at meeting with president
• Obama promises victory over al Qaeda while addressing troops at Fort Campbell
• Obama and Biden met members of the team that raided bin Laden's compound
• Obama awards the Presidential Unit Citation to units involved in the mission

Fort Campbell, Kentucky (CNN) -- President Barack Obama met Friday afternoon with members of the military team responsible for conducting the raid on Osama bin Laden's compound, and promised a war-weary nation victory over al Qaeda.
"We are ultimately going to defeat al Qaeda," the president told more than 2,300 troops who recently returned from Afghanistan. "We have cut off their head."
"Our strategy is working and there is no greater evidence of that than justice finally being delivered to Osama bin Laden," he declared. "We're still the America that does the hard things, that does the great things."
The president made his remarks at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, home to the Army's 101st Airborne Division and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment, the group that operated the helicopters used in the raid.
Bin Laden death leaves roots of terror untouched
While at Fort Campbell, the president, along with Vice President Joe Biden, privately met with members of Navy SEAL Team 6, the unit that conducted the raid.
Among the SEALs that Obama met was the one who fired the fatal shots at bin Laden, but that person was not singled out to the president, a senior administration official told CNN.
The president met a canine that was also part of the operation, according to the official.
Obama visits ground zero; honors victims of 9/11
Obama and Biden thanked the commandos and were briefed on the operation by the unit members who conducted it, according to a White House official.
Obama awarded Presidential Unit Citations to the units involved in the Pakistan mission, the official said. The citation is the highest such honor that can be given to a military unit.
"They practiced tirelessly for this mission, and when I gave the order they were ready," the president told the troops. "They're America's quiet professionals."
It was a "job well done," he said.
Trove of data found at bin Laden home
Friday's visit to Fort Campbell came a day after Obama's first presidential visit to New York's ground zero, the focal point of bin Laden's 9/11 terror attacks.
It also came one day after a nationwide alert was issued regarding rail security, the first terror threat notification linked to materials found during the raid on the Abbottabad compound in Pakistan. The terror plot was planned for the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
As early as February 2010, al Qaeda members discussed a plan to derail trains in the United States by placing obstructions on tracks over bridges and valleys, the alert said, according to one law enforcement official.

 

No specific rail system was identified in the plans for the attacks, the official said.

With bin Laden's death, there has been a growing call among some lawmakers to immediately withdraw the 130,000 U.S. and allied troops still battling the late al Qaeda leader's followers and his Taliban allies.
Did bin Laden's wife rush Navy SEALs?
Obama has repeatedly said he is confident the United States can meet a self-imposed deadline to begin bringing troops back home in July without compromising Afghan security, though military commanders and government officials have raised concern about the readiness of Afghan security forces.
Lawmakers also have started questioning the U.S. relationship with Pakistan.
During a Senate Foreign Relations committee hearing Thursday, legislators on both sides of the aisle said a new approach to Pakistan is now needed.
Pakistan's government is "very irrational," said Sen. Bob Corker, a Tennessee Republican.
But Pakistani Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir said it is a "false charge" to assert that Pakistani authorities did not go after bin Laden. He said his country's intelligence agency alerted the United States about the presence of al Qaeda operatives in Abbottabad as early as 2004.
Former Pakistan intel chief: Obama lying
Pakistani armed forces chiefs issued a statement Thursday admitting that there had been "shortcomings in developing intelligence" on the terror leader's presence in the country.
The army chief of staff, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also "made it very clear that any similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, will warrant a review on the level of military/intelligence cooperation with the United States," the statement said.
Pakistan has ordered U.S. military personnel on its territory drawn down to the "minimum essential" level in the wake of the raid, the statement said.

Anti-U.S. sentiment was growing in Abbottabad, where about 600 demonstrators gathered Friday at a rally, chanting "Go America, go America, your show is over."