Pakistan's Bin Laden Dossier

Following the Abbottabad raid that killed Osama bin Laden, the Pakistani government set up a commission to examine two points:

• How Pakistan's "intelligence establishment apparently had no idea that an international fugitive of the renown or notoriety of [Osama bin Laden] was residing in [Abbottabad]"; and
• "How the US was able to execute a hostile military mission, which lasted around three hours, deep inside Pakistan"

The Abbottabad Commission interviewed over 200 people -- including bin Laden's family, local and regional officials, and Pakistan's intelligence leaders -- and completed its report six months ago. But of course, this being Pakistan, the government immediately suppressed the report, and the findings remained secret until Al Jazeera published a leaked copy on Monday.

The report itself is 336 pages, so I won't pretend to have read the whole thing yet. But thus far some interesting details have been revealed, including:

Bin Laden's life on the run in Pakistan: While in Pakistan from 2002-2011, Bin Laden is said to have shaved his beard and worn a cowboy hat to avoid detection by Pakistani or American forces;

The depth of Pakistan's incompetence in hunting for bin Laden: Although the report says "Connivance, collaboration and cooperation at some levels cannot be entirely discounted," the Commission's findings suggest incompetence was more likely to blame than conspiracy. Specifically, they cite: inept border guards who let one of his wives to cross into Iran; inept local officials who failed to spot the unusual construction at his house; intelligence officials who hoarded information; and, according to the testimony of Ibrahim al-Kuwaiti's wife Maryam, in 2002 or 2003 while living in the Swat Valley bin Laden's car was pulled over for speeding, but the Pakistani traffic cop apparently failed to spot him.

Pakistan's ineffective response to  U.S. intelligence activities and Abbottabad raid: Bottom line up front: Pakistan is not happy with us. The Commission is scathing in its criticism of U.S. intelligence activities in Pakistan ("The U.S. acted like a criminal thug," according to the report) and declares that the failure of Pakistani officials to halt CIA activities was "a case of nothing less than a collective and sustained dereliction of duty by the political, military and intelligence leadership of the country." The Commission considers the Abbottabad raid to have been an "act of war," one which the Pakistani Air Force learned about on television, and was not able to scramble fighter jets until after U.S. helicopters were already back in Afghanistan. "The extent of incompetence," the report said, "to put it mildly, was astounding, if not unbelievable."

I'll provide updates on the report throughout the week as either: a) I find the time to read the full report; and b) Other experts way in on the Commission's findings.

Howdy, y'all!!