American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden - Why was Pakistan kept in the dark during the takedown? Details explored

Netflix's latest three-part docuseries, American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden details the US manhunt of the known terrorist who orchestrated the Twin Tower attack on September 11, 2001.

The US was on a manhunt for the most wanted terrorist in the world, who was a pan-Islamist and negated the United States' foreign policy in the Middle East. He had waged a war against the country since 1996, which resulted in the 9/11 attacks.

As revealed in American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden, Laden's manhunt was sanctioned by several CIA officials, including US Presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.

Since 1996, the CIA’s Counter-Terrorist Centre had even set up a special unit to track Laden, who was finally traced to Abbottabad in Pakistan in 2011.

As the US closed in to attack Laden in Pakistan, Obama decided to keep the country in the dark about the takedown because of Pakistan's alleged connection with the Taliban and even al-Qaeda.

More on American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden in our story.

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American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden revealed why the US kept Pakistan in the dark during the attack

While Osama Bin Laden was under the US radar since 1996, for his formation of al-Qaeda and waging Global Jihad, his manhunt became a top priority for the country after the September 11 attacks, which took around 3000 Americans.

This priority manhunt that started in 2001 was finally narrowed down to Abbottabad, Pakistan in 2011. As American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden recalls, after an intense search for the world's most dangerous General, the US finally narrowed down Laden to Pakistan through several courier movements and satellites.

The US was quite sure that Osama Bin Laden was living in Abbottabad in a three-storey white mansion, which had its balconies suspiciously covered.

While the Obama war cabinet had mixed opinions about raiding Laden's supposed location, Hillary Clinton lent her support in favor. However, Obama was adamant on going in to attack Laden, but he wanted to keep Pakistan in the dark because of the country's alleged connections to al-Qaeda and many terrorist groups.

As Josh Brennan, the chief counterterrorism advisor to Obama, revealed in the American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden:

“President Obama was clear that we’re not going to inform the Pakistanis, because Pakistani intelligence has worked both sides of the fence for many years, and they had relationships with a lot of the militant and terrorist groups in the areas, including with al-Qaeda.”

Several National Intelligence powers have already looked at Pakistan with suspicious eyes because of its alleged connection with the Taliban Headquarters and even harbouring them near the Pakistan border.

In addition, as Obama said during the mission and as revealed in American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden, Abbottabad was just a few miles west of the Pakistan Military Academy. Tipping off the country before the attack could have tipped off their suspect, jeopardising the whole mission.

Justifying his decision to keep Pakistan in the dark, Obama discussed:

“Whatever option we chose could not involve the Pakistanis. Although Pakistan’s government cooperated with us on a host of counterterrorism operations… it was an open secret that certain elements inside the country’s military, and especially its intelligence services, maintained links to the Taliban and perhaps even al-Qaeda.”

Pakistan denied any connection to the Taliban or Osama after the American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden. Husain Haqqani, Pakistan’s Ambassador to the US in 2011, even claimed that the country would have gained credibility in terrorism-related issues and would have aided the US if tipped off in advance.

However, the files collected from Laden's house had several links to leaders, including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) founder Hafiz Saeed, whom the Pakistan government had allegedly extended its support to in the past.

Justifying his manhunt mission on Laden and furthering his mistrust about Pakistan, Obama wrote in his 2020 book A Promised Land:

“If I had Osama bin Laden in my sights within Pakistani territory, and the Pakistani government was unwilling or unable to capture or kill him, I would take the shot.”

American Manhunt: Osama Bin Laden is now streaming on Netflix.

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