Pakistan Shows Downed US Stealth Chopper to the Chinese

[Conley]

(Reuters) - Pakistan gave China access to the previously unknown U.S. "stealth" helicopter that crashed during the commando raid that killed Osama bin Laden in May despite explicit requests from the CIA not to, the Financial Times reported on Sunday.

The disclosure, if confirmed, is likely to further shake the U.S.-Pakistan relationship, which has been improving slightly after hitting its lowest point in decades following the killing of bin Laden.

During the raid, one of two modified Blackhawk helicopters, believed to employ unknown stealth capability, malfunctioned and crashed, forcing the commandos to abandon it.

"The U.S. now has information that Pakistan, particularly the ISI, gave access to the Chinese military to the downed helicopter in Abbottabad," the paper quoted a person "in intelligence circles" as saying on its website.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/...77D2BT20110814

Wow, these Pakistanis just don't know when to shut up. Have fun as we pull out and your barbaric country reverts to a level approaching that of Afghanistan.

[Mister D]

Weren't they talking about this within hours of the mission's end? I guess maybe it wasn't confirmed but I thought everyone knew they were going to do that if they hadn't already.

I concur with your sentiments. It's a barbaric and dirty country. Since India doesn't see eye to eye with China I wouldn't be surprised if the Pakis strengthen their ties with China.

[Conley]

Yes, it always made more sense for the U.S. and India to ally and Pakistan to align with China. I think that's how it was actually, for many years. Pakistan played it smart by pretending to be a friend but obviously their true colors show through time and again.

[Conley]

Weren't they talking about this within hours of the mission's end? I guess maybe it wasn't confirmed but I thought everyone knew they were going to do that if they hadn't already.

I concur with your sentiments. It's a barbaric and dirty country. Since India doesn't see eye to eye with China I wouldn't be surprised if the Pakis strengthen their ties with China.

I think the hope was that since they had screwed the pooch with OBL so badly, either intentionally or through their ineptitude, that they would at least make an effort to appear cooperative. Apparently that was too much to expect.

[Mister D]

Yes, it always made more sense for the U.S. and India to ally and Pakistan to align with China. I think that's how it was actually, for many years. Pakistan played it smart by pretending to be a friend but obviously their true colors show through time and again.

Granted, I understand that the military government is in a tricky situation. They are hard pressed by Islamist elements and they can't appear to be mere puppets of US interests. That said, this outrage over the OBL mission seems petty and I think it's obvious that the Paki government has been hedging its bets for a long time now. IMO, they seem to have reached some kind of mutual understanding with the Islamists and Afghan insurgents. Otherwise, I don't understand why the OBL mission would have ticked them off so much.

[Mister D]

Weren't they talking about this within hours of the mission's end? I guess maybe it wasn't confirmed but I thought everyone knew they were going to do that if they hadn't already.

I concur with your sentiments. It's a barbaric and dirty country. Since India doesn't see eye to eye with China I wouldn't be surprised if the Pakis strengthen their ties with China.

I think the hope was that since they had screwed the pooch with OBL so badly, either intentionally or through their ineptitude, that they would at least make an effort to appear cooperative. Apparently that was too much to expect.

The thign is we don;t know what's going on behind the scenes. I suspect that some of these regimes (Syria comes to mind) make a public stink about the US but secretly allow us to do what we please.

[Mister D]

Tied at 125 and -2! ;D

[Conley]

Tied at 125 and -2! ;D

Thanks in no small part to me!

I was wondering if you'd notice that...still want to abolish Karma or do you like it better now? ;D

[Conley]

Weren't they talking about this within hours of the mission's end? I guess maybe it wasn't confirmed but I thought everyone knew they were going to do that if they hadn't already.

I concur with your sentiments. It's a barbaric and dirty country. Since India doesn't see eye to eye with China I wouldn't be surprised if the Pakis strengthen their ties with China.

I think the hope was that since they had screwed the pooch with OBL so badly, either intentionally or through their ineptitude, that they would at least make an effort to appear cooperative. Apparently that was too much to expect.

The thign is we don;t know what's going on behind the scenes. I suspect that some of these regimes (Syria comes to mind) make a public stink about the US but secretly allow us to do what we please.

That's true, no doubt. The governments also like keeping the U.S. around because it allows them to distract the people from their real problems by demonizing America.

[Mister D]

Tied at 125 and -2! ;D

Thanks in no small part to me!

I was wondering if you'd notice that...still want to abolish Karma or do you like it better now? ;D

It can go and if the recent flareups are any indication good riddance.