US will carry out Abbottabad-type attacks in Pak if needed: Obama

Washington, May 5 (PTI) Brushing aside Pakistan's
protests, President Barack Obama has made it clear that the US
will again carry out special operations in that country like
the one against Osama bin Laden if necessary to target high
profile terrorists.
Obama's views on the subject were enunciated by
White House Press Secretary Jay Carney when he was asked at a
news conference whether the US reserves the right, as the
President had said back earlier, to go and enter Pakistani
territory and act against terror suspects if Pakistan will not
act against them.
Carney while replying in the affirmative to the
question said, "Yes. He made very clear during the campaign
that that was his view. He was criticised for it. He
maintained that was his view, and by the actions he has taken
as President, feels that it was the right approach and
continues to feel that way."
The comments by Carney came against the backdrop of
Pakistan's protestations that the helicopter raid by US
commandos in Abbottabad deep inside that country to kill the
al Qaeda leader on Sunday last was violation of its
sovereignty and an "unauthorised unilateral action". Carney
also noted that the covert operation against Osama was "very
successful".
The Obama Administration at the same time said the al
Qaeda leader would have been taken alive had he surrendered to
the US commandos but maintained that its covert operation in
Abbottabad deep inside Pakistan on Sunday to kill him was
conducted in a manner "fully consistent" with the laws of war.
Carney the US believes that the 9/11 mastermind was
brought to justice in the helicopter raid and that it is
"entirely appropriate" given the circumstances.
"It’s a hypothetical, but certainly that method was very
effective and was entirely lawful. I certainly wouldn’t want
to preclude the use of that method by anything I might say
from here," Carney said.
Carney further said, "We will continue to seek and
find and bring to justice terrorists who are plotting to do
harm to Americans and our allies."
US President Barack Obama has consistently said that
he would go ahead to target high profile terrorists, if he had
actionable intelligence and the Pakistani Government was not
willing to act.
On the surrender issue, Carney said, "The (Special
Operations) team had the authority to kill Osama bin Laden
unless he offered to surrender; in which case the team was
required to accept his surrender if the team could do so
safely."
"If Osama bin Laden had surrendered the US could have
brought him into custody safely, then that would have been
bringing him to justice as well.
"But(bin Laden) he was brought to justice on Sunday. I
think it's entirely appropriate that, given the circumstances,
that he was brought to justice in the way he was. The
professionals on the ground put themselves at great risk and
accomplished their mission," Carney said.
Carney said the operation was conducted in a manner
fully consistent with the laws of war.
"The operation was planned so that the team was
prepared and had the means to take bin Laden into custody,"
Carney said in response to a question.
"There is simply no question that this operation was
not lawful. bin Laden was the head of al-Qaeda, the
organization that conducted the attacks of September 11, 2001.
And al-Qaeda and bin Laden himself had continued to plot
attacks against the US. We acted in the nation's
self-defense," he said.
"The operation was conducted in a way designed to
minimize and avoid altogether, if possible, civilian
casualties. And that was done at great risk to Americans.
Furthermore, consistent with the laws of war, bin Laden's
surrender would have been accepted if feasible," Carney said.
US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton meanwhile said
the effort to stop al-Qaeda and its syndicate of terror will
not end with the death of bin Laden.