Osama Bin Laden Compound on 11th May 2011

On 2 ND  May 2011 American leadership proudly announced the hunt for OSAMA BIN LADEN, the world’s most wanted person of the decade. Details about the operation known as  “Operation Neptune Spear “  by US NAVY SEALS were published and broadcast all over the world but it wasn’t disclosed fully, only the favourite and self-congratulatory story of bravery was presented to the world, a project of American think tanks and a pre-planned story was disclosed…. except the CIA FAKE VACCINATION story. But the correct facts had to come to light in the future.

On the 2^nd  May 2011 midnight I suddenly heard an ear splitting noise. I felt helicopters fly over the roofs. In first instance, I thought there is an air strike on the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA). At the same time I rushed towards the flying helicopters. Just after a few minutes I heard big explosives that shake the walls, windows while I was traveling on PMA road and the road was blocked with hundreds of people. I got information about a destroyed helicopter from Bilal town residents. After few minutes I was near that location (later it was declared Osama Bin Laden compound).

When I listened there was another louder explosive, I clearly saw flame and fire and black smoke and parts of destroyed helicopter. That time I saw four double cabin vehicles travelling off road roughly heading back fast from the compound. In the next few minutes I was near the boundary wall of the Osama Bin Laden compound and scattered parts of helicopter were all around. I rushed inside the gate, got a few pictures of wrecked helicopter, in the meantime dozens of policemen rushed inside the compound and they pushed me out from the compound. I was confused why there was an air strike near the PMA.

My first thoughts were that is the strike from India or Israel but in next few seconds I thought to myself that is not possible. Pakistan is fully prepared and fully equipped to face any strike from India and Israel. Then who…? America…. but why? That was the big question in my mind. At the same time I asked a policeman what is this drama? He answered me in whispers that inside compound there was an wounded Arab lady and children. The next movement I saw a technical defence officer I asked him, whose helicopter was this. He answered me that wrecked helicopter was Blackhawk… Blackhawk?  That was a shock to me and I was very clear now that this was an American strike, no confusion. But why were Americas here? For what purpose?

I was very near OBL walls and within a few minutes I was inside the compound. Meanwhile there was heavy deployment of security forces, but I needed the answer why America struck near PMA and same time I saw an officer, went towards him and asked him why America strikes?  He just looked at me and clearly told me that the wounded lady was Osama Bin Laden’s wife and she was injured but alive. I was totally clear now these were American strikes for Osama Bin laden. That is the time to file the story because newspaper had to go for printing. In my story I clearly mentioned that Black Hawk was destroyed and it is an American strike in search of high value target.

After a few minutes three ambulances were on the spot and they took the women and children to the local hospital in high security. Hospital sources confirmed to me that the wounded lady was OBL’s wife Amal Ahmed Abdul Fatah and all the children of different ages were out of danger. Within two hours they were all shifted to an unknown safe house. After shifting OBL’s wife and children, now three gunned down men and a women were shifted to the Morgue for autopsy. Later they were all buried in an unknown place.

Now it is time to talk with the surrounding people about the scene. There were many rumours and speculation, when I was talking with people, many local residents told me that two weeks ago there was blood taken for a Hepatitis diagnostics test for free. They said that Dr Shakil Afridi and a lady social worker were leading the team of local female health workers and they were running a campaign for Hepatitis vaccination. It was Fajar Azan from the Mosques and I was in the home of one lady health worker Amna Bibi  who was a member of this fake vaccination campaign.

She said that in this last campaign Dr Shakil Afridi only focused on the surrounding area  of the compound. She told me that Dr Shakil Afridi made his camp a few feet away from the compound and he asked her and one of her other colleagues “Mukhtaria Bibi” known as “Bakhto” to get blood from inside the compound. For that Dr Shakil Afridi himself worked on the compound gate again and again. She told me that Dr Shakil Afridi had also talked with Arshad Khan (Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti) with the help of the compound watchman and he convinced him for blood sample of women and children living  inside.

She told me that “Bakhto” entered into the compound to get blood. Now morning lights appeared and I was in Bakhto home. She told me that she doesn’t know what happened and who was inside the compound. She told me that she was just doing her duty following orders of Dr Shakil Afridi and a social worker. She said that she had dropped a bag inside the compound wall but she didn’t know what was in the bag. She told me that the bag was given to her by Dr Shakil Afridi and Dr Afridi told her that the bag on her shoulder made her personality dynamic. Bakhto was clearly afraid. I asked her where is Dr Shakil Afridi she abused him and said that after last campaign he never met her and also Dr Afridi never received her calls. She didn’t knows where he was. Its proof that very clearly that vaccination was fake and this was CIA ruse.

Now I am tired and went home for rest. I just took two or three hours sleep. There is noise at home that Osama Bin Laden has been Martyred. Every international and local channel was broadcasting about the Obama announcement. Channels also reported OBL’s wife was also killed but that was not true. After some time talking with BBC radio I mention that OBL wife was alive and then again headed toward the OBL compound but on the way the scene was changed. There was heavy deployment of security. They did not allow any one especially journalists to go near the OBL compound but I manage to go near the OBL compound.

Still at that time only regional journalists managed to reach, local and international journalists were on the way to Abbottabad. At the same time I talk with an officer, he was clearly disappointed and flustered, he blasted America, he asked why American was clearly cheating Pakistan and there will be a reaction. Signs of frustration and anger were clearly on his face. I asked him what about four double cabin vehicles, is that field force of CIA, his answer was very clear ‘yes no doubt’. I start talking with neighbors of OBL compound to get more information. After that I was very clear that vaccination campaign was CIA plot, while doing other stories I was focusing  on CIA fake vaccination.

On 4^th May Amna Bibi, Bkhto Bibi and other lady health workers were interrogated, official statements of many locals were recorded. On 6^th May I got information that spy agency came to conclusion about fake CIA vaccination and I start collected information about Dr Shakil Afridi, talked with his classmates and colleagues. His reputation was not good, he blackmailed pharmaceutical companies, staff for bribe. His promotion was a big question mark. I interviewed dozen of people and I was fully prepared to file story but problem is that Dr Shakil Afridi was still not arrested.

On 23th May I got information that Dr Shakil Afridi was missing. He not attend his office from three days. I reconfirmed that information and approached his home in Hayataabad, Peshawar. His servants told me no one knows the whereabouts of Dr. Afridi not even his wife. Then I checked with my sources, they confirmed to me that Dr Shakil Afridi was in custody. On 29^th May I filed the story and on 4^th June 2011 it was published in Daily Ummat Karachi. The News Item was noticed by people, it was widely shared in social media. I was appreciated because all facts and necessary references were present in the story.

On 11^th June the story was published in London based newspapers. Pakistani media and other world media lift it, fake CIA vaccination story became a hot cake. But after four years still answers are required to many questions.

 Carol Anne Grayson is an independent writer/researcher on global health/human rights/WOT and is Executive Producer of the Oscar nominated, Incident in New Baghdad . She is a Registered Mental Nurse with a Masters in Gender Culture and Development. Carol was awarded the ESRC, Michael Young Prize for Research 2009, and the COTT ‘Action = Life’ Human Rights Award’ for “upholding truth and justice”. She is also a survivor of US “collateral damage”.