American diplomacy links--May 2015.

AuthorClack, George

American Diplomacy Links 5.19.15

"The Killing of Osama bin Laden"

The White House maintains that this mission was an all-American affair, and that the senior generals of Pakistan's army and Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) were not told of the raid in advance. According to Hersh's sources, this is false, as are many other elements of the Obama administration's account.

By Seymour M. Hersh, London Review of Books. Veteran investigative reporter Hersh is writing an alternative history of the war on terror. http://www.lrb.co.uk/v37/n10/seymour-m-hersh/the-killing-of-osama-bin-laden

"The Many Problems with Seymour Hersh's Osama bin Laden Conspiracy Theory"

Hersh's story alleges a vast American-Pakistani conspiracy to stage the raid, but his allegations are supported by only two sources, neither of whom has direct knowledge of what happened, and his story is riven with internal contradictions.

By Max Fisher, Vox. Fisher is content director at vox.com. http://www.vox.com/2015/5/11/8584473/seymour-hersh-osama-bin-laden

"The Media's Reaction to Seymour Hersh's bin Laden Scoop Has Been Disgraceful"

While there's no way to prove or disprove every assertion Hersh makes without re-reporting the whole story, one observer considers the overarching criticisms one by one.

By Trevor Timm, Columbia Journalism Review. Timm is the executive director of the Freedom of the Press Foundation and a columnist for the Guardian on privacy, national security, and the media. http://www.cjr.org/analysis/seymour_hersh_osama_bin_laden.php

"Pakistani Asset Helped in Hunt for Bin Laden, Sources Say"

A retired Pakistani military intelligence officer helped the CIA track bin Laden down. The new revelations do not cast doubt on the overall narrative that the White House began circulating within hours of the May 2011 operation. The official story about how bin Laden was found was constructed in a way that protected the identity of the asset.

By Matthew Cole, Richard Esposito, Robert Windrem, and Andrea Mitchell, NBC News. Cole is an investigative producer for NBC News focusing on national security matters. http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/pakistanis-knew-where-bin-laden-was-say-us-sources-n357306

More than Keeping Up the Facade: The U.S.-GCC Summit at Camp David

The ritualistic statements issued after the recent summit have an important theme. They include a clear U.S. commitment to a partnership with the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council. They also make clear...

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