Shakil Afridi: The Doctor Who Helped the CIA Find Bin Laden
Shakil Afridi: The Doctor Who Helped the CIA Find Bin Laden by M. Ilyas Khan – BBC News
A Pakistani doctor who helped the US find al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is appealing against his jail sentence.
It’s the first time Shakil Afridi’s case has been heard in open court. The judge adjourned the case until 22 October at the request of prosecutors.
Dr Afridi’s role was a huge embarrassment for Pakistan. He argues he was denied a fair trial.
He was never formally charged for his role in the 2011 operation to hunt down and kill the world’s most-wanted man.
Dr Afridi’s imprisonment caused outrage and saw the US cut federal aid to Pakistan by $33m (£27m) – $1m for every year of his jail sentence. in the Peshawar High Court
US President Donald Trump promised in his 2016 election campaign that he would get Dr Afridi released in “two minutes” if elected – but that never happened.
While the doctor is considered a hero in the US, in Pakistan he is seen by many as a traitor who brought humiliation to the country – US Navy Seals had been able to fly in, kill the 9/11 attacks mastermind and get away with his body without even being challenged, far less stopped…