Pakistan

Bin Laden death photo: FAKE!

By Gina Cavallaro on May 2, 2011 Pakistan

As quickly as the news spread of the killing of Osama Bin Laden, a picture of his alleged bloodied death face began circulating. It has been lighting up the pages of Facebook and making the rounds on TV reports, websites and strings of emails. Click here to see the alleged photo. Just as quickly, though, the authenticity of the photo was being debunked on the web. Even the Associated Press, which disseminates photos to news organizations around the world, recalled the photo after determining it was bogus.

Osama bin Laden reportedly dead. Share your thoughts here

By Dan Lamothe on May 1, 2011 Pakistan

We have almost no context yet, but there’s big news tonight: Osama bin Laden is reportedly dead. I’ll be blogging for a while adding context, but please share your thoughts in the comments section below. 11:35 p.m.: President Obama just reported the death of bin Laden himself in an announcement at the White House. As you’d expect, he started by recalling the deaths of more than 3,000 Americans at the World Trade Center, Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pa. 11:37 p.m.: Obama says he told CIA director Leon Panetta to make killing or capturing bin Laden his top priority. The White…

Marines conducting Pakistani flood relief avoid attacks

By Dan Lamothe on October 19, 2010 MEU operations, Pakistan

The Marine Corps has been conducting flood relief operations for two months in Pakistan, which was ravaged by floods this summer that killed at least 1,500 people and destroyed an estimated 1.9 million houses, according to most estimates. One piece that couldn’t be overlooked before the U.S. pitched in was security. It’s no secret that Pakistan has a muscular anti-American insurgency, and is used as a staging ground for attacks on U.S. troops in neighboring Afghanistan. As this story in the New York Times points out, though, Marines and soldiers providing flood relief have avoided attacks in Pakistan so far…

One-star officer: Marines will be in Pakistan up to 4 months

By Dan Lamothe on August 20, 2010 MEU operations, Pakistan

Last week, we covered the move by the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif., to assist flood-ravaged Pakistan. The update: The situation is serious enough that Marines are now planning to assist for up to four months. Brig. Gen. David Berger, director of operations at Marine Corps headquarters, sat down with two other reporters and me yesterday to explain the situation. The amphibious assault ship Peleliu has been off the coast of Pakistan since Aug. 9, and more than 200 Marines are now based out of Ghazi air base, west of Islamabad, where helicopter relief missions are…

Conway, Kent touch down in Afghanistan

By Dan Lamothe on August 18, 2010 Afghanistan, Pakistan, The CMC, The Sgt. Major of the Marine Corps

It had to come sometime. After four years of leading the Marine Corps in wartime, Commandant Gen. James Conway is making what will likely be his final trip to Afghanistan this week. He touched down at Bagram Airfield on Tuesday, and if he and his traveling party haven’t already made it to Camp Leatherneck, the Corps’ major hub of operations in Afghanistan, they’ll likely be there soon. For security reasons, their agenda is classified. However, it’s likely they’ll tour much of the area. This brief account in the Pakistani media also reports that Conway visited today with Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, the…

Marines with 15th MEU to the rescue in Pakistan

By Dan Lamothe on August 12, 2010 MEU operations, Pakistan

Above, a scene today from Pakistan, where millions of people face a dire situation after monsoon rains that have caused catastrophic flooding across the country. More than 1,500 people have died in flooding that dates back to last month, and worsened in the last few days. Pakistani officials have said it’s the worst natural disaster in their nation’s history and evacuated villages in several parts of the country. This Time story details the devastation well. With that in mind, the U.S. is sending in Marines with the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, out of Camp Pendleton, Calif. The amphibious assault ship…

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