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PAKISTAN has dropped strong hints that Chinese military officials will be allowed access to the remains of a US helicopter that crash-landed inside its territory during the commando raid on Osama bin Laden's compound.
The move by Pakistan's government to show China wreckage of a secret US "stealth" helicopter would be a further sign of seriously fractured relations with Washington. The US did not consult Pakistan before launching last week's commando raid.
Pakistani officials said yesterday they were interested in studying the remains of the downed US helicopter, believed to be a modified H-60 Blackhawk with special technology to evade radar.
But one official told the US's ABC News that the Chinese had also shown interest. "We might let them take a look," he said.
The US helicopter, one of two that carried US commandos into bin Laden's compound deep inside Pakistan, was critically damaged when it clipped the walls of the arch-terrorist's hideout and made a forced landing.
A back-up helicopter took its place and US commandos used explosives to destroy the disabled aircraft as they left bin Laden's compound.
But the tail of the helicopter became separated and survived the explosion.
These remains, which include unusual rotor blades and an angular outer shell not unlike a stealth jet fighter, could help China in any attempt to replicate the technology.
China has already had the benefit of inspecting advanced US defence technology that could be used to help develop an equivalent aircraft after the wreckage of a US stealth F-117 Nighthawk bomber shot down in Serbia in 1999 was handed over to Beijing.
A decade later, the first Chinese stealth fighter, the J-20, took a test flight, although government officials deny it was based on US designs.
US defence officials have declined to comment on the type of helicopter left behind after the bin Laden raid. Their request for the return of the wreckage from Pakistani authorities has so far been refused. One US official told ABC News that the Chinese might already have had a look at the damaged helicopter tail section and any other surviving parts.
Handing over the wreckage to China would not be out of character for Pakistan's government, which has a close relationship with Beijing and could be looking for ways to pay back favours after receiving Chinese missile technology.
Pakistan is angrily fending off accusations from senior US political figures, including President Barack Obama, that bin Laden must have had a support network inside the country to survive for five years in the heart of a fortified compound in Abbottabad, a military city brimming with soldiers.
Despite claiming to be an ally of Pakistan, the US is highly suspicious that high-level figures in the government or its spy agency could have aided bin Laden and other terrorists.
Some senior US congress members want Washington to cut off financial aid altogether.
Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, has sent a letter to colleagues declaring that Pakistan must immediately return the helicopter debris. He has introduced legislation to cease aid to Pakistan but so far lacks a co-sponsor. John Kerry, chairman of the US Senate foreign relations committee, confirmed yesterday that he would travel to Pakistan to meet government officials and discuss all issues related to the bin Laden killing.
The trip by Senator Kerry, who is close to the Obama administration and has previously served as an envoy, is an effort to mend the deep rift with Pakistan.
"A number of people suggested it would be good to get a dialogue going about the aftermath and how we get on the right track," Senator Kerry said.
The sons of bin Laden yesterday criticised Mr Obama over the killing, accusing him of breaching international law by authorising the killing of an unarmed terrorist.
A statement issued by Omar bin Laden to The New York Times said the family was asking why the al-Qa'ida leader had not been "arrested and tried in a court of law so that the truth is revealed to the people of the world".
Omar bin Laden, who lived with his father until 1999, has renounced his father's terrorist activities and condemns the killing of civilians.
But the son, author of the book Growing Up bin Laden, issued a statement on behalf of himself and his brothers condemning the manner of their father's killing.
It was unclear whether the other brothers authorised the statement because they were not named.
"As he condemned our father, we now condemn the President of the United States for ordering the execution of unarmed men and women," the statement said.
It called on Pakistan to hand over to family members the three wives and children of bin Laden who were taken into custody after the US commandos left the compound. One of the wives, Amal Al-Sadal, is recovering in a Pakistani hospital after she was shot in the leg during the raid.
After Mr Obama said last week that the public would not be shown photos taken of bin Laden's bloodied corpse, it was confirmed yesterday that the CIA would show them to senior members of congress.
Members of the armed services and intelligence committees in the Senate, and their equivalents in the House of Representatives will, on request, be permitted to view photos of the dead al-Qa'ida leader at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Pakistan to Give US Stealth Copter Wreckage to China - IGN Boards
The move by Pakistan's government to show China wreckage of a secret US "stealth" helicopter would be a further sign of seriously fractured relations with Washington. The US did not consult Pakistan before launching last week's commando raid.
Pakistani officials said yesterday they were interested in studying the remains of the downed US helicopter, believed to be a modified H-60 Blackhawk with special technology to evade radar.
But one official told the US's ABC News that the Chinese had also shown interest. "We might let them take a look," he said.
The US helicopter, one of two that carried US commandos into bin Laden's compound deep inside Pakistan, was critically damaged when it clipped the walls of the arch-terrorist's hideout and made a forced landing.
A back-up helicopter took its place and US commandos used explosives to destroy the disabled aircraft as they left bin Laden's compound.
But the tail of the helicopter became separated and survived the explosion.
These remains, which include unusual rotor blades and an angular outer shell not unlike a stealth jet fighter, could help China in any attempt to replicate the technology.
China has already had the benefit of inspecting advanced US defence technology that could be used to help develop an equivalent aircraft after the wreckage of a US stealth F-117 Nighthawk bomber shot down in Serbia in 1999 was handed over to Beijing.
A decade later, the first Chinese stealth fighter, the J-20, took a test flight, although government officials deny it was based on US designs.
US defence officials have declined to comment on the type of helicopter left behind after the bin Laden raid. Their request for the return of the wreckage from Pakistani authorities has so far been refused. One US official told ABC News that the Chinese might already have had a look at the damaged helicopter tail section and any other surviving parts.
Handing over the wreckage to China would not be out of character for Pakistan's government, which has a close relationship with Beijing and could be looking for ways to pay back favours after receiving Chinese missile technology.
Pakistan is angrily fending off accusations from senior US political figures, including President Barack Obama, that bin Laden must have had a support network inside the country to survive for five years in the heart of a fortified compound in Abbottabad, a military city brimming with soldiers.
Despite claiming to be an ally of Pakistan, the US is highly suspicious that high-level figures in the government or its spy agency could have aided bin Laden and other terrorists.
Some senior US congress members want Washington to cut off financial aid altogether.
Dana Rohrabacher, a Republican from California, has sent a letter to colleagues declaring that Pakistan must immediately return the helicopter debris. He has introduced legislation to cease aid to Pakistan but so far lacks a co-sponsor. John Kerry, chairman of the US Senate foreign relations committee, confirmed yesterday that he would travel to Pakistan to meet government officials and discuss all issues related to the bin Laden killing.
The trip by Senator Kerry, who is close to the Obama administration and has previously served as an envoy, is an effort to mend the deep rift with Pakistan.
"A number of people suggested it would be good to get a dialogue going about the aftermath and how we get on the right track," Senator Kerry said.
The sons of bin Laden yesterday criticised Mr Obama over the killing, accusing him of breaching international law by authorising the killing of an unarmed terrorist.
A statement issued by Omar bin Laden to The New York Times said the family was asking why the al-Qa'ida leader had not been "arrested and tried in a court of law so that the truth is revealed to the people of the world".
Omar bin Laden, who lived with his father until 1999, has renounced his father's terrorist activities and condemns the killing of civilians.
But the son, author of the book Growing Up bin Laden, issued a statement on behalf of himself and his brothers condemning the manner of their father's killing.
It was unclear whether the other brothers authorised the statement because they were not named.
"As he condemned our father, we now condemn the President of the United States for ordering the execution of unarmed men and women," the statement said.
It called on Pakistan to hand over to family members the three wives and children of bin Laden who were taken into custody after the US commandos left the compound. One of the wives, Amal Al-Sadal, is recovering in a Pakistani hospital after she was shot in the leg during the raid.
After Mr Obama said last week that the public would not be shown photos taken of bin Laden's bloodied corpse, it was confirmed yesterday that the CIA would show them to senior members of congress.
Members of the armed services and intelligence committees in the Senate, and their equivalents in the House of Representatives will, on request, be permitted to view photos of the dead al-Qa'ida leader at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia.
Pakistan to Give US Stealth Copter Wreckage to China - IGN Boards
