Breaking News Alert
The New York Times
Mon, May 09, 2011 — 9:11 PM ET
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U.S. Braced for Fights With Pakistanis in Bin Laden Raid, Officials Say
President Obama insisted that the assault force hunting down
Osama bin Laden last week be large enough to fight its way
out of Pakistan if confronted by hostile local police
officers and troops, senior administration and military
officials said Monday.
In revealing additional details about planning for the
mission, senior officials also said that two teams of
specialists were on standby: One to bury Bin Laden if he was
killed, and a second composed of lawyers, interrogators and
translators in case he was captured alive. That team was set
to meet aboard a Navy ship, mostly likely the aircraft
carrier Carl Vinson in the North Arabian Sea.
Mr. Obama‘s decision to increase the size of the force sent
into Pakistan shows that he was willing to risk a military
confrontation with a close ally in order to capture or kill
the leader of Al Qaeda.
