Nearly four months after the Abbottabad, Pakistan attack that took the life of Osama bin Laden, American officials say they suspect that members of the Chinese military got to take a peak of what was left of the US helicopter wrecked in the raid
The stealth chopper, employing top-secret, radar-defying technology, was largely destroyed in the early May raid. Before the remains of the aircraft could be returned stateside, however, US officials believe that Chinese engineers got to take a look at what was reserved for American-eyes only.
RT previously reported on this story following the May 2 raid, at which point Pakistani officials told outlets that they were considering letting the Chinese look at the craft. Now senior defense officials in America are saying that they suspect Pakistanis did in fact let engineers for the Chinese military take a glimpse of the craft, and maybe even more.
One source speaking on condition of anonymity to the New York Times says that, while American officials cannot say for sure that Chinese visited the compound following the crash, conversations between Pakistani officials and the Chinese intercepted by Americans allow US officials to be “certain” that the Chinese not only visited the site, but indeed photographed it and even took samples from the wreck.
American troops tried to destroy the helicopter following the crash, but neglected to dismantle the tail of the Black Hawk chopper, which contained classified technology that officials fear will be emulated by competing nations.
As the relationship between the US and Pakistan has only worsened following the May 2 raid that American officials did not warn Pakistanis of, relationships between Pakistan and officials out of Beijing have only become more well know. Following the raid, officials from Pakistan made a trip to the Chinese capital, in what The Times calls “a not-so-subtle campaign to show the strength of Pakistan’s alliance with China amid faltering relations between Washington and Islamabad.”
Ties between China and Pakistan have existed for decades.
Another source, reporting to The Financial Times, says that US officials had “explicitly asked the Pakistanis in the immediate aftermath of the raid not to let anyone have access to the damaged remains of the helicopter.”