Osama, Dead.

This is not a good day for Pakistan, despite the announcement of the death of Osama Bin Laden. 

The compound in Abbotabad that Osama Bin Laden was found in was reported to have had high walls, barbed wire and security cameras. Did the intelligence arm of the Pakistan military - the Inter Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) know he was here less than a 1km away from a military academy?

Since 2005, the US authorities have become increasingly persuaded that the ISI has taken an "a la carte" approach to terrorist groups - picking and choosing which group to support.

Crudely, this boils down to whether the groups act as a hedge against the growing regional influence of India.

Billions in aid is sent every year to Pakistan and if the US assessment is that there were elements within the ISI who did know where Osama Bin Laden was hiding, US relations with Pakistan - already severely strained - could reach crisis point.

... Oh and ... whilst I do know better than to join the conspiracy theory wagon, exactly where are the photographs that prove the death yesterday ...?