WASHINGTON — U.S. officials say Pakistan apparently has tipped off militants at two more bomb-building factories in tribal areas, giving the suspects time to flee, after U.S. intelligence shared the locations with the government.
Those officials think Pakistan’s insistence on seeking local tribal elders’ permission before raiding the areas might have most directly contributed to the militants’ flight, though they also suspect low-level security officials might have tipped the militants off.
U.S. officials have pushed for Pakistan to keep the location of targets secret prior to the operations, but the Pakistanis say their troops cannot enter the lawless regions without giving the locals notice.
All officials spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss matters of intelligence.
The latest incidents bring the total to four bomb-making sites that the U.S. has shared with Pakistan only to have the terrorist suspects flee before the Pakistani military arrived much later. The report does not bode well for attempts by both sides to mend relations and rebuild trust after the U.S. raid May 2 that killed Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad.
The U.S. officials explained Saturday how they first offered the location of the third, and then the fourth site, to give Pakistan another chance to prove it could be trusted.
The Americans monitored the area with satellite and unmanned drones, officials said.
