“Osama bin Laden considered seeking a deal with Pakistan under which al Qaeda leaders in the country would be protected and, in return, al Qaeda would refrain from attacking Pakistan, a U.S. official told CNN Friday [May 27, 2011]. The revelation surfaced as American agents analyzed the documents that were seized in the May 2 raid of bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan, according to the official, who was not authorized to speak on the record. The documents show the al Qaeda leader communicated with his operations chief, Atiya Abdul Rahman, about a possible deal with Pakistan, the official said. …The official said there is no evidence an approach was ever made to any Pakistani officials to try to cut such a deal. ‘This appeared to be a discussion inside al Qaeda,’ the official said.”
– Carol Cratty, “Bin Laden Considered Seeking Deal with Pakistan, U.S. Official Says,” CNN, May 27, 2011