A different scenario emerges from writer for Asia Times - US special forces were given basing rights nearby because Pakistani authorities believed the target was terror suspect related to recent capture of Patek, the Bali bomber [apparently Pakistan has granted basing rights for such purposes before] - only when the US forces were safely back in Afghanistan was Pakistan informed the target had actually been Osama - that is why the confusion and embarrassment on Pakistan's part seems real - and this would explain how after a 40 minute firefight in the heart of a highly militarized part of Pakistan 3 MH-60 Pave Hawks could make the hour long trip back to Afghanistan without encountering any resistance nor needing to refuel. This scenario makes sense to me because I can buy a stealthy infiltration, it's the hour long exfil [given the cruise speed of the MH-60 you're looking at about an hour flight time] after a firefight while running low on fuel that I find a little hard to swallow.
Asia Times also floats idea that it was the capture of Patek in the same town a few months earlier that pushed the US to act quickly on Osama - Patek had been in touch with AQ associates in Abottabad and therefore once he was captured it would be obvious assumption on Oasma's part that his refuge had been compromised - in fact it may indeed have been intel from Patek that led CIA to the compound, or at least to the belief that it housed Osama - it seems fairly well established that the US had already linked OBL's courier to the property.
