ISLAMABAD: The US Embassy in Islamabad issued a statement on Sunday countering Defence Secretary Leon Panetta’s statement about Pakistani officials being aware of Osama bin Laden’s hideout.
Defense Department spokesman George Little, in the statement, clarified that Panetta’s interview aired by CBS was old and was recorded at the time when the Defence Ministry was unsure whether the Bin Laden network was present in Pakistan or not.
Little further said that Panetta, in the same interview, had also said that there was no proof that Pakistani government and the higher authorities were aware of Bin Laden’s whereabouts.
He added that Panetta, along with other officials, are working for the betterment of ties with Pakistan that were strained after the US operation in Abbottabad that killed al Qaeda chief Bin Laden on May 2.
In an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes”, Panetta said that he still believed someone in authority in Pakistan knew where Bin Laden was hiding before US forces went in to find him.
Intelligence reports found that Pakistani military helicopters had passed over the compound in Abbottabad, according to the interview.
COMMENTS (28)
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Very well done and said Mr. Panetta.It seems you have same qualities and features as PM Gillani has of taking back or withdrawing his words after saying against and taking back notifications after issuing against any one/person/department.
**@American pakistani @Hammad Kakar @stenson @Bakir
grow up men.. grow up.. Let your government deny the fact of OBL presence is Pakistan. Why your gvt is still shouting that killing OBL in Abottabad is attack on its Sovereignty? what about OBL wives found in that compound?**
It was old but still true. Nothing has happened to make the statement invalid even up until now. The army/ISI goes nuts over international embarrassment (hello Mr. Ijaz). If they could have managed to offer answers without self-incrimination, they would have.
@Nand: for being framed in the US propaganda and bringing bad name to pakistan, that should be enough on state level for you to arrested and locked up.
@Cautious: It's not what every Indian like you thinks or doesn't think that matters. It's what Pakistanis think that matters. OBL deserved to be killed but what you don't understand is that Pakistan deserved to be in the loop. What if an Indian national in India helped a supposed ally commit an armed attack on Indian soil against a criminal without the Indian's government's knowledge and permission? Would all you Indians stand up and cheer? Dr. Afridi deserves the justice that the US would give one of its own US citizens for conspiring and aiding an attack on US soil without US government knoweledge and permission. This is the point which Pakistanis seek to explain. No one cares about OBL who was a foreigner involved in crimes. And don't kid yourself about the small confused minority of extremists who support him in the Muslim world.
it was recorded last week, guess that must be old
When OBL was not in Abbottabad, WHY has the establishment arrested Dr. Shakeel Afridi?. Yesterday, all were commenting that he is punishable for treason. On what charges were you all commenting on. This is the problem inside Pakistan. One day one comment and the next day a U-turn.
Confronted statement, so for this reason is not acceptable. I would like to comment on this interview from other angel,
Pakistan was first ally of the United States in war on terror, if American had received the information of his presence in Abbottabd,American should informed Pakistan.
In case, they undertook such line of action,it was better for bilateral relation and relations would never been so strained as of to day.
it is irrelevant. Either pakistanis authorities knew the hideouts of OBL or not??
This "old" interview has not even been shown on TV, and it would be on CBS 60 Minutes tonight. In the US politicians can talk all they want but they cannot change the facts like we do in Pakistan. On one hand we refute the presence of OBL in Abbottabad and at the same time we demand Dr. Afridi be tried for treason and cooperation in the operation. OBL was not in Abbottabad but his harem was and the Commission has been dragging its feet and ISPR or generals have not "exposed" the US lies as yet, are they accomplice too?
Don't think there's anything new in what Mr.Panetta has expressed. It is obvious, isn't it?
what does our foreign, over sized, ministry has to say!
ha ha ha ....Many Americans Panetta,s own country men including scientists, engineers etc believe that 9/11 was an inside job and a good no of people in authority knew well before hand about the catastrophe.
@HSK: Agreed absolutely
How old is LP's interview? The US thinks that it can say anything about Pakistan and get away with it. That is pakistan's plight.
@Aaron Upright
"Seriously the US Embassy thinks that all Pakistanis are about 5 year old." When you live in denial even 5 years is very old.
@HSK: Couldn't agree more. How true.
Seriously the US Embassy thinks that all Pakistanis are about 5 year old.
@Mohammad Ali Siddiqui: "Panetta’s statement was not old and what he has said, he means it." --------- AND ALSO TRUE, you might wish to add!
@Cautious
How naive of you to believe that OBL death is a reality, bravo to US government for making a fool out of all thier american citizens and trying the same on pakistanis as well :)
Anything to cause anarchy in Pakistan. Anything!
My two cents; any story coming out of OBL episode should not be taken as anything but a lie. No proof, no video and no picture of dead OBL whatsoever proves nothing else but a initiation to USA's exit strategy out of Afghanistan to improve Obama's rating in upcoming elections and to declare success in a lost war on terrorism to general public in US and rest of the world. Moreover to justify trillions of dollars drained for nothing but to establish world supremacy and the recent America's economic depression to fuel these very wars in addition to sustaining the weapons/arms industry.
The worrying aspect of all this is that there are some Pakistani who will pass on intelligence to the US in return for a fist full of US dollars and a promise of a green card. Whatever happened to the good doctor who wanted to vaccinate the Laden's.
There are otherws still lurking about.
It is an absurd statement of US Embassy in Islamabad that “Panetta’s interview aired by CBS was old and was recorded at the time when the Defence Ministry was unsure whether the Bin Laden network was present in Pakistan or not”.
Panetta’s statement was not old and what he has said, he means it.
For the sake of arguments, I would like to give my input to the valued readers of these columns that Government of Pakistan, neither civilian, nor military leadership nor any other intelligence agency of Pakistan was NOT hiding Osama Bin Laden from US.
Had there be such an intention, he would have NOT lived in the fort with high walls in Abbottabad but instead he would have been living in a secret place and Dr. Shakeel Afridi for whom US Defence Secretary is quite worried would NOT have been able to conduct DNA test of OBL in Abbottabad.
If it is a matter of only putting blame, it would be easier to accuse that US Government was hiding all the terrorists who high jacked the planes and attack the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon, so that in retaliation, US should invade Afghanistan and then Iraq to have total control of oil in Iraq.
@Cautious: your favourite item....for u anyting from US officias are devine words.And i thought we have have got rid of slave mentality after 60 years of independence.
Ignore stupid statements from panetta please
Oh so do you now want the NATO supplies opened as well since that interview was old? LOL
So does everyone outside of Pakistan. The fact that you haven't lifted a finger to discover who was helping him live comfortably for 5+ years outside the Pakistan Military Academy makes it pretty obvious that he was hiding with the approval of someone in a powerful position. . BTW = Hows that Abbottabad Commission coming?