Pakistan issues threat as relations with U.S. heat up after bin Laden raid

[Guest guest]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/pakistan-issues-threat-relations-u-heat-bin-laden-19300\

8822.html;_ylt=AtkdCZNv7xLrPr_zu3tl2v4rssB_;_ylu=X3oDMTM5bnRqZDNpBHBrZwM4NDk4ZTY\

0YS1jYzU2LTM1MGUtODFlMC1mYTNlMTNjOTU3ZjgEcG9zAzcEc2VjA01lZGlhVG9wU3RvcnkEdmVyAzc\

xOWIxNmUwLTdhOTUtMTFlMC1iOWZmLTU3M2UwZWRlOGRkOA--;_ylg=X3oDMTFjNjVhOWUzBGludGwDY\

2EEbGFuZwNlbi1jYQRwc3RhaWQDBHB0A3NlY3Rpb25zBHRlc3QD;_ylv=3

Pakistan issues threat as relations with U.S. heat up after bin Laden raid

By Lee-Anne Goodman, The Canadian Press | The Canadian Press – 38 minutes ago

WASHINGTON - Tensions are escalating between the U.S. and Pakistan, with

everyone from President Barack Obama to top American intelligence officials

warning the truth will soon emerge if Pakistani officials were knowingly housing

Osama bin Laden for years before Navy SEALs finally got their man.

The Pakistani prime minister fired back Monday — a week after bin Laden was

gunned down in a compound near his nation's capital — with the threat that any

further U.S. military action within its borders and without its consent would be

met with " full force " by Pakistan, an unsteady nuclear arms state.

" No one should underestimate the resolve and capability of our nation and armed

forces to defend our sacred homeland, " Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said in

a speech to parliament.

A day after Obama told CBS's " 60 Minutes " that the U.S. must investigate whether

Pakistan spent years harbouring the man behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist

attacks, Gilani vehemently denied it.

" Allegations of complicity or incompetence are absurd. Pakistan is not the

birthplace of al-Qaida. We did not invite Osama bin Laden to Pakistan or even to

Afghanistan. "

He added: " Elimination of Osama bin Laden, who launched waves after waves of

terrorists attacks against innocent Pakistanis, is indeed justice done. "

But when the SEALs removed bin Laden's body from the compound after gunning him

down last week, they also departed with another bounty — almost a dozen

computers, roughly 100 thumb-drives, videos and several cellphones with a

variety of contact information.

Intelligence officials have called the stash a " treasure trove " that might be

more useful for national security purposes than the death of bin Laden himself.

The data will likely reveal just how much the Pakistan government knew, U.S.

officials say, as will interviewing three of bin Laden's wives who were at the

compound during the raid and are now in Pakistani custody.

" We are obviously doing a full investigation and examining some of the

substantial material that our operators collected in bin Laden's compound for

evidence of the support network that must have existed, " Jay Carney, the White

House press secretary, told the daily media briefing on Monday.

Obama made clear there is no evidence yet that high-ranking government or

intelligence officials in Pakistan were aware of bin Laden's presence at the

compound. But other lawmakers and American intelligence officials have expressed

doubts that Pakistani officials could have possibly been in the dark for as long

as six years.

Pakistan and the U.S. have been uneasy allies in the so-called war on terror

since the Sept. 11 attacks. The Americans have provided Pakistan with billions

of dollars in aid, and some are now suggesting that cash flow be cut off if it's

revealed Pakistani officials knew of bin Laden's whereabouts.

Even before bin Laden's death, tensions were simmering between the two nations.

Pakistan has bitterly complained about unmanned drone strikes launched by

American forces in the tribal regions along the country's northwest border with

Afghanistan, while the U.S. has been growing impatient with Pakistani officials

over their strategy to fight militants along that boundary.

Now there is new wrangling between the two nations, with Carney characterizing

their relationship as " complicated. "

The CIA is angry that Pakistani officials have leaked the name of its top

official in Islamabad to Pakistani news media, something considered a deliberate

attempt to undermine the spy agency in the aftermath of bin Laden's death.

American officials also want to interview the three bin Laden wives who lived

with him in the compound, including one who was shot in the leg attempting to

protect her husband before he was killed. As well, they want access to materials

seized at the compound after Navy SEALs had vacated the property.

Pakistan has not said whether they'll consent.

Carney said Monday the U.S. was confident Pakistan would do the right thing.

" We obviously are very interested in getting access to the three wives ... as

well as the information or the material that the Pakistanis collected after U.S.

forces left, " he told the daily press briefing.

" We're going to have those conversations, and we hope and expect to make

progress .... We believe that it is very important to maintain a co-operative

relationship with Pakistan precisely because it's in our national security

interest to do so. "

In his remarks on Monday, Gilani agreed that the failure to find bin Laden was a

mistake. But it wasn't just Pakistan's falldown, he said.

" Yes, there has been an intelligence failure, " said Gilani. " It is not only ours

but of all the intelligence agencies of the world. "

Nonetheless there are no regrets from the White House over its bin Laden raid,

with Carney stressing Monday the U.S. does not apologize. But as for Obama's

previously announced plans to visit Pakistan this year?

" I don't have any scheduling updates, " he said.