U.S. Defence Secretary Leon Panetta is acknowledging publicly for the first time that a Pakistani doctor provided key information to the U.S. in advance of the successful Navy SEAL assault on Osama bin Ladens compound last May.
Mr. Panetta told CBSs 60 Minutes in a profile to be broadcast on Sunday, that Shakil Afridi helped provide intelligence for the raid on Mr. bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY
Harper and the U.S. are wrong on the Iran threat
Hostage rescue illustrates Obamas new take on military might
Pragmatic Obama set to defend foreign policy
VIDEO
Obama lauds Bin Laden raid
Mr. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify Mr. bin Ladens presence in the compound. He has since been charged by Pakistan with treason. Mr. Panetta said he is very concerned for the doctor.
Mr. Panetta also told 60 Minutes that he remains convinced that someone in the Pakistani government must have had some sense that a person of interest was in the compound. He added that he has no proof that Pakistan knew it was Mr. bin Laden.
The Pakistani government had hoped to resolve the Afridi matter quietly, once media attention died down, perhaps releasing him to U.S. custody, according to two Pakistani officials. They requested anonymity because the investigation into charges the doctor behaved treasonously was ongoing.
U.S. defence secretary reveals key intellegence source for bin Laden raid - The Globe and Mail
Mr. Panetta told CBSs 60 Minutes in a profile to be broadcast on Sunday, that Shakil Afridi helped provide intelligence for the raid on Mr. bin Ladens compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.
MORE RELATED TO THIS STORY
Harper and the U.S. are wrong on the Iran threat
Hostage rescue illustrates Obamas new take on military might
Pragmatic Obama set to defend foreign policy
VIDEO
Obama lauds Bin Laden raid
Mr. Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify Mr. bin Ladens presence in the compound. He has since been charged by Pakistan with treason. Mr. Panetta said he is very concerned for the doctor.
Mr. Panetta also told 60 Minutes that he remains convinced that someone in the Pakistani government must have had some sense that a person of interest was in the compound. He added that he has no proof that Pakistan knew it was Mr. bin Laden.
The Pakistani government had hoped to resolve the Afridi matter quietly, once media attention died down, perhaps releasing him to U.S. custody, according to two Pakistani officials. They requested anonymity because the investigation into charges the doctor behaved treasonously was ongoing.
U.S. defence secretary reveals key intellegence source for bin Laden raid - The Globe and Mail