Washington : Pakistan's top Washington lobbyist Mark Siegel, has urged U.S. officials not to take out their anger on the country despite the fact that Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden spent at least five years living in Islamabad.
Siegel, who has been friends with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's family for almost three decades and has a direct line to Islamabad, said that the country was not aware about Osama's sheltering in Pakistan.
"The Pakistanis insist to me that they were not aware that Osama bin Laden was at that venue. The president made that very clear to me," Politico quoted Siegel, as saying.
"I think if they had known, they would have been happy to nab him themselves," he added.
However, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King disagreed with Siegel and said that Pakistan must investigate and credibly explain how bin Laden was able to go undetected.
"There is a real question of credibility and trust and faith. You can't have the No. 1 mass murderer of Americans living in plain view in Pakistan all these years while Pakistan is claiming to be our ally and getting 3 billion dollars a year," King said.
"Mark's basic job is almost to tread water, to keep everything afloat until something can be done," he said.
"I think he's trying to prevent something from happening too quickly to have the relationship severed. He wants to make sure that he keeps it together and so you can have extensive talks between the two governments," King added. (ANI)
Siegel, who has been friends with Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari's family for almost three decades and has a direct line to Islamabad, said that the country was not aware about Osama's sheltering in Pakistan.
"The Pakistanis insist to me that they were not aware that Osama bin Laden was at that venue. The president made that very clear to me," Politico quoted Siegel, as saying.
"I think if they had known, they would have been happy to nab him themselves," he added.
However, House Homeland Security Chairman Peter King disagreed with Siegel and said that Pakistan must investigate and credibly explain how bin Laden was able to go undetected.
"There is a real question of credibility and trust and faith. You can't have the No. 1 mass murderer of Americans living in plain view in Pakistan all these years while Pakistan is claiming to be our ally and getting 3 billion dollars a year," King said.
"Mark's basic job is almost to tread water, to keep everything afloat until something can be done," he said.
"I think he's trying to prevent something from happening too quickly to have the relationship severed. He wants to make sure that he keeps it together and so you can have extensive talks between the two governments," King added. (ANI)
