US waiting to question detained bin Laden wives
Source: Agencies |
May 11, 2011, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
THE United States was hoping to question the detained three wives of Osama bin Laden yesterday although Pakistani officials played down the possibility of any speedy access.
US investigators, who have been sifting through a huge stash of material seized after the May 2 raid which killed bin Laden in his Pakistani hideout, want to question his wives as they seek to trace his movements and his network.
A US official said in Washington on Monday that Pakistan appeared ready to grant access to the wives who were detained at bin Laden's compound after the raid.
But Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said it had received no US request while other officials said no decision had been taken.
"It's too early to even think about it," said a senior government official, adding that Pakistani investigators had yet to finish their own questioning.
Pakistan says the wives, one from Yemen and two from Saudi Arabia, and their children, will be repatriated. Pakistan was making contact with their countries but they had yet to say they would take them, the Pakistani official said.
Bin Laden was shot dead in the northern Pakistani town of Abbottabad to the embarrassment of the country which had for years denied the world's most wanted man was on its soil.
Pakistan said bin Laden's death was an important step in the fight against militancy but it was angered it was not informed about the raid and said US forces violated its sovereignty when they swooped in on helicopters from Afghanistan.
The government is under pressure to explain how the al-Qaida leader was found in the garrison town, a short distance from the main military academy.
But Pakistani cooperation is crucial to combating Islamist militants and to bringing stability to Afghanistan and the US administration has been keen to contain the fallout.
"We're in high-level consultations with Pakistani officials" about bin Laden's wives and all other issues related to the raid," a senior US administration official said. "We are committed to maintaining our cooperative relationship."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Western governments had no alternative to cooperating with Pakistan in the fight against Islamic militants.
US investigators, who have been sifting through a huge stash of material seized after the May 2 raid which killed bin Laden in his Pakistani hideout, want to question his wives as they seek to trace his movements and his network.
A US official said in Washington on Monday that Pakistan appeared ready to grant access to the wives who were detained at bin Laden's compound after the raid.
But Pakistan's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman said it had received no US request while other officials said no decision had been taken.
"It's too early to even think about it," said a senior government official, adding that Pakistani investigators had yet to finish their own questioning.
Pakistan says the wives, one from Yemen and two from Saudi Arabia, and their children, will be repatriated. Pakistan was making contact with their countries but they had yet to say they would take them, the Pakistani official said.
Bin Laden was shot dead in the northern Pakistani town of Abbottabad to the embarrassment of the country which had for years denied the world's most wanted man was on its soil.
Pakistan said bin Laden's death was an important step in the fight against militancy but it was angered it was not informed about the raid and said US forces violated its sovereignty when they swooped in on helicopters from Afghanistan.
The government is under pressure to explain how the al-Qaida leader was found in the garrison town, a short distance from the main military academy.
But Pakistani cooperation is crucial to combating Islamist militants and to bringing stability to Afghanistan and the US administration has been keen to contain the fallout.
"We're in high-level consultations with Pakistani officials" about bin Laden's wives and all other issues related to the raid," a senior US administration official said. "We are committed to maintaining our cooperative relationship."
NATO Secretary-General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Western governments had no alternative to cooperating with Pakistan in the fight against Islamic militants.
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