US says Pakistan didn’t know of Osama’s whereabouts

E-Paper | July 14, 2026

WASHINGTON: The United States has no reason to believe that the government of Pakistan knew about the location of Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, says the State Department.

At a news briefing in Washington, the department’s spokesperson Jen Psaki rejected former ISI chief retired Lt. Gen. Asad Durrani’s suggestion that the spy agency was aware of Bin Laden’s whereabouts and had shared it with US agencies.

Also read: Pakistan may have shared OBL's location with US: Former ISI chief

“As we’ve stated in the past and the president (Barack Obama) and Secretary (Hillary) Clinton at the time stated, we don’t have any reason to believe that the government of Pakistan knew about the location of Bin Laden,” Ms Psaki said. “That remains our belief.”

The Al Qaeda leader was hiding in a house in Abbottabad when US troops raided the building on May 2, 2011 and killed him.

Published in Dawn February 14th , 2015

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Pakistan

Anwar Iqbal is the Washington correspondent for Dawn. During a long journalism career, he has interviewed world leaders and cultural icons, including US Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, poets Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Josh Malihabadi, Bacha Khan, Nobel laureate Abdus Salam, and humanitarian Abdul Sattar Edhi.

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Black Sabbath

Feb 14, 2015 07:15am

Of course you have to say that in public Ms. Psaki but come on...

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rkn

Feb 14, 2015 07:20am

Osama was found in the Military garrison of Abbotabad...Pakistan didn't know Osama's whereabouts, really ? Well, you could say ISIS knew it, while Pakistan's civil government didn't. That makes perfect sense, lol!

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guest

Feb 14, 2015 07:26am

US is always reluctant to acknowledge Pakistani contribution

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fawad

Feb 14, 2015 09:30am

@guest yeah they are reluctant, otherwise how will they justify ongoing support? How will they pacify taxpayers in US, about using their money for fight against terror and helping front line ally.

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Aurora

Feb 14, 2015 09:35am

But for the action and travel time by SEALs there must have been threats to Pak forces to remain inactive or face dire consiquences.

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rehan

Feb 14, 2015 09:40am

Why we keep giving so much importance to US ???

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Manjeet kocchar

Feb 14, 2015 11:57am

it is history now why digging up ?

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Cyrus Ho

Feb 14, 2015 12:15pm

@rehan Probably because of all the money Pakistanis send home to their families from America. Helps the balance of trade, and the US currency is not inflated. The dollar buys more rupees than before..

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K RAMANI

Feb 14, 2015 12:46pm

ISI did not know Pak Govt did not know. US did not know...... on top of all that let me assure you even OSAMA did not know where he lived was Pakistan... there is a possibility where Osama lived was not Pakistan.... and so it goes on

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Lafanga

Feb 14, 2015 12:49pm

@Cyrus Ho majority of FOREX coming to Pakistan is from Middle East and always has been. Pakistanis living in the West mostly migrate permanently there hence tend to have little need to send money to Pakistan frequently as opposed to people working in the ME.

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Akthar

Feb 14, 2015 12:56pm

Yes Ms. Psaki, the government didn't knew whereabouts of OBL. Only Establishment knew. That's what Asad Durrani has said.

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lkhan

Feb 14, 2015 01:07pm

I believe the government did not know, yet powers that be certainly did know....

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Maju

Feb 14, 2015 01:09pm

No Body will believe This America.

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Paksitani

Feb 14, 2015 01:14pm

Everyone knows each other and denying the reality.

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Akbaruddin

Feb 14, 2015 01:15pm

Ha ha ha. What a mess!

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Ero

Feb 14, 2015 01:37pm

'That remains our belief' Lol!!!! Does anyone else get this?

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INDIAN

Feb 14, 2015 01:39pm

what is more embarrassing...... that pakistan was hiding him or that they were blissfully unaware of the worlds most wanted terrorist living under their noses.u decide.

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Akhtar

Feb 14, 2015 02:03pm

That is because it was a staged drama. Bin Laden had died years before the so called raid happened. This is why no body was shown.

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Ash

Feb 14, 2015 02:08pm

Oh my. Such a difficult world of diplomacy. They are basically trying to put water on the fire created by Pak officers against the interest of Pak. Nobody want pak to go under. This would be excellent time to become part of rest of the world. Everybody is willing to give you chance. Pls don't mess it up. Wishing peace.

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Syed Ganga Din

Feb 14, 2015 02:15pm

No body knew Osama's whereabouts because he didn't exist. It was a myth.

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2beorNot2B

Feb 14, 2015 02:30pm

we don’t have any reason to believe that the govt of Pakistan knew about the location of Bin Laden,” Ms Psaki said. civilian govt didn't know for sure. what about intelligence agencies ?

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Datta

Feb 14, 2015 03:03pm

This is a catch 22 situation for Pakistan - your damned if you knew and your damned if you didnt!!

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Sohail Khan

Feb 14, 2015 03:36pm

@rkn It wasn't military garrison but a town near military garrison.

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geebreal

Feb 14, 2015 03:39pm

Here comes confession

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Imran

Feb 14, 2015 03:40pm

@Akbaruddin "Ha ha ha. What a mess!" What mess? Did I miss something here. Ever heard the term plausible deniability dude?

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Imran

Feb 14, 2015 03:43pm

I don't know why everyone is huffing and puffing over this. She has clearly said that the Pak Govt was unaware of OBL's presence in Abbottabad. She didn't say that ISI was unaware.

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F A Qazi

Feb 14, 2015 04:05pm

I am sorry to say that, even a child wouldn't believe it. They should stop mendacious statement. Thanks

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Mushtaq Ahmed

Feb 14, 2015 04:23pm

Strange times. Ex ISI chief says Pakistan most likely knew. Musharaf says Pakistan created Taliban. US is back pedalling furiously saying no-no-no, Pakistan did not know. Strange world in deed.

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Awais Ali

Feb 14, 2015 04:28pm

Just read the book “Leading from Behind: The Reluctant President and the Advisors Who Decide for Him” by a New York Times Journalist Richard Miniter." He says 1st information about Osama was provided by a colonel of ISI before that CIA was even don,t know nothing. what to believe and what to not believe?

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Shaneeza

Feb 14, 2015 05:07pm

General Raheel, you tell us what the truth is. That will stop all the speculation.

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m. a

Feb 14, 2015 09:21pm

This statement is nothing but a huge lie.

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sunnyboy

Feb 15, 2015 01:17am

I can draw two conclusions from this. One is that Pakistan 's government is incapable of tracking terrorists (they don't care) and the other is they lied about it.

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Abdul

Feb 15, 2015 03:29am

Again what Musharaff said in one of his interviews that Pakistan didn't know where Osama was hiding contrary to the world belief that Pakistan really knew and was acting innocent! Only believable as came out of an honest' person's mouth. Musharaf zindabad.

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