LONDON, May 9: Pakistan and the United States had struck a deal in 2001 to allow the same type of scenario as last week's raid in Abbottabad against Osama bin Laden, according to serving and retired officials from both sides.

The officials told Britain's Guardian newspaper former presidents Pervez Musharraf and George Bush had agreed that “Pakistan would vociferously protest the incursion”.

These sources alleged that the agreement wasn't just some decade-old pact: it was renewed in Feb 2008 before the induction of the civilian government in Islamabad.

“They (Pakistanis) even called us (Americans) their 'friends',” a US official said.

Referring to the assault on Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound, a [Pakistani] official added: “As far as our American friends are concerned, they have just implemented the agreement.”

The former US official said the Pakistani protests of the past week were the “public face” of the deal. “We knew they would deny this stuff.” — Dawn-Guardian News Service