WASHINGTON: The United States said Monday it would not “apologize” for launching a raid to kill Osama bin Laden on Pakistani soil, after the Islamabad government complained about US “unilateralism.”

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Washington took Pakistani complaints seriously but added: “we also do not apologize for the action that this president took.”

He said Obama was convinced that he had the “right and imperative” to mount the raid, and noted that the president said during his campaign he would act to get bin Laden in Pakistan if necessary.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani earlier complained about the US raid on Abbottabad last week which killed bin Laden, after the Pakistani government was not informed in advance.

Gilani also insisted Pakistan reserves the right to “retaliate with full force,” although he stopped short of spelling out what, if anything, would be done should the United States stage another high-profile anti-terror raid.

Carney also said the United States was still seeking cooperation from Islamabad to gain access to three of the Al-Qaeda leader's widows who are in Pakistani custody and may have vital information on the terror group.