"We have been pretty clear that we've asked some serious questions to the Pakistan government about what kind of possible support network may have existed. We expect at some point answers," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner told mediapersons on Monday.
"I think that we don't expect answers quickly. We realise that will take some time, but, you know, we'll wait till we get a response," he said.
Referring to the Obama administration's stated policy, Toner said whenever the US has actionable intelligence against someone who's responsible for thousands of American and other deaths, other nationalities; it is going to take action. "It's within our right to do so," he said.
"We've said pretty clearly; from the very first hours after the raid said that bin Laden's whereabouts raise some questions about, indeed, in this administration and within Congress and within the Pakistani government, about how he could have lived for such a long time, and whether he had any kind of support there," Toner said.
He said the US has not jumped into any conclusions but has asked questions and expressed its concerns to the Pakistani government and will wait for the response. Toner said the US is aware of the history of birth of the Al Qaeda, Taliban and the Mujahedeen and that bin Laden and Al Qaeda were responsible for thousands of deaths, both in the US and elsewhere around the globe, including Pakistan, and the world's a better place now that he's gone.
"We continue to be in dialogue with the Pakistani government and let's also be very clear that our counterterrorism with Pakistan has yielded results over the years. It hasn't always been a relationship where we've seen eye to eye, but we have made progress, significant process," he said.
