US looking into Osama's 'support system in Pak'

The United States is "looking into what support network" slain Osama bin Laden had, "official" or otherwise, in Pakistan, a top official said on Wednesday, as he expressed concern on how the Al Qaeda chief was able to find refuge inside the country for so long.

White House Press Secretary Jay Carney said, the United States would continue consultations with Pakistan on the issue of war against terrorism, even though the two countries do not see an eye to eye on many issues.

Carney, reiterated at the moment the Obama administration has not seen any high-level government support to the Abbottabad safe hideout of Osama bin Laden, the Al Qaeda leader, who was killed in a covert American operation early this month.

The United States is "looking into what support network" Osama had "official" or otherwise, he said.

He hoped that Senator John Kerry, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, who is visiting Pakistan over the weekend would be able to continue with this process.

The White House works closely with Kerry, the spokesman said. Asserting that there is no change in the President's Af-Pak policy, Carney said the July drawdown of troops from Afghanistan is still on schedule, even though he hasn't received yet the recommendation from the commanders on the ground in this regard.

For America's national security interest, Carney said, it is vital that the United States maintains its co-operative relationship with Pakistan in the war against terrorism, despite the concerns the administration has with the fact that Osama bin Laden was able to find refuge inside Pakistan for so long.

Carney argued that cooperation from Pakistan in this war against terrorism has yielded a lot of good results for the United States.

Pakistan has been home to the largest number of terrorists captured in any part of the world. The White House thinks it's "important to keep the American people informed" on investigations in Pakistan after the killing of bin Laden, but he says intelligence matters are private. "Pakistan has been a vital partner in the fight against Al Qaeda," Carney said.

Carney had on Tuesday said that the US shares an "important and complicated relationship with Pakistan. We are working avidly with our Pakistani counterparts to continue the cooperation that we've had in the past."

"We are optimistic that that cooperation will continue with regards to the issues (like) ... access to bin Laden's wives and also to the materials that were collected by the Pakistanis after the US commandos left (the Abbotabad hideout of Al Qaeda chief), and of course on all the other issues that we need cooperation on with the Pakistanis," he said.