In 2008, Pakistan's Former PM Claimed Osama Bin Laden Was Hiding at This Location
In 2008, former Pakistani Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani was informed by then-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice that Osama bin Laden might be hiding in Pakistan.
Bin Laden, the infamous terrorist leader, was later killed in Abbottabad, Pakistan by US Navy Seals on May 2, 2011. Gilani, serving as Prime Minister from 2008 to 2012, initially dismissed Rice's claim as disinformation.
Rice, an American educator and politician, visited Pakistan four times during her tenure and met with Gilani following the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
As a seasoned member of the Pakistan Peoples Party and a senator since 2021, Gilani saw the discovery of bin Laden in Pakistan as a global intelligence failure.
He stated that had the US provided evidence of bin Laden's location, Pakistan would have cooperated, as the country had already suffered heavy casualties and financial losses in the fight against terrorism.
He also defended Pakistan's stance in his National Assembly speech, stating that bin Laden was not Pakistani and that the aim was to deflect international media attention. When questioned about the intelligence briefings he received, Gilani claimed they were thorough and clear.
Rice, an American educator and politician, visited Pakistan four times during her tenure and met with Gilani following the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
As a seasoned member of the Pakistan Peoples Party and a senator since 2021, Gilani saw the discovery of bin Laden in Pakistan as a global intelligence failure.
He stated that had the US provided evidence of bin Laden's location, Pakistan would have cooperated, as the country had already suffered heavy casualties and financial losses in the fight against terrorism.
He also defended Pakistan's stance in his National Assembly speech, stating that bin Laden was not Pakistani and that the aim was to deflect international media attention. When questioned about the intelligence briefings he received, Gilani claimed they were thorough and clear.
