Elements in Pakistani admin know where Osama is: Clinton

Washington: Having let loose a broadside over the weekend warning of severe consequences should any involvement between elements in the Pakistani establishment and Taliban or al Qaeda-linked terrorist operations against the United States emerge, secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton has now tightened the screws further by stating that there are elements in the Pakistani establishment who are well informed about the fugitive al-Qaida and Taliban leadership than they let on.

"Some Pakistani officials were more informed about al-Qaida and Taliban than they let on", Clinton has said.

"I'm not saying that they're at the highest levels but I believe that somewhere in this government are people who know where Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida is, where Mullah Omar and the leadership of the Afghan Taliban is and we expect more cooperation to help us bring to justice, capture or kill, those who attacked us on 9/11," Clinton told CBS in an interview.

US officials have laid the blame for the recent botched Times Square bombing plot squarely at the Pakistani Taliban's door. Their indictment has come even as Pakistani officials, at least initially, were eager to deny any connection between Pakistan-based terrorist organisations and the Times Square incident where Faisal Shahzad, a Pakistan-origin individual who is also a naturalised American citizen, failed in his attempt to set off a car bomb.

Though the incident caused more scare than any real damage it did draw out what may be considered as an unprecedented warning from the US for Pakistan. In a blunt warning Clinton warned of dire consequences should any connection between the bomber and groups operating from Pakistani soil emerge.

The nature of the consequences that could result remained unspecified.