Panetta on bin Laden's hideout: Someone had to know

(CBS News) 

Defense Secretary Leon Panetta still believes someone in authority in Pakistan knew where the most wanted terrorist in the world was hiding. Bolstering his hunch, he tells Scott Pelley, were intelligence reports of Pakistani military helicopters passing over the compound in Abbottabad, where Navy Seals found and killed Osama bin Laden last year. Panetta also discusses the military budget, Iran and his new job heading up the U.S. military in a "60 Minutes" profile to be broadcast Sunday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. ET/PT.

"I personally have always felt that somebody must have had some sense of what-- what was happening at this compound. Don't forget, this compound had 18 foot walls....It was the largest compound in the area. So you would have thought that somebody would have asked the question, 'What the hell's going on there?'" Panetta tells Pelley.

Pakistan was not made aware of the U.S. raid on the compound. Panetta explains why. "We had seen some military helicopters actually going over this compound. And for that reason, it concerned us that, if we, in fact, brought [Pakistan] into it, that-- they might...give bin Laden a heads up."

Pressed by Pelley as to whether he knows for sure that the government of Pakistan knew where bin Laden was, he answers, "I don't have any hard evidence, so I can't say it for a fact. There's nothing that proves the case. But as I said, my personal view is that somebody somewhere probably had that knowledge," Panetta says.

Panetta also acknowledged that Shikal Afridi, the Pakistani doctor conducting health tests in the village in an effort to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence, was in fact working for the U.S. Afridi was arrested and charged with treason by the government of Pakistan. "I'm very concerned about what the Pakistanis did with this individual...who in fact helped provide intelligence that was very helpful with regards to this operation," says Panetta. "He was not in any way treasonous towards Pakistan...Pakistan and the United States have a common cause here against terrorism...and for them to take this kind of action against somebody who was helping to go after terrorism, I just think is a real mistake on their part," he tells Pelley. Watch an excerpt

[ladyjazzhaynes]

my comment is this The President of The United States Of America is President Obama, is it not enough that he is the most disrespected President that has ever taken office, but you start off 60 Minutes by saying Mr. Obama, your the MR. he is The President Of The United State and I know that a lot of people don't see him as there President but that is the office that he holds. Can you please say President Obama. Thank you,

[cynpribro]

To the correspondant that interviewed Pannetta: It is "President Obama to you, not "Mr.". I think he's earned it! Have some respect.

[stupa5]

Bush knew!

[Big-Daddy-Kahuna]

Knew what?

[skeezix06]

Panetta's looking for any excuse he can find to avoid budget cuts. Fact is we can't afford all these war toys when the economy is in such bad shape. Given the choice between cutting the Pentagon's budget and social security/medicare the Pentagon is out of luck as far as I'm concerned. Now if they want to make the CEOs that shipped the jobs overseas bring them all back I would be willing to revisit the idea of major cuts to the Pentagon's budget. Absent a return of our jobs, the Pentagon should take major, major cuts; at least 50%. More would be even better.

[NinthSt78]

I agree with him.

[robe59]

Oh come on!!! Everyone knew it. Musharraf was playing the U.S. like a puppet for years while raking in our aid money. We are stupid stupid stupid. Panetta is just another liar and major player in "The Game."

[marty martel]

For Panetta to keep repeating a lie that 'Pakistan and the US have a common cause here against terrorism' is itself a mistake.

Panetta knows very well that nobody forced Pakistani government to facilitate relocation of Osama bin Laden from Sudan to Afghanistan in 1996. Pakistan's democratic government chose to do so of its own free will at the time.

Previous US ambassador Anne Patterson to Pakistan, wrote in a secret review in 2009 that 'Pakistan's Army and ISI are covertly sponsoring four militant groups - Haqqani's HQN, Mullah Omar's QST, Al Qaeda and LeT - and will not abandon them for any amount of US money, diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks show.

Amb. Patterson had NO reason to mislead her own government and State Department.

The Pakistani parliament's joint session convened on 5/13/11 after Osama's killing and ended after adopting a unanimous resolution condemning the American raid on the Abbottabad compound in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed.

Pakistani parliamentarians did not appear to be bothered about Osama living in Abbottabad for the past five years and in other parts of the country since 9/11.

Osama bin Laden was a hero in Pakistan even prior to his death and remains one now as well.

How can Pakistan and US have common cause against terrorism when Pakistani Army/ISI are SPONSORING such terrorist outfits?

[Lerianis4]

Was it the government or a few 'rogue elements' in the government? That is the thing that I am raising an eyebrow at. People keep on assuming that "THE ENTIRE GOVERNMENT OF PAKISTAN HAD TO KNOW ABOUT THIS!"

Bleeping hardly. Osama could have been snuck into this backwater town and this compound (which had existed for a long time) without anyone but a handful of people's knowledge.

[kbbpll]

Lerianis - "this compound (which had existed for a long time)" - wrong, it was built specifically for him.

[Jesus_Loves_Children]

Sayings of a mad man!

"'What the hell's going on there?'Pressed by Pelley as to whether he knows for sure that the government of Pakistan knew where bin Laden was, Panetta answers, "I don't have any hard evidence, so I can't say it for a fact. There's nothing that proves the case. But as I said, my personal view is that somebody somewhere probably had that knowledge."

What really happened:

The United States used the rift between the Pakistani civil government and the army to make a pact with the President for the capture, sorry, the murder of Ben Laden by the wrongly utilized Navy Seals* The Secretary of Defense is in the chain of command and exercises command and control, subject only to the orders of the President, over all Department of Defense forces (the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps) and he is unaware of the debacle in Pakistan?

I find this offensive to our intelligence and ask that Panetta resign for lying to the American people and to the World.

*The Navy Seals should never again be used as Ninja Assassins.

[joe1022joe]

Lord have mercy! This writer doesn't think we should have killed Osama bin Laden. Is he nuts?

[Lerianis4]

Not necessarily. As we know from various people fleeing 'justice' in the United States for years, in an area as big as Pakistan, you can hide VERY well for a long time.

[smittyc]

Bin Laden was in a compound with 18 foot walls in Islambad. They were the highest walls in the entire city, and would draw any security forces attention. Our alliance with Pakistan is a hoax, they just want money. Their threat to an alliance with China is a joke, the Chinese would not give them a dime and China would use superior military and economic power to subdue them. A smart move by our government would be to pull out of Pakistan and Afghanistan and let them come begging. The Paks lied all the way to the bank. They know that once Bin Laden was finished America would be pulling out and the gravy train would be over. The Muslims are not fooling the American public and neither is the military or Obama. Currently Pakistan and Afghanistan are politics and nothing more. There is no threat.

[Lerianis4]

smittyc, no, they wouldn't draw any security forces attention. It could just have been a eccentric millionaire (yes, there are those even in Pakistan) who was overly concerned about protecting himself and his privacy.

[Riverjump]

"someone knew"... No kiddin. sheesh.