US official rejects ISI claim of helping locate Bin Laden's hideout in Abbottabad

Islamabad, Apr 28(ANI): A U.S. official has disputed the Inter-Services Intelligence claim that it deserves credit for helping intelligence officials locate the Abbottabad hideout, where former al-Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden was killed by NavySeals on May 2, 2011

"The fact is our knowledge of the number didn't come from them telling us about it," The Washington Post quoted an official, as saying on the condition of anonymity.

His comments came after two ISI officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, claimed to have aided U.S. intelligence officials to locate Bin Laden's hideout.

"The lead and the information actually came from us," a senior Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) official had said.

He also claimed new ISI chief Lieutenant General Zaheer ul-Islam is taking "proactive" steps to improve the international image of the battered intelligence service.

"Any hit on al-Qaeda anywhere in the world has happened with our help," the official said.

Another official had claimed the ISI provided the CIA with a cellphone number that eventually led to an al-Qaeda courier using the nom de guerre Abu Ahmed al-Kuwaiti.

The ISI said that it did not know then that the number was Kuwaiti's, but added that CIA analysts did and yet never relayed that information back to the Pakistanis.

"They knew who the number belonged to," the official said, adding that he had worked closely with the CIA and turned over thousands of suspect numbers.

"But after that, their cooperation with us ended," the official added.

The claim comes in the wake of Pak- US ties being plagued by deep official mistrust especially after the deadly November 26 NATO airstrike. (ANI)