Global Security Newswire, 11 May 2010.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said she believes that some Pakistani officials know the whereabouts of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, in what was one of the strongest accusations of supporting terrorism that the United States has ever issued to its South Asian ally, the Times of India reported today

Clinton's comments seemed aimed at Islamabad's military and intelligence sectors rather than the civilian government, according to the newspaper.

''I am not saying they are at the highest level ... but I believe somewhere in this government are people who know where Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda and where [Taliban leader] Mullah Omar and the leadership of the Taliban are," Clinton said in a "60 Minutes" interview. '"We expect more cooperation [from Islamabad] to help us bring to justice capture or kill those who brought us 9/11."

On the run following the invasion of Afghanistan, Bin Laden is thought to have found refuge in Pakistan's Waziristan region.

Earlier this week, Obama officials accused the Pakistani-based Tehrik-e-Taliban of being behind the failed Times Square terrorist bomb plot in New York City.

"This is the threat we share," Clinton said in comments directed toward the Pakistani government. "We have a common enemy ... there is no time to waste ... go as fast and hard as we can."

"We cannot tolerate having people encouraged, directed, trained and sent from Pakistan to attack us," she added.

Despite assertions by Washington that the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attempted bombing not many experts believe the Pakistani army would move quickly to target extremists' camps in North Waziristan, the Associated Press reported.

"I don't think the timing of this operation will be dictated by American pressure," Islamabad-based defense expert Riffat Hussain said. "You will find an intensification of the search and destroy operations and deepening intelligence coordination to get hold of the people linked to the Pakistani Taliban, especially people who are part of the network that sponsored [accused bomber] Faisal Shahzad"

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