US Pressures Pakistan for Access After Bin Laden Death

 Relations Between Two Nations Continue to Sour

by Jason Ditz, May 08, 2011

Even though National Security Adviser Tom Donilon confirmed that the US has absolutely no evidence Pakistan new about Osama bin Laden’s hiding place in Abbottabad before last weekend’s raid, a number of top administration officials, including Donilon, are adding to the demands made to the Pakistani government.

Among the new demands are that the Pakistani government allow US investigators full access to three of bin Laden’s widows. They are also demanding access to all materials removed by Pakistani forces after the raid on bin Laden’s home.

Pakistan has denied having any information on bin Laden before the raid, and Donilon’s comments suggest that the US, despite a solid week of investigation, has been unable to prove otherwise. The two nations were already at odds over the high-profile detention of a CIA agent, Raymond Davis, over a double murder in Lahore.

But since the bin Laden death the situation seems to be getting much worse, and at an alarming rate. Pakistani media outlets have even named a top CIA official in Islamabad, which officials believe is a Pakistani government attempt to “out” the official. Pakistan has demanded that the US remove large numbers of spies, as well as troops, from the nation.