US Needs To Continue Aid To Pakistan, Says Robert Gates

US Needs To Continue Aid To Pakistan, Says Robert Gates

WASHINGTON:  May 18, 2011

Robert Gate, US Defense Secretary said that US needed to continue assistance to Pakistan as it is significant for US interest. He said he did not find any evidence that Islamabad knew about the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden before the US operation in Abbottabad, news reports said.

Gate appeared before the lawmakers on Wednesday and tried to convince them against cutting off assistance

to Pakistan over war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban.

The Defense Secretary said “I think we have to proceed with some caution,” Gates said. “We do have significant interest in Pakistan. My own view is we need to continue the assistance that we have provided that benefits the Pakistani people.”

Explaining  whether Pakistani authorities knew about the presence of OBL in Pakistan before the US operation in which he was killed this month, Gates said, “I’ve seen no evidence at all” to support that notion and that “I’ve seen some evidence on the contrary.”