Afghan officials say Pakistan should have known bin Laden was there

A satellie image shows the compound that Osama bin Laden was killed in, in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Credit: Reuters/DigitalGlobe

(Reuters) - Pakistan's spy agency should have known Osama bin Laden was hiding not far from its capital, Afghan officials said on Wednesday, the first direct comments from Kabul about its neighbor's apparent inability to track the al Qaeda leader.

The case also raised questions about Pakistan's ability to protect its nuclear weapons adequately, said Afghan Defense Ministry spokesman Zaher Azimy.

Bin Laden, the architect of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was killed by a U.S. strike team in a military garrison town about 60 km (35 miles) north of Islamabad on Monday.

U.S. legislators have demanded a review of aid to Pakistan after the disclosure that bin Laden could have been living in the house, which is not far from Pakistan's main military academy, for five or six years.

"When we talk about the location of the house and a military academy nearby ... at the very least it should be known about the activities inside the house and who is living there," Azimy told a news conference.

"If Pakistan's spy agency was not aware of the house near the academy, it brings the agency under question. If I was a security analyst, I would raise these very important questions."

Afghan and U.S. officials have expressed concern that bin Laden's killing might cause a short-term spike in violence as militants make retaliatory attacks.

But there has been no major violence in Afghanistan since Monday, although at least two rocket attacks were reported in and around the capital, Kabul, overnight. There were no major casualties, officials said.