COMING CLEAN

Official: Osama Aided in Pakistan

By operatives who previously fought alongside him.

A senior official in Pakistan's civilian government has revealed that the U.S. has been waiting for: "Elements of Pakistan intelligence—probably rogue or retired -- were involved in aiding, abetting and sheltering the leader of al Qaeda," he told ABC News. Given the five years that bin Laden lived in Abbottabad, and the two years prior when he reportedly lived in the city of Haripur, the official admitted it would have been impossible for him to do so without help from mid-level Pakistani intelligence operatives. He said these officials grew up fighting the Soviets alongside bin Laden in Afghanistan. The announcement came after the Obama administration demanded identifies of top intelligence agents in Pakistan, in order to make sure the country was truly committed to fighting bin Laden's Pakistani supporters. In spite of escalating tensions between the two countries, Obama's National Security Advisor Tom Donilon told ABC that Pakistan has been an "essential partner" in the war against al Qaeda and terrorism and concluded "that really can't be dismissed."