South Asia News

Britain's Cameron: Pakistan has questions to answer over bin Laden

May 3, 2011, 15:08 GMT

London - Pakistan has 'lots of questions' to answer related to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, British Prime Minister David Cameron said Tuesday, but warned against a row with the South Asian country's leadership.

Bin Laden was killed early Monday by US special forces in Pakistan. The mission was 'justified, lawful and right,' Cameron told BBC Radio 5.

'There are lots of questions that need to be asked. And we should be tough in asking those questions,' Cameron said.

'But we should deal with what we do know. And we do know that the Pakistan political leadership is fighting terrorism, we do know that country has suffered.

Cameron said it was in Britain's national interest to work with those in Pakistan 'that want us to combat terrorism and extremism and make democracy take hold in that country.'

'We could go down the other route of just having a flaming great row with Pakistan over this. I think that would achieve nothing.'

Bin Laden was shot dead on Monday during a raid by a small team of elite US commandos in a compound in Pakistan. His death marked the end of an intense manhunt since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Cameron said he had 'a hunch' that bin Laden had been killed when he was woken up at 3 am to take a terrorism-related call from US President Barack Obama.

'It is not every day that you are awoken in the middle of the night by the president of the United States of America,' he told the BBC.

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