Envoy explains Pakistans stance, Obama honours Sept 11 victimsUNITED States (U.S.) officials have started combing through computer hard drives, mobile phones and other items found during the U.S. Navy Seals raid on the compound in Abbottabad where Bin Laden was living.The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) yesterday quoted U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder as saying that Washington was expected to add more names to its terrorism watch-list as a result of data seized in the raid.And in a symbolic tribute to victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack, Obama yesterday laid a wreath at the site of the collapsed Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York.The event was the height of a New York visit in the wake of the U.S. commando raid in Pakistan that killed bin Laden.Obama had invited former President George Bush to join him during the visit, but the former declined, saying he wanted to remain out of limelight in retirement.Also, embarrassed that the Bin Ladens bubble burst in a manner that detracted from all previous intelligent work by Pakistani authorities, the countrys envoy to Nigeria Gen. Asif Duraiz Akhtar (rtd) disclosed yesterday that Pakistan was now putting some measures in place to ensure more leads were turned in that could result in the fight against terrorism and al-Qaeda in the days ahead.The 54-year-old Bin Laden - Americas most-wanted man - was buried at sea from a U.S. aircraft carrier, say U.S. officials.President Barack Obama, who monitored the progress of the raid from the White House, saw his approval rating jump 11 points to 57 per cent in a New York Times/CBS News poll on Wednesday.Some U.S. lawmakers are calling for billions of dollars in aid for Pakistan to be reduced or stopped altogether.In his first reaction to the Bin Ladens killing, Ambassador Akhtar told The Guardian and other journalists in Abuja that collaboration with nations in the fight against terrorism (including the United States and Nigeria) would continue despite the unfortunate blur.I want to say this for the avoidance of doubt that even now, collaboration in terms of intelligence sharing and on the broadest scale will always be there. It has always been and this would continue. It is in our own interest, just as yours and everybodys..., he said.The envoy lamented that a section of the media is trying to malign Pakistan in the aftermath of Bin Ladens killing despite the Asian country making the biggest sacrifice so far in the fight against terror.Pakistan is said to have 1,000 security checkpoints in the 2,500 kilometres border stretch with Afghanistan.Fielding a particular question bordering on perceived complicity by the Pakistani authorities, he said : We have lost about 35,000 citizens in the war against terror, also 5,000 soldiers including top officers. We feel most aggrieved... I do not accept it that Bin Laden has been in that house for four years. He could not have been there for more than a few days. As a most wanted fugitive, he moves from place to place at short spans. We will continue our collaboration. For now, we are putting bricks and bricks together. With the arrests made, this will lead to other leads and those will have to be put together. It will take some time but should yield the appropriate fruits in the days ahead.Giving further insights into the behind-the-scene happenings on the road to Bin Ladens killing, he said: Since the disaster of 9/11, Pakistan has been an ally in the war against terror, supporting NATO and giving clues and leads as we have a border with Afghanistan. That is how about 600 persons of al-Qaeda and those with links to that organisation had been arrested and handed over. This happened with Khalid Shiek Mohammed, and Abu Zubaida. That was how Libbi (another notorious al-Qaeda operative) was found. Pakistani authorities had pointed the way to the building and eventually he was caught 30 metres away from it....On what is happening now, he said: We have arrested a few people who were linked. Now the task is to find out who built it (house where Bin Laden was killed), we are working round this and others clues would be useful. We are working around the clock. This is embarrassing for us because Pakistani intelligence is about the best in the world.But Obama, who was accompanied by elected officials from the New York area during the visit, also laid a wreath at the foot of the Survivor Tree, which sustained damage during the attack but was freed from the rubble.Obama also visited a fire station that lost 15 firefighters during the attack. He also stopped by a lower Manhattan police station.This is a symbolic site of the extraordinary sacrifice that was made on that terrible day, the president said yesterday after shaking hands with firefighters at Engine 54, Ladder 4, Battalion 9.He told the firefighters: What happened on Sunday... sent a message around the world but also sent a message here back home that when we say we will never forget, we mean what we say.And our commitment to make sure that justice was done is something that transcends politics, transcends party... We are going to make sure that the perpetrators of that horrible act will see justice.After laying a wreath in memory of the nearly 3,000 victims, Obama spoke to relatives at the site.Meanwhile, the Pakistani military yesterday admitted shortcomings for failing to locate Bin Laden and has said it will launch an investigation.But it also warned it would review co-operation with the US if there were any more unilateral raids such as the one that killed Bin Laden.Thousands of people gathered at Ground Zero on Sunday night, waving flags and climbing street signs, as the news emerged that Bin Laden had been killed.Ground Zero is now a building site, with construction scheduled for completion in 2013.As well as several office towers, the area will also house the National September 11 Memorial & Museum, which comprises a museum, waterfalls and a park.
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