Brussels: The US operation in which al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden was killed in Pakistan was "justified", NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen has said.
"The bottom line here is that the founder of al Qaeda has been responsible for the death of thousands of innocent people, and I think it was justified to carry out this operation against him," Rasmussen said at a news briefing in Brussels.
"And I do hope that this very successful operation will lead to undermining one of the world`s most dangerous terrorist networks, and I think that is what counts for a huge majority of people across the globe."
NATO`s chief urged Pakistan on Wednesday to make progress in the battle against terrorism and said the US commando operation that killed Osama bin Laden near Islamabad was justified.
"We have encouraged the Pakistani authorities to reinforce the fight against terrorists and extremists, in particular in the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region," Rasmussen told a news conference.
Rasmussen said bin Laden`s killing would not change NATO`s Afghan mission or the transition timetable.
Bin Laden was shot dead by US special forces during a 40-minute raid at his fortified mansion in the Pakistani city of Abbottabad, north of Islamabad.
IANS
