Washington: Pakistan`s arrest of several
people who tipped CIA before the US raid that killed Osama bin
Laden is a reflection of the realities of Thursday`s world, where
governments lie to each other and allies also spy, US Defence
Secretary Robert Gates has said.
"That`s the real world that we deal with," Gates told a
key Congressional committee yesterday during a hearing when
asked about reports of arrest of five people in Pakistan, but
he did not confirm the news.
Highlighting the growing impatience in Congress on the
lack of support from Pakistan in the US war on terrorism,
Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy grilled Gates during a
hearing, demanding: "How long do we support governments that
lie to us? When do we say enough is enough?"
"I would say based on 27 years in CIA and four-and-a-half
years in this job, most governments lie to each other. That`s
the way business gets done," Gates said in his response to the
question.
He said that even allies send spies here for espionage
purposes, and this is even true for those countries which
receive aid from the United States.
Pakistan`s top spy agency ISI has reportedly arrested
five CIA informants who supplied information to the CIA ahead
of the US operation that killed bin Laden.
One of those arrested was a Pakistani army major who,
officials said, copied licence plates of cars visiting the
al Qaeda leader`s compound in Abbottabat near Islamabad, The
New York Times said, citing officials.
PTI
