A cellphone of Osama bin Laden's trusted courier found in the unilateral U.S. raid in Abbottabad last month that killed the al-Qaeda leader contained contacts to a militant group that allegedly has ties to Pakistan's intelligence agency..
Citing unnamed senior U.S. officials briefed on the findings, the a newspaper reported that the discovery indicated that bin Laden used the group, Harakat-ul-Mujahedeen, as part of his support network inside Pakistan.
The cell phone belonged to bin Laden's courier, who was killed along with the al Qaeda leader in the May 2 raid by U.S. special forces on bin Laden's compound.
A CIA spokeswoman had no immediate comment on the report.
In tracing calls on the cell phone, U.S. analysts determined that Harakat commanders had called Pakistani intelligence officials, it was reported, citing the senior American officials.
The officials added the contacts were not necessarily about bin Laden and his protection and that there was no "smoking gun" showing that Pakistan's spy agency had protected bin Laden, it was said in the report.
In the reported that quoted one of the officials as saying the cell phone analysis was a "serious lead" in the hunt for answers about how bin Laden managed to evade notice by Pakistan's spy agency or military for years in the town. “It’s a serious lead,” one American official, who has been briefed in broad terms on the cellphone analysis, was quoted as saying. “It’s an avenue we’re investigating.”
Quoted analysts familiar with Harakat as saying it had deep roots in the area around Abbottabad. Its leaders have strong ties with both al Qaeda and Pakistani intelligence., it was reported.
“It’s a serious lead,” said one American official, who has been briefed in broad terms on the cellphone analysis. “It’s an avenue we’re investigating.”
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