Shakil Afridi, Pakistani Doctor, Provided Key Information To U.S. In Advance Of Bin Laden Raid: Defense Secretary

In this Jan. 5, 2012 file photo, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta speaks at the Pentagon. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais, File)

WASHINGTON -- Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is acknowledging publicly for the first time that a Pakistani doctor provided key information to the U.S. in advance of the successful Navy SEAL assault on Osama bin Laden's compound last May.

Panetta told CBS's "60 Minutes," in a profile to be broadcast on Sunday, that Shakil Afridi helped provide intelligence for the raid on bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Afridi ran a vaccination program for the CIA to collect DNA and verify bin Laden's presence in the compound. He has since been charged by Pakistan with treason. Panetta said he is "very concerned" for the doctor.

Panetta also told "60 Minutes" that he remains convinced that someone in the Pakistani government "must have had some sense" that a person of interest was in the compound. He added that he has no proof that Pakistan knew it was bin Laden.

The Pakistani government had hoped to resolve the Afridi matter quietly, once media attention died down, perhaps releasing him to U.S. custody, according to two Pakistani officials. They requested anonymity because the investigation into charges the doctor behaved treasonously was ongoing.

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AP Intelligence Writer Kimberly Dozier contributed to this report.

Comments

[Justinj30064]

12:34 PM on 06/22/2012

Whatever happened to no man left behind? As far as im concerned Afridi is an american hero. We owe it to him to give this matter the same sense of urgency and loyalty as if it were one of the members of the Seal team itself that were imprisoned.

[wowme]

02:21 PM on 01/30/2012

You mean to tell me a muslim helped us capture bin laden????

[sophie M]

02:05 PM on 01/30/2012

Bottom line is.....(cynic that i am.....after Bush and Cheney).....
had the mission failed, we would never have been advised, what the mission was..
We would have heard .".however many soldiers were killed today in a mission.".

[sophie M]

01:59 PM on 01/30/2012

glad the Physician... advised us of his suspicion.
the cia and fbi......really have been remiss.
what a slam.

[nete peedham]

01:19 PM on 01/30/2012

Well done, Panetta, you loud-mouthed schnook!

[intellifran]

12:22 PM on 01/30/2012

The Pakistani government already knew the doctor helped the US. The investigation happened prior to Panetta's speech. I don't know why everyone is so angry about this "revelation" by Panetta. It's not really a revelation at all.

[simonbugatti]

05:15 AM on 01/30/2012

Isn't Panetta signing the poor doctor's death warrant by 'outing' him?
The man should be freed and given a new identity, preferably at Panetta's personal expense, preferably in an Islamist-sparse location like Hawaii.

[EcnelisDoogod]

07:16 PM on 01/29/2012

I find it curious that there are no comments questioning the actual capture and subsequent killing of OBL. Conflicting reports as to what happened; Body buried at sea; No photos released; No autopsy; No trial; Large portion of Seal Team 6 killed in a helicopter crash shortly thereafter;
I find it difficult to believe that no one else shares my skepticism.

[intellifran]

12:21 PM on 01/30/2012

That's because your "skepticism is actually lunacy and not real.

[SylviaS]

06:04 PM on 01/29/2012

WTF?? A citizen helps the US and what thanks does he get. The secretary of defense actually calls him by name, describes his specific role, and effecttively signs his death warrant.. What the hell is wrong with the intelligence community?

[sonja121733]

04:55 PM on 01/29/2012

gee here i thought BO gave them the where abouts . Lets give the DR the credit

[blurredmolly]

07:18 PM on 01/29/2012

the DR didn't make the call. this is all Obama's. he owns it.

[omobob]

04:16 PM on 01/29/2012

> Defense Secretary Leon Panetta is acknowledging publicly for the first time that a Pakistani doctor provided key information to the U.S. in advance of the successful Navy SEAL assault on Osama bin Laden's compound last May.

And without the need for water boarding...er...ah....enhanced interrogation ......ah.....mmmmm.....redaction.......or.........eh..............torture. Imagine that.

[MyTake]

01:31 PM on 01/29/2012

Gee, a seal raid on the night of the SoU speech...now this revelation.

Is this designed to do poll "bump-ups" in an election year?

This could have been released on the same day that OBL was supposedly dumped in the ocean as that Doctor and his family could have been safely removed from Pakistan back then.

Never put a ex-lawyer in charge of a Government Ministry, my pappy always used to say!

[blurredmolly]

07:19 PM on 01/29/2012

the President's foreign policy has been stellar. you can just take it off the table.

[fairness6]

12:07 PM on 01/29/2012

If the congress of the United States releases to Pakistan the $2 Billions of US aid that it is withholding the Doctor and his enitre extended family will be flown to Kabul to be in the custody of the United States the next day. Money talks.

[PhantomShadow]

10:50 AM on 01/29/2012

"The Pakistani government had hoped to resolve the Afridi matter quietly, once media attention died down, perhaps releasing him to U.S. custody, according to two Pakistani officials."

Good job on helping in that regard, Mr. Panetta.

[jack Winn]

11:38 AM on 01/29/2012

Sure they did. All they had to do was tell the State Dept. But somehow they didn't.

[ralle]

06:03 PM on 01/29/2012

You can be assured Mr. Panetta has an ulterior motive for speaking out at this time.

[JADEONA]

09:21 AM on 01/29/2012

How stupid to leak his name..Do you have him and all his family in protective custody??

[clearasmud]

10:00 AM on 01/29/2012

Reread. Practice comprehension.

[fairness6]

12:09 PM on 01/29/2012

I think it is you that has to "Practice comprehension" and open your mind for new ideas.