Lahore: US intelligence officials have said that al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was most likely hiding in Chitral in Northern Pakistan and not living in a cave, but comfortably in a house, possibly with a family and no more than two bodyguards.
An official said the intelligence's assumption was based in part from trees peculiar to the mountainous region that could be seen in a video footage dating back to 2003.
Another factor taken into account was the length of time it took for bin Laden's audiotapes to make their way to news channels like Al-Jazeera when he comments on important events.
The 2003 video tape took three weeks to reach TV screens around the world, the Daily Times quoted an intelligence officials as saying on conditions of anonymity.
Michael Scheuer, who headed the CIA's bin Laden unit from 1996-1999, told CNN that there was every possibility of bin Laden hiding in Pakistan and the US would have to be extremely lucky to either capture or kill him.
Gary Berntsen, who led a CIA paramilitary unit pursuing bin Laden shortly after the 9/11 WTC attacks said Pakistan was a country bin Laden knew well and would feel most at ease all the time.
The fact that Pakistan was a country where the US military did not have any presence also worked to his advantage.
“He felt at home there and enjoyed popular support. It’s also a country where the US military is not welcome. It’s likely that he’s in Pakistan,” he said.
“There are Pakistanis who remember bin Laden’s work from the 1980s, when he set up what is known as the Services Bureau in Peshawar to help refugees fleeing Soviets in Afghanistan. They have as a custom of not turning in individuals. He has sought refuge among them,” he added.
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