Somebody in Pakistan knew about the whereabouts of bin Laden and that he has been hiding in the country, said the Secretary of Defense Robert Gates in an interview on Wednesday.

He, however, said that he has seen pieces of evidence that clears the country’s senior leaders of the possible conspiracy. Gates said that senior leaders were unaware that bin Laden was hiding in a compound that is just a short distance from a military facility.

Gates and Administrator Mike Mullen, Joint Chiefs chairman, said that they should and will continue to work hand-in-hand with Pakistan; and the country will continue to receive aid from the United States. Despite the growing anger from the Pakistani people, both men still insisted that Islamabad device a concrete action against militants and the elimination of their hiding places.

When asked regarding the pressure from the congress to hold back all monetary and military aid in Pakistan until they fight against militants in its borders, Gates said that Islamabad is already suffering the consequences of their inaction.

Mullen also added that the image, skills, and credibility of the Pakistan military is now in question all over the world due to the successful U.S. raid against bin Laden. All these happened without the knowledge of Pakistani leaders and they are deeply humiliated because of that.

The Pentagon is currently receiving extreme pressure from the congress to find out if Pakistan covered up for bin Laden or if they were just plain innocent that the terrorist leader was among their midst. Mullen and Gates said that it will definitely take a while before they can confirm if bin Laden had protectors from the Pakistani government. The U.S. intelligence is in the process of reviewing and analyzing computer data and other materials seized during operation “Geronimo”.