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Can the US do anything to help the Pakistani doctor sentenced to 33 years in prison for his help in capturing Usama bin Laden?
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It's pay -- that's what one Pakistani government official is calling the 33 year prison sentence for the Doctor Who helped the CIA track down Osama bin Laden.
The pack a city doctor was convicted of treason for helping the US and now some US lawmakers want to know if the Obama administration blew his cover.
Former UN ambassador Donald joins us tonight ambassador.
Who -- will this mean it's cover do we know.
Well I think there's certainly evidence going back almost six months now that the administration confirmed the use said the DNA program.
Through look Pakistani physician to verify.
With a high degree of certainty that.
That in fact.
Osama bin Laden is in that compound because they knew decision makers had to have assurance that that going after it would make sense.
So it's it just the basic matter of planning for an operation like that that you worry about your assets on the ground it was much more complicated than.
Just navy seal team six although their role was obviously pivotal.
And I think what this reflects is is poor planning going back to the very beginning of the operation not to be out -- protect this position -- tech.
-- of state Hillary Clinton is publicly said that we will continue the US we'll continue to put pressure on Islamabad about this particular sentence about this particular doctor but is there anything we.
Actually can do a -- senate has voted to you know -- -- 33 million dollars in aid to Pakistan.
Is that gonna make any difference is there anything that we can do to assist this doctor now.
Well I'm not sure that I would say at this point we ought to be cutting funding although in a kind of good cop bad cop way having the senate take this action.
Could strengthen.
The executive branch is handed dealing with -- down.
But -- -- -- look we're on that -- in the downhill slow a slope here because that the sentences already been.
Made and it's more difficult now for Pakistan to back -- but this is utterly unacceptable and in this very difficult relationship.
That we have with pocket style we really need to bear down on this because the consequences extend far beyond.
This one individual worthy Osama bin Laden raid people all over the world who help us or might help us in clandestine operations.
Always want assurances they're gonna be protected him when when they see we can't protect somebody who gave -- absolutely critical information.
It's got -- inhibit our ability to conduct clandestine operations worldwide.
And how.
Further does this complicate the relationship that's already tenuous between the US and Pakistan we've -- issues with the NATO supply route.
They are waiting for an apology for US airstrike that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers and -- so many things of the last couple of years.
That have really ratcheted up the tension much more than the cooperation it seems like.
Well we've seen a deteriorating relationship for some time and I know many Americans say why -- put up with this one but we just cut off all the aid.
And it and talent to take a hike.
And and I recognize how -- that is because this sort of behavior on their part imprisoning this doctor.
Israeli outrageous the difficulty for the United States.
Is that if we if we throw Pakistan under the bus.
And radicals take control they will have control of Pakistan's nuclear weapons and that is a threat that is in effect Iran on steroids right now so.
I think it's gotta be the subject of intense diplomacy I think the president needs to be more involved it can be behind the scenes.
But he he needs to be more involved we need to get others involved to help us out this is too important -- country to to conduct diplomacy.
Just through irritation.
And I want to ask you about Iran today as well and were coming of that the levels of enriched uranium there appear to be higher than ever before.
Suggesting that they're moving toward something that may not just be about car production might be something more -- along the lines of what would get them to being able to weaponized.
They say apparently that they accidentally.
Over upgraded or -- over enrich their uranium and there is plenty of skepticism I I would imagine your bit skeptical about that explanation.
Well it's it's hard to say we just we don't have enough information as to why it turned out to be at the 27%.
Level there's nothing magical about that level by the way.
And it could be there's a quote -- quote innocent explanation but let's let's not.
Let's not lose sight of the farce for this individual tree here there's absolutely no doubt.
There's no other way to explain the whole range of activity Iran is engaged in.
For twenty years if not more than that they're seeking a nuclear weapons capability and whether.
This is a glitch that they failed to conceal from the IAEA or not.
If they have the opportunity at some other facility.
That the IAEA in the United States don't know about you can bet they will trying to enrich to weapons grade levels that's the nature of the program and it hasn't changed through the recent negotiations.
It hasn't changed because of sanctions and isn't going to change either because Iran of this regime in Iran is determined to get nuclear weapons.
What do you make of the fact that the State Department send over at top negotiator to Israel today was supposed to be in -- -- -- sort of communicate to the Israelis that.
Despite the fact that it seems like these negotiations are really proceeding that well -- we still have Israel's back that we have their best interest at heart.
Do you think that we -- -- -- say that with confidence that we can convince the Israelis that we do.
Well I hope they can say it without breaking into laughter I don't think the Government of Israel believes that I don't believe that these negotiations are not gonna go anywhere the year -- -- Iran ends are using them as they have repeatedly used multiple.
Negotiations in the past ten years to bide time.
Two allow themselves to make more progress toward that deliverable nuclear weapons capability.
That the purpose of the visit to Israel as much as -- thing is to say we're making progress it may be invisible to the naked -- but we're making progress Israel.
Don't you even think about a preemptive military strike against Iran's program and I think Israel will disregard that look the Iran -- trying to split -- -- Away from the United States and the Europeans and given that.
Huge gap between Israel and the Obama administration.
That's not that hard to do.
Ambassador always good to.
