The Hill News

Lawmakers should not rush to judgment on Pakistan’s knowledge of Osama bin Laden's whereabouts, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said.

In an interview with The Hill on Tuesday, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) called the U.S. relationship with Pakistan complicated and said lawmakers should not accuse its government of knowing bin Laden was hiding there â€" without proof.

Rogers said U.S. relations with Pakistan, which has received billions in American aid for the fight against terrorism, aren't perfect but are vital nonetheless.

"We've got to have some kind of a relationship, so if you're going to say they knew about it, you better be able to back up that accusation," Rogers said.

Lawmakers and administration officials have questioned how much Pakistani military and intelligence officials knew about bin Laden's whereabouts, given that the compound where he was found and killed was some 30 miles from the capital of Is! lamabad.

John Brennan, Obama's chief counterterrorism adviser, recently described bin Laden as having been hiding there "in plain sight."

Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, contended Tuesday that someone in Pakistan's intelligence community or military "had to know" bin Laden was there.