If captured, al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden or the outfit's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri would be sent to Guantanamo Bay terrorist detention centre, CIA Director Leon Panetta has said.
"We would probably move them quickly into military jurisdiction at Bagaram for questioning, and then eventually move them probably to Guantanamo," Panetta said in response to a question at a Congressional hearing.
However, another top Obama administration intelligence official was quick to note that there will be discussion on this issue when the two most wanted terrorists of the world are captured.
"If we were to capture either one of those two luminaries -- if I can use that term -- I think that that would probably be a matter of some interagency discussions as to, you know, what their ultimate disposition would be and whether they would be tried or not.
That I'm sure, if we did capture them, would be subject to some discussion," said James R Clapper, Director of National Intelligence.
At the White House, its new Press Secretary Jay Carney said the Obama administration is focused on capturing Osama bin Laden and it's also committed to the closure of the Guantanamo Bay.
"I’m not going speculate about what would happen if we were to capture Osama bin Laden. I can tell you that this government is very focused on bringing to justice the perpetrator of the attacks on 9/11. But beyond that, I wouldn’t speculate about what would happen," Carney said.
{{/usCountry}}"I’m not going speculate about what would happen if we were to capture Osama bin Laden. I can tell you that this government is very focused on bringing to justice the perpetrator of the attacks on 9/11. But beyond that, I wouldn’t speculate about what would happen," Carney said.
{{/usCountry}}"The President remains committed to closing Guantanamo," he said in response to a question at his first daily press conference.