Pakistan military breaks silence, admits 'shortcomings'

Pakistan's military today admitted to intelligence "shortcomings" in pinpointing al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's location and ordered an investigation.

Pakistan's military on Thursday admitted to intelligence "shortcomings" in pinpointing al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden's location and ordered an investigation.

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The acknowledgement came after the Army Chief of Staff General Ashfaq Kayani, convened a meeting of corps commanders on the fourth day, after US commandos tracked down and killed bin Laden in the Pakistani town of Abbottabad.

"While admitting own shortcomings" in developing intelligence on bin Laden's whereabouts, the meeting said "achievements" by military intelligence against al Qaeda and other terror groups were without parallel.

In the bin Laden case, the military said the CIA developed intelligence based on initial information provided by Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) agency, but did not share further developments with the Pakistanis.

It said an investigation had been ordered into the circumstances that led to the intelligence breakdown.