“As early as 2005, [Pakistani] President Pervez Musharraf had frequently said–without providing any evidence–that Bin Laden was dead and that looking for him was no longer a high priority for Pakistan. That same year [July 25, 2005], he had arrogantly berated British prime minister Tony Blair, telling him that Pakistan had ‘completely shattered Al Qaeda’s vertical and horizontal links’ and that ‘it is absolutely baseless to say that Al Qaeda has its headquarters in Pakistan.’ ”
– Ahmed Rashid, Pakistan on the Brink, Page 6