Levin: "They have a lot of explaining to do."

Bin Laden's "hideout" in Abbottabad, Pakistan -- National Geographic

Since the new of his death broke last night, some members of Congress have wondered aloud about the possibility that Osama bin Laden received protection from the Pakistani military.

Senator Carl Levin, chair of the Senate Armed Services Committee, suggested to reporters this morning that he thought the Pakistani military was aware that bin Laden was in Abbottabad—a town that serves as a garrison for Pakistani soldiers. Politico reports that Senators Collins and Lieberman, both of the SASC, joined Levin in raising such concerns.

Collins said that it was ‘very difficult’ for her to understand how bin Laden’s compound did not raise suspicions among Pakistani officials, noting that there were no phone or Internet lines attached to the residence, the waste was incinerated and that there was barbed wire surrounding the unit.

Because Congress appropriates foreign aid to Pakistan, including funding for anti-terror operations, these questions are appropriate. According to an article by National Geographic, the town of 120,000 is home to thousands of stationed Pakistani troops.

Senator Levin said this morning: “They have a lot of explaining to do.”