Leaked documents claim 'Osama was in routine contact with ISI officials in Abbottabad'

London, Feb 28 (ANI): Osama bin Laden was in routine contact with senior members of Pakistan's spy agency while hiding in his Abbottabad-safe house, secret intelligence documents have revealed.

E-mails from the private US security firm, Stratfor, which were published by WikiLeaks, revealed that up to 12 officials in Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency knew of the Al-Qaeda leader's safe house.

The internal email did not name the Pakistani officials involved, but said the US could use the information as a bargaining chip in post raid negotiations with Islamabad, The Telegraph reports.

"Mid to senior level ISI and Pak Mil with one retired Pak Mil General that had knowledge of the OBL arrangements and safehouse," the email said.

Stratfor provides analysis of world affairs to major corporations, military officials and government agencies and was once likened by an American business magazine to a "shadow CIA".

According to one of the e-mails, the firm was shown the information papers collected from Osama's Abbotabad compound.

American officials have always maintained that it was impossible for the ISI not to have known that Osama was sheltering in a town so close to Islamabad.

Pakistan has, however, repeatedly dismissed the charge. (ANI)