Cameron voices Pakistan fears

This was also illustrated by David Cameron’s sober language, reflecting the measured tones of President Barack Obama. It also saw an introspective Prime Minister reflect on the controversy caused by his remarks when he accused Pakistan – where bin Laden was discovered – of looking both ways in the global fight against extremism. He was right and, perhaps, should not have apologised, later, for any slight caused.

For, as Mr Cameron told the House of Commons yesterday, al-Qaida’s leader will have required an extensive support network, thereby casting further doubt on Pakistan’s claims that it had no knowledge of bin Laden’s presence in a compound in one of the troubled country’s most secure cities because of its connections with the military.

Yet he also accepted that Pakistan is pivotal to suppressing jihadists, hence the need for Britain, the United States and others to express their misgivings through diplomatic channels. In short, it would be remiss to alienate Pakistan – given both its instability and its emergence as a nuclear force.

It should also be remembered, as Mr Cameron said, that Pakistan has suffered grievous losses because of bin Laden’s acolytes – 30,000 innocent civilians have been killed because of al-Qaida’s murderous activities that have involved the mass murder of Muslims.

Though they loathed each other, there was also a common thread between bin Laden and Libya’s dictator, Colonel Gaddafi, whose tyranny is causing so much angst. Both reviled the prospect of the Arab world embracing democracy and human rights.

Now the threat posed by al-Qaida’s leader has been eliminated, the challenge for Mr Cameron and President Obama is to show that Britain and America remain positive forces of influence with leadership that is assured and forceful, but does not use the inflammatory language that proved counter-productive in the past.