thank you for that reclarification. and i appreciate it. i'd just like to make a notation on my original point about the azors. there's a base there that is of strategic importance to us. it's really more appropriate to bring up with the secretary of defense. but i'll share it since i have this opportunity today. our base at trasada in the azors is critical and is being -- the totality of the things that are coming to pass, the potential closing of punta del gada and the visa situation is having a view within that sphere of -- that we don't care any longer. i raise the issues in combination because i think it will strain relations. >> thank you so much, mr. cardoza. >> mr. mccaul? >> recently i led a delegation to pakistan, afghanistan and iraq. it was very, very interesting. we had a sit-down meeting with president zardari. a very frank discussion. he looked at us in the eye and said that he had no knowledge that bin laden was in his country. but we do know it's probably likely that lower level officials knew of his presence in pakistan. t