Washington, Sep 25 (DPA) Former US president Bill Clinton Sunday defended his role in hunting down Osama bin Laden, in reaction to criticism within his country that he did not do enough to capture the Al Qaeda leader.

In an interview on Fox News, Clinton said his administration had worked hard to have bin Laden eliminated.

Adding that he regretted these efforts had not succeeded, he said he had come nearest to doing so than anyone that followed him, a reference to the current Republican party administration of US President George W. Bush.

Bin Laden was not once an issue during the first eight months of the Bush administration, Clinton claimed.

Clinton alleged that the accusations against him were part of rightwing campaign of disinformation.

Members of the Democratic and Republican parties in the US have been trading accusations over who was ultimately responsible for not capturing bin Laden, the guiding light behind the Sep 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the US.

The issue has received new impetus due to a fictionalised television film based on perceived failures of Clinton's Democratic administration in the hunt for bin Laden.