Friday, March 09, 2007

In pursuit of bin Laden

THE TELEGRAPH: America is stepping up its hunt for Osama bin Laden by dispatching additional CIA operatives and paramilitary officers to Pakistan to kill or capture the al-Qa'eda leader.

US officials said that the mission is intended to intensify the pressure on the terrorist leader, who turns 50 tomorrow, and perhaps force him into making a mistake. He is widely believed to be hiding in the region bordering Afghanistan.

Satellite photographs and details of communications intercepts were given to President Musharraf of Pakistan last week by Stephen Kappes, deputy director of the CIA, as part of a strategy to persuade him to give US intelligence agencies more assistance.

Mr Kappes, a Middle East specialist who has served in Pakistan, travelled to Islamabad to brief Gen Musharraf along with Vice President Dick Cheney. His detailed presentation showed evidence of al-Qa'eda building its strength on Pakistani soil.

"Reports that the trail has gone stone cold are not correct," an American official said afterwards. "We are very much increasing our efforts there." US sends spies into Pakistan to kill bin Laden by Toby Harnden and Thomas Coghlan

Mark Alexander

2 comments:

mirrorman said...

I saw OBL hiding behind a rock when I was looking at GoogleMaps.
Then I thought saw him 3 months later disguised as a cook in Rochdale.
A friend told me he was working in the council-tax-benefit office where they lived, someone else told me he had been seen at Heathrow airport, but that turned out to be a baggage handler.
I think he could be the guy working down the chip-shop disguised as Elvis, though.

mirrorman said...

PS. if it is the guy at the chip-shop, is the reward still $20 miliion, or has it gone up with inflation?