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Posted on 12/24/2001 4:58:32 AM PST by JohnHuang2

Oussama Ben Laden could have died (coalition)

Monday December 24, 2001 - 13h18 GMT

ISLAMABAD, 24 déc (AFP) - Oussama Ben Laden could have died of the continuations of the intense American bombardments with Tora Bora, in the east of Afghanistan, estimated Monday at Islamabad the spokesman of the coalition carried out by the United States.

The Pakistani president had held the same type of matter the day before at the time of a visit in China. "Oussama Ben Laden perhaps died. Because of all the operations (military) which were carried out, the bombardments of all these caves, there is a great possibility that it lost the life there ", had affirmed the General Pervez Musharraf.

"There was a very intense bombardment campaign in the area where it was seen for the last time, where it was supposed to be, and it would not surprise anybody that he was taken in this countryside" has, for its part, declared Kenton Keith with the journalists.

Kenton Keith however conceded "simply not to know" where the millionaire of origin saoudienne is, principal suspect of the attacks of September 11 in the United States.

The forces of the coalition and the local militia Afghan "will continue to excavate the caves and the galleries" of the mountainous areas of the east of Afghanistan to its research, it declared.

The American planes and the Afghan local forces rammed the area of Tora Bora two weeks lasting in their tracking of Oussama Ben Laden and his partisans of network Al-Qaïda.

The local commanders had shouted victory on December 16, estimating that the area "had been cleaned" of any presence of Al-Qaïda. But the American operations, in particular implying American special forces which carried out rakings of the sector, continued more than one week later.

At the same time, the Pakistani authorities announced tens of Arab arrests and other foreigners in the Pakistani area close to Parachinar, in the valley of Teera, natural prolongation of the area of the white Mountains where Tora Bora is located.

A many speculations also gave a report on the possible escape of Oussama Ben Laden towards Pakistan, where it would have found refuge in the zones tribales not easily controlled by the central State.

This information is however systematically contradicted in Islamabad, which affirms that Ben Laden would be stopped if it entered on the Pakistani territory and that the populations tribales cooperate with the regional and central authorities.

The Pakistani president practically excluded Sunday that Oussama Ben Laden could pass to Pakistan, estimating him also that it had probably been killed in the bombardments, in a maintenance granted to Chinese television.

"It is not in Pakistan, we are reasonably certain, we cannot be sure at 100%", declared Mr. Musharraf.

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