U.S. Hunt for Bin Laden Gathers Steam

Las Vegas Sun (AP) ^ | February 28, 2004 | KATHERINE PFLEGER SHRADER, ASSOCIATED PRESS

[aculeus]

The United States is rounding up and questioning the relatives of fugitive al-Qaida leaders to generate information on the possible whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and his top deputies. This tactic helped lead to Saddam Hussein's capture.

On Saturday, Pentagon and Pakistani officials denied an Iranian state radio report that bin Laden had been captured "a long time ago" in Pakistan's border region with Afghanistan.

But some U.S. officials do say they have been able to extract useful information from Afghan and Pakistani relatives and friends of al-Qaida fugitives, providing hints on the possible whereabouts of the organization's leaders.

So far, the information the U.S. has received is unconfirmed and does not mean the terrorist leader's location has been pinned down or his capture is imminent. U.S. officials caution that rumors of significant progress are overstated.

With the weather improving in Afghanistan, the U.S. military has sent troops and technology to the country to aid the search and to give forces on the ground more opportunity to track down bin Laden. He is the United States' most wanted terrorist for his leadership in planning the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.

Rounding up relatives for questioning helped bring about the Dec. 13 capture of Saddam, the former Iraqi leader. U.S. officials hope the tactic could lead to information on the whereabouts of bin Laden and his top deputies, especially when combined with information from spy satellites, communication intercepts and prisoner interrogations.

U.S. military officials have said they are planning a spring offensive in Afghanistan in the hopes of capturing bin Laden, former Taliban leader Mullah Omar and their associates.

Meanwhile, American commanders in Afghanistan have expressed new optimism about finding bin Laden. Late last month, U.S. military spokesman Lt. Col. Bryan Hilferty said the military believes it could seize bin Laden this year, perhaps within months.

Other U.S. officials try to temper such optimism.

In a sign of an increased focus on the Afghan-Pakistani border, Pakistani rapid reaction forces have been deployed to selected areas in the region, a mountainous landscape that runs 2,000 miles from the Himalayas in Pakistan's northern territories to the desert of southwestern Baluchistan.

Pakistani officials told The Associated Press on Friday that satellite telephone intercepts from last year indicated al-Qaida members were hiding near the border. Two intelligence officials said participants discussed a man called "Shaikh" - a code name for bin Laden.

"Some people who were speaking in Arabic have been heard saying Shaikh is in good health," one of the intelligence officials said.

A U.S. defense official, also speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that Pakistani forces have killed or captured more al-Qaida members than any other U.S. ally. "We continue to aggressively pursue the remnants of al-Qaida and the Taliban," the official said.

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Associated Press writers John Solomon in Washington and Stephen Graham in Afghanistan contributed to this report.

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[aculeus]

Some newish details.

[alancarp]

Boy, with all of these reports about OBL/UBL hunt activity, we'd better darn well get him, or Bush is (wrongly) gonna look foolish for the effort.

[billorites]

News Flash:

Franco still dead.

[Loyal Buckeye]

John Fonda Kerry said he could catch OBL in 12 notes.

[alloysteel]

The Iranian radio is reporting the capture of bin Laden? That would sure take the pressure off the Iranian government to be more open and receptive to inspections of their nuclear facilities. At least the demand for inspections would be largely out of the news.

But the notion that Bush already has bin Laden in custody, and is keeping it out of the news, just plays into the worst fears the national Democrat party has. About two minutes into John Kerry's acceptance speech at the coronation at the Democrat National Convention, the news is released to all media outlets that Osama bin Laden has been captured and has co-operated fully with the military and intelligence authorities, concerning terrorist operations all over the planet, would make the Presidential candidate nominated by the Democrats about as significant as watching paint dry. In one swell foop, Bush is catapulted so far above any potential rival, that he shall need satellite radio to communicate with them. But just about all of America will be on the same level.

[swarthyguy]

So the debriefing must be proceeding swimmingly.

[Dog]

The United States is rounding up and questioning the relatives of fugitive al-Qaida leaders to generate information on the possible whereabouts of Osama bin Laden and his top deputies.

Zawahriri's son ?

[swarthyguy]

Osama's son? Perhaps a Saudi Royal?

[Pharmboy]

Funny, you don't look newish... ;-)

[SunkenCiv]

Before Iraq was liberated, the so-called Democrats objected that we should be hunting bin Laden instead of trampling the economic interests of Jew-hating France, Germany, and Russia.

After Iraq was liberated, the same partisans complained that not enough attention was being paid to the hunt for bin Laden.

Before Afghanistan was liberated, we heard the same partisans complain that "war and racism was not the answer." After the liberation they've admitted (other than the lunatic fringe) that bin Laden really was behind 9/11, but only did so in order to prevent the overthrow of Saddam Hussein.

1073519/posts

[Dog]

They are really squeezing Bin Laden and the leadership. Cofer Black today mentioning we have info on Binny trying to talk to other leaders.....which will cause them to doubt operational security....and wonder it there isn't a traitor among them. Now this leak designed to plant that seed of doubt about a family member ratting them out.

[Dog]

Looks like we have rounded up family members..

[Cap Huff]

I think that may be. By the way, somewhere in my reading today I saw that one of the Pakistani government officials pretty categorically confirm that one man and three women take in the Wana attack were ethnic Arabs. The way there have been a few statments to the effect, "we'll announce but only when the time is right" just adds to the impression that the rumor about the son of al-Zawahiri is true.

But, I'll still wait for an official announcement.

[Cap Huff]

Just a random thought. . . . I wonder whether the internet guy caught in Golra has anything to do with the flight 223 business? We all were speculating what sort of sources they had for that series of actions.

[swarthyguy]

http://www.karachiairport.com/

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

We are making good progress!

Too bad it is a long time till the fall election.

[Ernest_at_the_Beach]

fyi

[pa_dweller]

swell foop ?

LOL!

[bootless]

Looks like we have rounded up family members.

And there are LOTS of them. A target-rich environment. Here's hoping...