It's also possible that the gentleman overheard a conversation by some other means, and the "cellphone" angle is a plausible explanation to get the story out without giving up any more information.
Seems unlikely this guy would make up such a scenario.
"Unsettling signs of al Qaeda's aims and skills in cyberspace have led some government experts to conclude that terrorists are at the thresold of using the Internet as a direct instrument of bloodshed"(from the Washington Post link in the article)
I believe this is the link between China and al Qaeda that identifies the source of the next attack and I expect the attack very soon.
honway
Telecom equipment project by the Chinese for Taliban at Bangalore
(Raju Santhanam)
The Statesman 9 December 2001
Revelations that the Taliban was working on a telecom surveillance equipment with the help of the Chinese in a Bangalore-based project actually cleared by the Government of India has caused red faces in the country’s security establishment.A senior government official in fact said that India did not want to upset the Chinese government but conceded that India might ask 300 Chinese software engineers to leave the country. Official sources said that since all the requisite permission had been obtained there was no question of “deportation”. The official agreed it was a serious security lapse given the developing situation in Afghanistan.The tip-off apparently came from Western Intelligence sources but it was later verified by Indian Intelligence agencies. A final view on how to deal with the situation is yet to be taken.
The Chinese telecom software company had brought in the telecom engineers from China in September on six months’ visa to ensure total secrecy over the project. No Indian apparently is directly involved in the project.