Wednesday Oct. 31, 2001 -- 2:51 GMT
Paris, Oct. 31 (AFP)- Osama bin Laden was treated in July at the American hospital in Dubai, where he is said to have met an official of the CIA, the French daily Le Figaro and Radio France International (RFI) report today.
The two media organs, citing "a witness who is a professional partner of the administration of the hospital," report that the man who the United States suspects ordered the attacks of Sept. 11 arrived in Dubai on July 4 in a plane from Quetta, Pakistan.
He was immediately transferred to the hospital for a kidney treatment. He left the hospital on July 14, according to Le Figaro.
During his stay, according to the newspaper, the local representative of the CIA was seen going into bin Laden's room.
"A few days later, the CIA man boasted to a few friends that he had paid a visit to the Saudi millionaire."
According to Le Figaro and RFI, who cite an "authorized source," the CIA representative was recalled to Washington on July 15.
Bin Laden has been sought by the United States for terrorism since the attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. But his ties with the CIA are older, and go back to the time when bin Laden took part in the struggle in Afghanistan against Soviet forces.
According to Le Figaro, bin Laden was accompanied by his personal doctor and faithful lieutenant, who could be the Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahiri, by a bodyguard, and by an Algerian nurse.
He was admitted to the supervision of urologist Dr. Terry Callaway, a specialist in kidneystones and male infertility. The doctor was called several times on the telephone, but was not willing to answer questions.
Many sources have already made mention of a serious kidney infection of bin Laden, who is said to have had delivered to him in his Afghan retreat in Kandahar a mobile dialysis unit, according to "authorized sources" cited by the French newspaper and RFI.
End of article.
Well, well, well!
What for? To take him flowers??
This story is kooky.
battery powered for cave dwellers maybe