Israel accused Syria yesterday of allowing up to 200 militants linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qa'eda network to settle in southern Lebanon. The newspaper Ha'aretz, quoting "various intelligence services", said Syria had also provided sanctuary for bin Laden's son, Omar, before and after the September 11 attacks in America. The leader of the September 11 hijackers, Mohamed Atta, visited Syria two or three times, the newspaper said. The information was published amid rising tension between Israel and Syria, following the death of an Israeli soldier in a raid by Syrian-backed Hizbollah guerrillas across the Lebanese border. Benjamin Ben-Eliezer, the Israeli...