Steve Quayle News Alerts

Feb. 24, 2004
By Brian Ross

Osama bin Laden and his No. 2 man have moved out of Pakistan and are believed to have crossed the mountainous border back into Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials tell ABCNEWS.
The intelligence reports come as Arabic television stations aired audiotapes purportedly made by bin Laden's top aide, Ayman al-Zawahri. In one of the tapes, a man said to be Zawahri taunts President Bush and threatens new attacks on the United States.

Zawahri and his boss, bin Laden, moved out of Pakistan as that country's army stepped up pressure on tribal leaders in the far western area of Waziristan, U.S. intelligence officials tell ABCNEWS. The homes of suspected al Qaeda sympathizers in that region have been set on fire and there have been numerous arrests.

Officials tell ABCNEWS they believe the two al Qaeda leaders have slipped across the mountainous border and re-entered Afghanistan.

Konar, Afghanistan, is about 200 miles from bin Laden's last suspected hiding place in Pakistan.

U.S. troops lack the authority to hunt for bin Laden in Pakistan, but they are free to operate in Afghanistan.

Among the places now targeted for a major spring offensive is the Afghan province of Konar, where some U.S. troops are already operating, officials say. It's about 200 miles from bin Laden's last suspected hiding place in Pakistan.

U.S. forces are scanning the area with satellites and unmanned predator aircraft armed with hell-fire missiles. But winter cloud cover has made it difficult to keep a constant clear eye on the area, a situation not likely to improve for at least a month.

Voice Probably Zawahri

Wherever the al Qaeda leaders are, the CIA says the voice on the tapes broadcast today is probably that of Zawahri. The speaker on the tapes refers to recent events — including a direct reference to President Bush's State of the Union claim that two-thirds of the al Qaeda leadership had been arrested or killed.

"Bush," said the voice on the tape, "fortify your targets, tighten your defense, intensify your security measure because the fighting Islamic community, which sent you New York and Washington battalions, has decided to send you one battalion after the other, carrying death and seeking heaven."

Another tape condemns a new French law banning ostentatious religious displays in school, including the wearing of headscarves by Muslim schoolgirls.

The voice on the tape calls it another example of the "Crusaders' malice" against Muslims.

According to former French defense analyst Alexis Debat, "that statement is not just a political commentary, but also in many ways, a call for action. And it has a lot of counterterrorism officials worried that it could trigger some sleeper cells into action."

http://abcnews.go.com/sections/wnt/Investigation/zawahri_tapes_040224.html