Osama leaves hideout ahead of US commando operation

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Osama leaves hideout ahead of US commando operation

 

ISLAMABAD, Aug 22 (PNS): Osama bin Laden, the Arab millionaire who

has been living in Afghanistan for several years, is believed to have

moved to a secret location following reports of an impending commando

strike by the United States of America to capture him.

 

Intelligence sources here who have been monitoring the activities of

Osama bin Laden and his outfit the Al Qaida, told the Indian Tribune

that he had gone incommunicado several weeks ago after Pakistan

allowed UN observers to be stationed along its border to monitor

sanctions imposed against Afghanistan.

 

It is generally believed that the stationing of these UN observers,

equipped with sophisticated communication and detection equipment is

a precursor to a dramatic commando operation by the US Special Forces

to capture Bin Laden.

 

These sources said that Osama bin Laden, along with a dozen of his

very close associates, had suddenly moved to an undisclosed location

and was communicating with his cadres only through messengers to

avoid possible detection.

 

The US had attacked his bases in Afghanistan with Tomahawk missiles

in August 1998 without causing any tangible damage and the reports

that time had suggested that the US experts had zeroed in on his

location through the signals emanating from his satellite telephone.

He had subsequently abandoned that particular mode of communication.

 

US has been trying to secure the custody of Osama bin Laden to face

trial in the US for the past couple of years but Afghanistan has

refused to accede to its requests. End.