INDEPTH: OSAMA BIN LADEN
What's the evidence against bin Laden?
CBC News Online | March 5, 2004
Although countries around the world rallied to the side of the U.S. after the terrorist attacks on
September 11, many—especially those in the Islamic world—have urged the American
government to show the public some concrete proof that Osama bin Laden is indeed the culprit
to be hunted down.
In early October, the U.S. government began releasing evidence gathered about the terrorist
attacks to a select number of people, including NATO allies, Allied leaders in Europe, Pakistani
President General Pervez Musharraf and certain Afghan Northern Alliance rebel leaders.
NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson said the U.S. offered “clear and compelling
evidence,” while Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammed Riaz Khan said the report
included "sufficient grounds for indictment in terms of the material we have seen and we have
studied."
What evidence has been released that links bin Laden to the attacks?
The following are a few major points that have been released:
- Since 1989, Osama bin Laden has conducted substantial financial and business
transactions on behalf of Al Qaeda and in pursuit of its goals. These include purchasing
land for training camps, purchasing warehouses for the storage of items, including
explosives, purchasing communications and electronics equipment, and transporting
currency and weapons to members of Al Qaeda and associated terrorist groups in
countries throughout the world.
- Since 1989, Osama bin Laden has established a series of businesses to provide income
for Al Qaeda, to provide cover for the procurement of explosives, weapons and
chemicals, and for the travel of Al Qaeda operatives.
- Nineteen men have been identified as the hijackers from the passenger lists of the four
planes hijacked on September 11, 2001. At least three of them have already been
positively identified as associates of Al Qaeda. One has been identified as playing key
roles in both the East African embassy attacks and the USS Cole attack.
- In August and early September, close associates of bin Laden were warned to return to
Afghanistan from other parts of the world by September 10.
- Since September 11, we have learned that one of bin Laden’s closest and most senior
associates was responsible for the detailed planning of the attacks (the names of
associates, though known, are not given).
- Bin Laden remains in charge, and the mastermind, of Al Qaeda. In Al Qaeda, an
operation on the scale of the September 11 attacks would have been approved by
Osama bin Laden himself.
A Bush administration source said that the report also contains telephone and bank records
that lead to Al Qaeda members, as well as direct links between the September 11 attacks, last
year’s attack on the USS Cole in Yemen and the bombings of the two U.S. embassies.
Where can I see that evidence?
On October 4, the office of British Prime Minister Tony Blair released this information to the
general public on its Web site: www.pm.gov.uk
Should I believe it?
If you have been following the bin Laden coverage, there will likely be very little in the released
report that will shock or completely surprise you. Many of the facts released were reported or
speculated on in local and international media.
No one can tell you what to believe, but you must keep in mind that the information released is
only a carefully selected portion of the investigation. A large chunk of the information appears
to be based on the previous cases mounted against bin Laden (regarding the bombing of the
U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania).
Why won't Blair and Bush just tell us everything they know?
Understandably, the report given to the public cannot reveal all the evidence uncovered.
"There is other intelligence we cannot disclose of an even more direct nature indicating guilt,"
Blair told Parliament. This suggests that some of the information may have been obtained by
intelligence sources whose current location or position could be compromised by public
exposure.
What has Canada been told officially?
Prime Minister Chrétien has shared in the same information as the other world leaders, saying
he was “quite satisfied” the information proves bin Laden’s involvement in the terrorist attacks.
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