Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Was it really bin Laden or was it an illusion?

July 27, 2010 12:42 IST
Confidential files leaked by the whistle-blowing site Wikipedia mention the whiff of Osama bin Laden, whose whereabouts the Central Intelligence Agency said it has had 'no idea of since early 2000s'.

According to the Guardian newspaper, which was among the three newspapers to receive the secret military documents, a 'threat report' from the International Security Assistance Force's regional command (north) in August 2006 claimed that bin Laden is believed to have attended regular meetings in border villages between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Such meetings, the documents revealed, take place every month, and in this particular one six fidayeen (suicide bombers) were given instructions for an assault in northern Afghanistan.

According to the Guardian, the report further said: 'The top four in such meetings are Mullah Omar, Osama bin Laden, Mullah Dadullah and Mullah (Baradar).'

If the information is true, then this is the closest the coalition forces at war with the Taliban and Al Qaeda in Afghanistan have come closest to eliminating the top terror leadership.

The records also show that bin Laden was behind a plot to poison the coalition forces.

ALSO READ:

Hamid Gul tells Sheela Bhatt: 'We are walking into the American trap'

'We will go to war'