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Osama bin Laden moved just after attacks against U.S., Pakistani intelligence source says
By
MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press Writer
LAHORE,
Pakistan – Osama bin Laden, a key suspect in Tuesday's terrorist
assault on the United States, changed locations within Afghanistan
just minutes after reports of the attacks, a Pakistani intelligence
source said Thursday.
Bin
Laden would not tell anyone where he was moving, the source told
The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
A U.S.
official who also spoke on condition of anonymity confirmed the
Pakistani account of bin Laden's movements, but did not elaborate.
Commanders
of the Taliban religious militia that rule most of Afghanistan and
give bin Laden refuge say the Saudi millionaire keeps on the move
in the Central Asian nation, rarely staying in one place more than
two days.
The
latest report comes amid fear in Afghanistan that the United States
may launch an attack on the country, targeting sites associated
with bin Laden.
In
August 1998, U.S. destroyers fired 70 cruise missiles at eastern
Afghanistan to retaliate for the bombing of two American embassies
in East Africa blamed on bin Laden. The death toll in the embassies'
bombing was 231 – 219 Africans and 12 Americans.
Bin
Laden escaped that missile assault.
Bin
Laden is known to operate several training camps in Afghanistan's
Paktia, Kunar, Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces.
It
could be hard to find him, however. Afghanistan is crisscrossed
by mountain ranges, and provides limitless hide-outs.
Pakistan
is one of only three countries to officially recognize Afghanistan's
Taliban.
AP-WS-09-13-01
1310EDT
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