London | Friday
FOLLOWING are excerpts from a 20-page file published by the British government that cites evidence against Osama bin Laden over the September 11 terrorist atrocities in the United States.
Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda
– Al-Qaeda is a terrorist organisation with ties to a global network which has been in existence for over 10 years. It was founded and has been led at all times by Osama bin Laden.
– – Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda have been engaged in a jihad against the United States, and its allies. One of their stated aims is the murder of US citizens, and attacks on Americas allies.
– – Osama bin Laden and al-Qaeda have been based in Afghanistan since 1996, but have a network of operations throughout the world.
– The network includes training camps, warehouses, communication facilities and commercial operations able to raise significant sums of money to support its activity.
– – They have the capability to execute major terrorist attacks.
– They have sought to acquire nuclear and chemical materials for use as terrorist weapons.
– – Since 1989 Osama Bin Laden has provided training camps and guest houses in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Sudan, Somalia and Kenya for the use of al-Qaeda and associated terrorist groups. We know from intelligence that there are currently at least a dozen camps across Afghanistan, of which at least four are used for training terrorists.
Osama bin Laden and previous attacks
– – Osama bin Laden has claimed credit for the attack on US soldiers in Somalia in October 1993 which killed 18; for the attacks on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998 which killed 224 and injured nearly 5 000; and was linked to the attack on the USS Cole on October 12, 2000 in which 17 crew members were killed and 40 others injured.
Osama bin Laden and September 11
– Nineteen men have been identified as the hijackers from the passenger lists of the four planes hijacked on September 11. At least three of them have already been positively identified as members of al-Qaeda.
– – One has been identified as playing key roles in both the East African embassy attacks and the USS Cole attack.
– – Bin Laden himself asserted shortly before 11 September that he was preparing a major attack on the United States. 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.
– – Immediately prior to September 11 some known associates of bin Laden were naming the date for action as on or around September 11.
– Since September 11 we have learned that one of bin Ladens closest and most senior associates was responsible for the detailed planning of the attacks.
– – There is evidence of a very specific nature relating to the guilt of bin Laden and his associates that is too sensitive to release.
– – The operatives involved in the September 11 atrocities attended flight schools, used flight simulators to study the controls of larger aircraft and placed potential airports and routes under surveillance.
– – The modus operandi of September 11 was entirely consistent with previous attacks. Al-Qaedas record of atrocities is characterised by meticulous long term planning, a desire to inflict mass casualties, suicide bombers, and multiple simultaneous attacks.
Conclusions
– The attacks of September 11 were planned and carried out by al-Qaeda. That organisation has the will and the resources to execute further attacks of similar scale. Both the United States and its close allies are targets for such attacks.
– – Osama bin Laden remains in charge, and the mastermind, of al-Qaeda. An operation on the scale of the 11 September attacks would have been approved by Osama bin Laden himself. – Sapa-AFP
FEATURES:
Shattered World: A Daily Mail & Guardian special on the attack on the US
OFF-SITE:
The Guardian’s special report on the attacks