The Financial Times has a (so-far) exclusive report Sunday about the pursuit of Osama bin Laden as it is unfolding this weekend. Sounds like the hunt is white-hot right now; let's keep our fingers crossed that this megalomaniac will assume room temperature soon. [Note: FT puts most of its content behind paid subscription access, so their article may not be public for long.]
A convoy of al-Qaeda militants that tried to escape into Pakistan last week was forced back into an area of Afghanistan in which Osama bin Laden was reported to have been seen a few days earlier, intelligence and diplomatic officials said on Sunday. According to Islamist activists close to al-Qaeda, the convoy was carrying at least one and possibly two of Mr bin Laden's sons when it was attacked in the south-western part of Afghanistan's Nimroz province on Thursday. There are still conflicting and unverifiable reports of the fate of those attacked. One activist said the convoy had already crossed the border into Pakistan when it was intercepted and forced back into Afghanistan, where a shoot-out took place between the al-Qaeda militants and Afghan forces.
Western intelligence officers believe al-Qaeda officials are making an effort to leave Afghanistan, despite the dangers involved in breaking cover.
Posted by Alan at March 9, 2003 04:16 PM