London: The net is closing in on al-
Qaeda's network of financiers as investigators
search millions of pages of material recovered from the
Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad in Pakistan.
The investigators say they have learnt more about the
terrorist group in 10 days than in the previous ten years.
Apart from uncovering potential plots and identifying
operatives, investigators say they are piecing together
information about the money trail.
Bin Laden is known to have had a network of wealthy
backers in the Gulf region, some of whom may have been among
the rare visitors to the compound, Sunday Times reported.
Apart from five home movies of bin Laden released
last weekend, American officials say they discovered a stash
of pornographic videos and photographs in a box in Bin Laden's
bedroom.
Other possible targets for attack included Los
Angeles, where dogs trained to detect suicide bombers went to
work last week at the international airport.
Officials are gradually building up a bizarre picture
of the life of the world's most wanted man during his five
years at the compound.
The household, including three of his five wives,
nine children and grandchildren and one or two adult sons,
appears to have been largely self-sufficient, living on
home-reared rabbits and chickens.
American investigators who have interviewed the three
Bin Laden widows being held in Pakistani custody have
concluded that they knew little.
"The women had no idea about his jihadi activities,"
said one intelligence source.
US investigators continue to hunt for evidence of any
links between Bin Laden and Pakistani military or
intelligence.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, May 15, 2011, 18:38