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Laden may escape by sea: US intelligence agencies
US intelligence agencies have warned that Osama bin Laden and his aides may try to escape by sea aboard one of the several cargo ships that Al Qaeda and its supporters have acquired in recent years, the Bush administration officials have said.
US intelligence agencies have warned that Osama bin Laden and his aides may try to escape by sea aboard one of the several cargo ships that Al Qaeda and its supporters have acquired in recent years, the Bush administration officials have said.
As a result, the United States and allied navies have stepped up the search in the Arabian sea and the Persian Gulf for Al Qaeda ships, which officials also fear could be used to ferry arms, including weapons of mass destruction. So far, none have been found.
“The Norwegian military, which is respected for its maritime intelligence, recently gave the Pentagon a list of ships linked to Al Qaeda and its supporters,” a ‘New York Times’ report quoted officials as saying.
A spokesman for the Norwegian defence command, Dag Aamoth, confirmed in a telephone interview with the newspaper from Oslo that, “We have been able to contribute to the identification of a number of ships that apparently are controlled by Al Qaeda.” He would not say how many ships were on the list, but US officials put the number at about 20. They said the Norwegians believed that the ships were owned by front companies for Al Qaeda and its supporters.
US officials said the ships were coastal merchant vessels that are common in the warm, relatively shallow waters around Pakistan. Bin Laden and his followers are likely to travel through Pakistan if they escape allied attacks in Afghanistan. They said these ships were capable of crossing oceans but were not designed for such a rigorous voyage. They are not the type that would be on their way to the US.
Bureau Report
A spokesman for the Norwegian defence command, Dag Aamoth, confirmed in a telephone interview with the newspaper from Oslo that, “We have been able to contribute to the identification of a number of ships that apparently are controlled by Al Qaeda.” He would not say how many ships were on the list, but US officials put the number at about 20. They said the Norwegians believed that the ships were owned by front companies for Al Qaeda and its supporters.
US officials said the ships were coastal merchant vessels that are common in the warm, relatively shallow waters around Pakistan. Bin Laden and his followers are likely to travel through Pakistan if they escape allied attacks in Afghanistan. They said these ships were capable of crossing oceans but were not designed for such a rigorous voyage. They are not the type that would be on their way to the US.
Bureau Report