Washington, Mar 08: Under the motto, ''Now or Never'' the U.S. Has stepped up its hunt for Osama Bin Laden with the goal of creating round-the-clock surveillance in the remote areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan where the terrorist is believed to be hiding. Spy planes and ''predator'' drones equipped with missiles are searching with radar and super-sensitive cameras. U.S. military sources say the electronic search soon will be a non-stop undertaking, day and night. There is another reason to step up the search at this point in time, one that the white house does not openly speak about. The presidential election is approaching in November and the capture of Bin Laden in the coming months would provide bush with a tremendous election bonus. Bin Laden, says Kerry, was within the grasp of U.S. forces two years ago during the operation in Tora Bora, but a flawed white house strategy allowed him to escape the closing trap. Defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld reacted in anger when asked what the chances were of capturing Bin Laden.,''it will happen when it will happen, and I don't think we are closer to, or further away from it than before.''
Nonetheless, there is a strain of hope running through both the U.S. media and administration that this indeed will be the year that Bin Laden is brought to bay.

Bureau Report