"We're on the road again,
Runnin' round and hidin',
On the road again..."
Osama bin Laden and his No. 2 man have moved out of Pakistan and are believed to have crossed the mountainous border back into Afghanistan, U.S. intelligence officials tell ABCNEWS.
"Mullins! Binny and Ayman have moved from Pakland to Afghanistan!"
"Right. I'll call ABCNEWS."
"Good man, Mullins!" |
The intelligence reports come as Arabic television stations aired audiotapes purportedly made by bin Laden’s top aide, Ayman al-Zawahiri. In one of the tapes, a man said to be Zawahri taunts President Bush and threatens new attacks on the United States.
| "Arrr! We're gonna getchew!" |
Zawahri and his boss, bin Laden, moved out of Pakistan as that country’s army stepped up pressure on tribal leaders in the far western area of Waziristan, U.S. intelligence officials tell ABCNEWS. The homes of suspected al Qaeda sympathizers in that region have been set on fire and there have been numerous arrests. Officials tell ABCNEWS they believe the two al Qaeda leaders have slipped across the mountainous border and re-entered Afghanistan. U.S. troops lack the authority to hunt for bin Laden in Pakistan, but they are free to operate in Afghanistan.
| So Binny's accomodating us... |
Among the places now targeted for a major spring offensive is the Afghan province of Kunar, where some U.S. troops are already operating, officials say. It’s about 200 miles from bin Laden’s last suspected hiding place in Pakistan. U.S. forces are scanning the area with satellites and unmanned predator aircraft armed with hell-fire missiles. But winter cloud cover has made it difficult to keep a constant clear eye on the area, a situation not likely to improve for at least a month. |