NATO Says U.S. Has Proved Bin Laden Link To Terror Attacks

BRUSSELS, Belgium (AP) 10.02.01, 7:05a --

The United States gave "clear and compelling evidence" today that Osama bin Laden was involved in last month's attacks on the United States, NATO's secretary-general said.

"It is clear that all roads lead to al-Qaida and pinpoint Osama bin Laden as having been involved in it," Lord Robertson said after a classified briefing given to the organization's ruling council by U.S. Ambassador at Large Francis X. Taylor.

Robertson said the allies have determined that the attack "was directed from abroad" and therefore covered by NATO's Article 5, which says that an attack on one member is an attack on all.

"We don't intend to at the moment to discuss how NATO will translate this decision into operational action," he added, saying that the United States was still developing its thinking.

NATO allies last month agreed to invoke Article 5 if Washington could show that the Sept. attacks were directed from abroad.

Robertson said Tuesday's decision removed the word "if" and meant Article 5 was now "fully invoked."

"The United States of America can rely on the full support of its 18 NATO allies in the campaign against international terrorism," he said.

Robertson refused to elaborate on the additional information provided by Taylor, who is President Bush's coordinator for counterterrorism. The NATO secretary-general said it must remain secret for now "for obvious reasons."

However, "the facts are clear and compelling," he said.

"The information presented points conclusively to an al-Qaida role" in the Sept. 11 attacks," he said. "We know that the individuals who carried out these attacks were part of the worldwide terrorist network al-Qaida headed by Osama bin Laden ... and protected by the Taliban."

Robertson's comments come ahead of a speech by British Prime Minister Tony Blair expected to tell Afghanistan's Taliban rulers that time has run out for handing over bin Laden, chief suspect in the Sept. 11 suicide hijacking attacks in New York and Washington. It's the same warning sent earlier by Pakistan's president, and another sign that military strikes are inevitable.

Blair was to say that U.S.-led strikes will be directed at the Saudi dissident's training camps and the Taliban's military hardware, supplies and finances, aides said.

The Taliban, an Islamic militia that controls the majority of Afghanistan, said Sunday they know where bin Laden is, and that he is under their control. Previously, they had said they didn't know the Saudi millionaire's location, but they could deliver messages to him.

-- PHO (owennos@bigfoot.com), October 02, 2001

Answers

This is just great. Now NATO has the "proof", but they don't even have to tell us what it is. Afterall, if we knew, according to Powell, we would allow the information to get back to the criminals which would jeopardise our mission to eradicate them. But of course this information is "totally secure" with the Nato, it's not going anywhere outside these "restrained members" (who agree on little except bombing Slavs and Moslems with depleted uranium). In the meantime just what information it is or was has been deemed a mute point. No worries. Right. Nato has proof now.

-- Ken (n4wind@sonic.net), October 02, 2001.