Bin Laden is still in Afghanistan

The London-based al-Hayat daily said today, quoting a well-informed source that Osama Bin laden arrived at Toura Boura base, to the south of Jalal Abad city, capital of East Afghanistan, which he intends to have as a temporary residence instead of Qandahar which he left on Wednesday.

The source added that Bin Laden chose this base because he has known it since 1989 during the attack of the Soviet Union on Jalal Abbad, in which he, together with his groups participated in confronting the said attack. The source continued that one of Bin Laden's wives accompanies him, as well as five of his main aides, including the military leader of his group, Abu Hafas al-Masri, leader of the Egyptian al-Jihad group Aymen al-Zawahri, one of the leaders of the Egyptian Islamic Group Muhammad Shawqi al-Islambouli and well as several guards from the Taleban movement.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Taleban movement announced in Islamabad on Tuesday that the family of Bin Laden is still in an Afghan area which is under the control of the movement. AFP quoted the spokesman for the movement, Wakeel Ahmad Mutawkil, as saying that "some members of Bin Laden's family including women and children are still in an area, which is under the control of Taleban. The spokesman asserted that Taleban movement did not ask Bin Laden to leave Afghanistan.

The US has put pressure on the Taleban to expel Bin Laden from Afghanistan as Washington believes Bin Laden is responsible for the two attacks waged on the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania on August 7, 1998.