Bin Laden 'denies' Yemen blast

The attack on the USS Cole killed 17 sailors

By Frank Gardner in Qatar

Osama bin Laden is not making life easy for US investigators in the Middle East.

Osama bin Laden: Americans' prime suspect

From his secret hideout in Afghanistan, he has reportedly denied having any links with suspects arrested in Yemen and Kuwait accused of plotting to attack American targets.

On Monday, Kuwait's respected newspaper, Al-Rai al-Aam, printed an alleged telephone conversation with Mr Bin Laden.

The paper quotes him as saying that neither he nor his followers have any intention of striking civil or military installations in any Arab country.

That is not the way Washington is thinking.

Prime suspect

The Saudi-born Islamist has long been America's prime suspect for nearly every attack on US interests in the region.

The US Government suspects him of masterminding the bombings of two US embassies in East Africa two years ago, as well as the suicide bombing of a US warship in Yemen in October.

In the last few days, Kuwait has arrested a number of its citizens in possession of explosives.

Kuwait's Interior Ministry says they were planning a suicide bombing of a US military convoy.

Once again, they were suspected of being linked to Osama bin Laden.

But if Osama bin Laden says he is not behind these various plots and attacks, then who is?

The world of militant Islamists is a shadowy and confusing one with no shortage of fanatics prepared to die in order to strike at US and Israeli interests.

If Osama bin Laden's denial is confirmed, it removes the most obvious suspect and makes the job of US detectives that much harder.