![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
||||
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: World: Americas | ||||||
![]() |
![]() |
Friday, 5 October, 2001, 15:10 GMT 16:10 UK
The investigation and the evidence
![]() If the US is to maintain international backing for its war on terrorism, the strength of evidence linking Osama Bin Laden and his al-Qaeda organisation to the attacks is crucial. Much of this evidence is not yet in the public domain. BBC News Online looks at the investigation to date and considers the information that has emerged.
The investigation: Within hours of the attacks, the Federal Bureau of Investigation launched what has become the biggest manhunt and investigation in US history.
On 14 September, the FBI released the names of the 19 hijackers it believes carried out the attacks. There is some doubt about four of the people named as some of the hijackers may have been travelling on false documents. Several of those arrested are reported to have had connections to the hijackers or Osama Bin Laden, and some may have been planning other hijackings. This is a murky area in which unattributed briefings and misinformation must be taken into account. Click here for pictures and more details on the alleged hijackers. Official FBI briefings have been short on detail, though many US newspapers have carried unverifiable reports sourced to unnamed security or intelligence officials. Here are some of the important developments in the US investigation:
People suspected of having links to Bin Laden and al-Qaeda were detained across the world. Arrests were made in Britain, France, Germany, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, Malaysia and Thailand.
The trail to Bin Laden: Money transfers: US investigators are reported to have established a direct link between Mohammed Atta, the man they allege led the hijackers, and Bin Laden's al-Qaeda.
Egyptian Islamic Jihad: Atta is also said to be a member of Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the group led by Ayman al-Zawahri - a man believed to be a close associate of Bin Laden and to have a leading role in al-Qaeda. Links to al-Qaeda: Two other alleged hijackers, Khaled al-Midhar and Nawaq al-Hamzi are said to have been filmed at a meeting in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia with other known al-Qaeda operatives.
US officials say that most of the alleged hijackers trained at al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan. Intercepts: US officials have said that they intercepted communications by Bin Laden in the days before 11 September which indicated that a big operation was imminent. The comments, on a satellite phone which Bin Laden must have known was being monitored, may have been intended to confuse American intelligence services. The intercepts are alleged to have hinted at an attack against American targets outside the US. German intelligence monitored a phone call by a man they suspected of having linked to al-Qaeda. He is alleged to have said: "We have hit the targets."
Strength of the evidence: There is no direct evidence in the public domain linking Osama Bin Laden to the 11 September attacks. At best the evidence is circumstantial. Of this, perhaps the strongest leads are the alleged financial transfers between an al-Qaeda operative and the man alleged to have led the hijackers. Other evidence - the intercepts, Mohammed Atta's link to Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the ties of other hijackers to al-Qaeda - is even less firm. The evidence is not being judged in a court of law. It only needs to persuade governments around the world to back the US-led war on terrorism and to a lesser extent to carry public opinion. US and British officials have indicated that they are unable to reveal all the evidence for security reasons. When asserting that Bin Laden is behind the attacks, US and UK officials lean heavily on what they believe to be Bin Laden's record and his connection to other terrorist attacks. They are in effect arguing that the attacks are part of a clearly discernable pattern linked to previous attacks - notably the bombings of the USS Cole in Yemen in October 2000, and two US embassies in East Africa in August 1998.
|
![]() |
Internet links:
![]() The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Americas stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more Americas stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more Americas stories
|
![]() |
![]() |
^^ Back to top News Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | In Depth | AudioVideo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |