Al-Qaeda regroups in Iraq

2003-12-08 07:39

Washington - Three top emissaries of terror mastermind Osama bin Laden told associates of fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar last month that the al-Qaeda network would be shifting most of its operations to a new front in Iraq, Newsweek magazine reported.

The report, due to appear on newsstands on Monday, said the message was delivered to Mullah Omar at a secret meeting in Afghanistan held during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

In addition, Mullah Omar was informed that al-Qaeda planned to reduce by half its $3m monthly contribution to Afghan anti-government groups, according to the weekly.

The shift of the main theatre of operation was ordered by bin Laden himself because the terror chieftain and his top lieutenants see a great opportunity for killing Americans and their allies in Iraq and neighbouring countries such as Turkey, Newsweek said.

Bin Laden believes that Iraq is becoming the perfect battlefield to fight the "American crusaders" and that the Iraqi insurgency has been "100% successful so far," the report quoted a Taliban participant at the meeting who goes by the nom de guerre Sharafullah as saying.

Mullah Omar has been dismayed by the apparent redirection of al-Qaeda forces, according to Newsweek.

But bin Laden's representatives advised Taliban supporters to work to unite the Afghan resistance.

- AFP