Bin Laden death may hit insurgent funds

2011-05-11 20:14

London - The head of Britain's military says the death of Osama bin Laden has left some insurgents in Afghanistan panicked over their funding.

General David Richards also told Parliament's defence committee on Wednesday that initial reports suggested bin Laden exerted more influence than thought from his Pakistan hideout.

Richards said some al-Qaeda affiliated insurgents in Afghanistan are now concerned "their ability to raise money may be affected".

He said that British and American military leaders hoped the death would assist in breaking ties between al-Qaeda and the Taliban, which he said "we now know were greater than we thought".

Richards added that he believed it would take at least six months to assess the enduring impact of bin Laden's killing.

- AP