Al Qaeda Members Moving To Middle East

Amid Speculation About Bin Laden, New Leaders Shifting Away From Afghanistan

(CBS)  This story was written by CBS News correspondent Sheila MacVicar in London and Farhan Bokhari in Islamabad.

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Al Qaeda has scaled down its leadership structure in Afghanistan and is poised to shift its main decision making to somewhere in the Middle East, possibly Iraq, senior Arab officials have revealed to CBS News, as speculation continues over the fate of al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

Since Saturday morning when news of bin Laden's death due to typhoid was first reported in a French regional newspaper, officials in the U.S., France and Pakistan have denied first hand knowledge of that account.

The latest global speculation on bin Laden's fate mounted where L'Est Republicain, the French newspaper printed what it described as a copy of a confidential document from the DGSE, the French intelligence service, citing an uncorroborated report from a "usually reliable source" saying that Saudi secret services are convinced Osama bin Laden had died.

An Arab diplomat in Pakistan, however, said confirmation of the report was being hindered mainly because there was no evidence yet on bin Laden's body. For months, there have been reports of his worsening health and latest claim of his exposure to typhoid "could be very credible, he is a sick man with health related issues" said the diplomat who asked not to be named.

The diplomat said there were reports recently of al Qaeda ordering its Arab members who remained in the Pakistan-Afghan border region to move to the Middle East, after the group's leaders concluded that their followers in local militant groups around the region were capable of carrying on al Qaeda's work. "This decision was meant to close the al Qaeda Arab chapter in this part of the world. But al Qaeda remains in the shape of local non Arab militants who would carry on its work" he added.

A Saudi security advisor told CBS News that the exodus of Arab al Qaeda members, mostly originating from the Gulf countries, including Saudi Arabia, began in mid to late July, and continued throughout August. Saudi intelligence has not yet determined why this exodus has taken place, says the advisor.

In the past year, Saudi Arabia has greatly improved its intelligence gathering capacity in the region and on al Qaeda in particular. This is in reaction to al Qaeda attacks in Saudi Arabia, and a growing recognition of the threat Islamist extremists – including al Qaeda members – pose to the security of the Kingdom. CBS News has also learned that as part of the improved intelligence capacity, Saudi Arabia has also been able to better identify, and interrogate those were with al Qaeda groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan as they returned to their home country.

By implication, the decision to move the group out of the region suggests that Osama bin Laden - a Saudi Arabian national, was either going to move "or maybe we are moving to a post bin Laden era which is the subject of today's speculation" added the diplomat.

Another Arab diplomat said he had seen reports just in the past fortnight of Arab fighters moving from the Pak-Afghan region, either using the land route via Iran or one of the central Asian countries, with some trying to pass through Pakistan.

"The destination of these people is back to the Middle East. Iraq we know is right now the biggest battleground for such people and I have heard enough on the subject of Iraq working as a magnet for militant groups to go along with the view that some may be heading to Iraq," said the diplomat who also spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Pakistani government officials meanwhile said there was no evidence of Osama bin Laden's death. But opinion remains divided on how far such an event would not be reported by al Qaeda.

"It is possible that some in al Qaeda believe that the symbolism of Osama bin Laden inspires many Muslims and therefore his image has to be kept alive for now" said one Pakistani official who asked not to be named.

"But it is also possible that news of his death is put to inspire Muslims to remember this figure and to take his task forward. These are all bits of speculation, no one knows for certain" added the Pakistani official.

[drgoodwin12]

For everyone that is against Bush because he deliberately mislead us into war in Iraq,go online and contribute $10,25 or any amount of money you can afford to the Democratic Party and do so before the elections.There are good republican senators like Specter and Warner however in order for this country to change course we have to change it's leadership first.It's crunch time for the elections and in order to restore this country we need new leadership in the house and senate.

[drgoodwin12]

I am a democrat and many of my friend are republicans when the war in Iraq first started I was/am opposed.My republican friends at first did not understand why. I gave them books to read,newspaper articles etc. to prove the point that Iraq was nota threat and had no WMD's. Guess what we all are in agreeance now and we all want a change,not a cut and run nor a stay the course.If ordinary people can come together and talk rationally,propose sound alteratives then this country can be taken back by the failures of both parties.

[three-o-six]

I agree with part of what you say fursure58. The US will probably fall from within - but the cause will be neither the consertives nor the liberals per say. Both sides demonize each other and our un-doing will be the famous house divided. Neither side can give ground to the other because their core values are diametrically opposed. We have been at the edge of a civil war for some time and if anything the terrorist gave us a common cause for a short time and delayed our demise. Whit that thought in mind i bid all a good day

[loveamerica2]

Bravo furshur58, your post is right on the mark, I could not have said it better.

Soja0901, as vial as Robert96757 is, please, when you make remarks about America (or any other people), please have facts straight. Otherwise you are just another person (like Robert) letting your anger taint your views. Also know people like Robert are not good Americans, or people. People like Robert are not the majority in the US.

The damage the Bush administration has done to the US both at home and abroad will take time to fix. But the good that does come from such an incompetent and damaging administration is, people can see what America doesn't want to do ever again. People also become active to elect sane and rational people in office. Let%u2019s stay positive and get the right people elected this coming fall.

[drgoodwin12]

As an ex military person who was in Vietnam,I have to correct you Soja0901 as far as all military personel being baby kilers,women and children.I never witness any person in my unit kill innocent women and children.Were they those who were killed,yes but they were strapped with grenades and rifles aimed at my unit.This war is not about liberating Iraq or WMDS.This war was premediated by the president 11 days into office (Sources:AGAINST ALL ENEMIES and THE PRICE OF LOYALTY)both written by republicans.If indeed Al Queda is moving it's operations to Iraq,then the conflict becomes deeper,more lives lost and least of all more tax payer dollars.I am a Democrat and will vote democrat but cut and run is as bad stay the course.

[spinbob1]

If the SOB is dead, I feel that we've been cheated, especially if the clown died of some random disease. Personally, I'd of loved to of seen the jerk drawn and quartered! Slowly.

[furshur58]

As an American I am sorry someone as ignorant as Robert96757 is also an American. Bin Laden's death is inconsequential compared to the real threats to America. I care about the idiotic rightwing extremists in this country who are more dangerous to us as a free nation than a hundred bin Ladens. Terrorism has always existed and the U.S. has participated in its share. However, Lincoln warned the U.S. that if we ever fall as a free nation it will be of our own doing, not at the hands of outsiders. Eisenhower warned us of our potential destruction at the hands of our own military industrial complex. And Teddy Roosevelt warned us unlimited power in the hands of the wealthy would destroy our democracy. These men were all Republicans, yet you, Robert, a man who cannot spell, punctuate or phrase a literate sentence, believe this rightwing government is somehow saving us from terrorism. It is YOU, the ignorant, illiterate and gullible, who pose the real threat to our country. You aid people like Cheney, Bush and other extremists in hijacking our government. Like so many uneducated and uninformed people you cry "common sense"; my experience has been the uninformed believe "common sense" is a cure for being uninformed. The true terrorists are those like you who sacrifice hard-won freedoms for an illusion of security; people who would replace democracy with an extreme Christian theocracy; and people too stupid to realize they are being led by a ring in their noses. YOU scare me.

[soja0901]

Robert96757 you are just another one of those selfish conservatives who only cares about america and no one else in the world. who are you to say that the attack was really from islamic extremists? because the bush administration told you? because of the media? and even if it was, why don't you take a look at your own goverment? the bush government is just as extreme on the other side as the islamic extremists with the total conservative christian ways of politics. i am not even gonna go into any conspiracy *** here, but take a look at the facts, the fact that military-industrial complex has taken over the your country and now your main economy is based on military productions and your country must always fight wars to bring back up the economy. you tell other people to imagine what they would say if one of those WMDs hit the US, i think you are the one who needs to imagine it then wake up and think about all those other people we are ALREADY being massacred by the american WMDs....and that's right your troops are quite literally baby killers in the fact that they did kill innocent women and children....all soldiers are like that it's inevitable when a war start....i am not the one to say whether it's their fault or not...but it's people that you that are supporting the killing innocent people as long as it's not YOUR OWN people...you selfish ***

[Grandpappybear]

Bin Laden, is dead even if he is still breathing. I think he is a weak dishonorable coward.(or was) To die of typhoid would be proof that he has no devine protection. Hope he gets his 50 virgins he should have that kind of trouble. He was a savage. Good bye and burn in hell Bin boy!!!!

[robert96757]

another conspiracy cook who thinks bush is evil when it turns out he is the only one who has done anything to protect our freedoms.im no bush lover, but when it comes to the war on terror hes dead on! it was a real attack from islamic extremist,and we have people like you, total idiots who think our administration is hitler. liberal,id start shutting up.its you who demize our troops,call them baby killers,and tell us to cut and run,and still blabber your debunked *** around the world trying to get people with common sense to believe you. you say you support freedom and the american way of life, then why go against our securitys,voting against homeland security, and you try to make it harder for our men and women, who fight for your right to be stupid.And dont even come up to me about Iraq, 500 WMDS found to me is a big thing, and no matter how old, if we were hit by those wmd's then what would you say.stop hating bush because hes a good president. remember, bush didnt start this war, it was before world war 1.read up on your history.We are a nation of freedom, and this religion of so called peace.wants to kill you and your family,and my friend,that isnt bush fault! I got a few words for you

GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS FREEDOM, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND GOD BLESS PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH, AS HE DOES WHAT NO OTHER WOULD DO, STAND UP FOR OUR FREEDOM THAT HAS BEEN THREATENED!

[dargay]

These reports are entirely based on "anonymous" officials.

[covergaa-2009]

who knows if he ever existed ,everybody says that they have seen,but it was yesterday or some *** like that we see the same video picture all the time,but never the person hell, he may have been created by the bush adminastration to justify all stupid intelligence to jusitify the beginning of another vietnam
i joke in first part but i still believe there is a little truth in the comparison .all we need are the monks burning themselves and you couldn't tell the difference
charles overgaard
valdosta ga.