World

Bin Laden Still In Afghanistan

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

February 18, 1999 / 4:45 PM EST / CBS

For two weeks now, rumors have spread that Osama bin Laden, the renegade Saudi millionaire who has sworn war on the United States, has left his hideout in Afghanistan and disappeared.

On Wednesday, when leaders of the Taliban, the Islamic militia that controls much of Afghanistan, visited the State Department, they said the same thing. "He was there in our control area, but since he left we do not know where he is," a Taliban leader said.

Senior U.S. officials tells CBS News Correspondent Jim Stewart however, that they don't think that's entirely accurate. Bin Laden, they say, is still in Afghanistan, and although not directly under Taliban control any more, continues to plot his revenge against America for a cruise missile attack against his base camp last August.

That attack came in retaliation for bin Laden's alleged role in attacks against two U.S. embassies in east Africa.

U.S. officials further say they believe that "constant monitoring" of bin Laden has now "significantly limited" his ability to launch terrorist strikes, and that he "may have suffered" an illness recently, although no details of the illness were provided.

Kenneth Katzman, a terrorist expert working for Congress, says U.S. pressure has kept bin Laden on the move lately. "Good old fashioned detective work really has put some hurt on Mr. bin Laden," Katzman said. "He has not gotten a clear shot at any U.S. embassies abroad. They have arrested quite a few of his cells, his networks."

Bin Laden is far from out of business, however. He is believed to travel with as many as 200 militiamen sworn to protect him, as well as a smaller group of about 10 senior advisers. And, officials admit, he still has access to a personal fortune estimated at about $200 million.