Al-Qaeda is Re-Establishing Camps Across the Border from Afghanistan to Pakistan, Time Reports

NEW YORK/LONDON 21. 10. 2002 (ots/APROTEXT) - Saudi DissidentSays Those in al-Qaeda Circles Talk of Second Big Attack.

Before 9/11 Bin Laden said: 'The first attack is going to bethis size,' pointing to the tip of his finger, 'and the next isgoing to be this size,' indicating the whole length of hisfinger.'

U.S. Looking into Port of Assab in Eritrea as Naval Base toKeep Eye on Traffic Between Yemen, Sudan and Somalia.

U.S. security sources in Afghanistan tell TIME that there isnow clear evidence that al-Qaeda is re- establishing camps acrossthe border from Afghanistan in Pakistan. TIME's cover story, "Al-Qaeda: Alive and Ticking," will be on newsstands Monday, October21.

On a recent trip, a TIME reporter accompanied paratroopersfrom Task Force Panther, based in southeastern Afghanistan, asthey patrolled the frontier. Capt. Patrick Willis of the 82ndAirborne, says camps in Pakistan around the town of Mirim Shahare training men in bombing and the use of mines. "They have thesame infrastructure they had in Afghanistan," says Willis. "A lotof it has just moved east. They continue to recruit from theyoung impressionable men in the area." U.S. military intelligencebelieves al- Qaeda has built the new camps intentionally small soas not to provoke a clampdown from Pakistan's government.

From the camps, convoys of trucks go up well-maintained roadsthat seem to lead nowhere. In fact, they end in tiny Afghanvillages just across the border, where the trucks dump ammunitionand weapons in safe houses. Later, according to U.S. Armyofficials, small groups of between four and a dozen terroristsfrom the camps cross the border amid the flow of civiliantraffic. Once inside Afghanistan, the Americans say, theterrorists are assisted by abettors who provide money, pass oninformation about U.S. troop movements and safeguard supplies.Loaded with equipment and intelligence, the al-Qaeda forces thenmove out to harass American troops. Since the U.S. forces cannotcross into Pakistan, they can only try to catch the terroristsafter they re-enter Afghanistan.

Saad al Fagih, a London-based Saudi dissident, says those incircles close to al-Qaeda these days talk with "strangeconfidence" about a second big attack against the U.S. "BeforeSeptember 11, bin Laden would talk in general terms about amajor attack coming and a major, major attack following," says alFagih. "He would say, 'The first attack is going to be thissize,' pointing to the tip of his finger, 'and the next is goingto be this size,' indicating the whole length of his finger."

Sources also tell TIME that the U.S. is looking to use theport of Assab, in Eritrea, as a naval base to keep an eye ontraffic between Yemen, Sudan and Somalia.

go tohttp://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,366218,00.html

For further information or interview with TIME journalistsplease contact:

Emma Gilpin

Heather Tomlinson Director of Public Affairs

PR Manager TIME Europe

TIME Europe T: +44 (0) 207 322 1193

T: + 44 (0) 207 322 1034 M: +44 (0)7802 955243

M: + 44 (0) 7734 072662 Email: emma.gilpin@timeinc.com

Email: heather.tomlinson@timeinc.com

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