Source:
Yahoo! Australia & NZ News World News Headlines
http://au.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/
Bin Laden under house arrest: report
http://au.dailynews.yahoo.com/headlines/20010913/aapworld/1000336445-1141825578.html
Thursday 13 September 9:14 AM
Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia had placed alleged terrorist
mastermind Osama bin Laden under house arrest in the wake of the suicide
attacks on the United States, an Arabic online newspaper reported.
Quoting "fundamentalist Arab sources", Ilaf said the
"Taliban have arrested Osama bin Laden before placing him under
surveillance with several of his assistants,"
including the head of the Egyptian branch of Al-Jihad Ayman Al-Zawahri
and bin Laden's military commander, Muhammad Atef Al-Makni.
"A number of Afghan fighters are under house arrest along with bin
Laden," said the report late Wednesday.
But a diplomat at the Taliban's embassy in Abu Dhabi said he could not
confirm the report.
"All we know is that he (bin Laden) is somewhere in Afghanistan, but
we are not aware if he is under house arrest," the diplomat
said.
Bin Laden and commander Atef have been indicted for the 1998 bombings of
the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
Bin Laden has emerged as the prime suspects in yesterday's kamikaze
hijacked passenger jet strikes on New York and Washington.