(Washington Post) Craig Whitlock - The back-to-back nature of the deadly attacks in Egypt and London, as well as similarities in the methods used, suggests that the al-Qaeda leadership may have given the orders for both operations and is a clear sign that bin Laden and his deputies remain in control of the network, according to counterterrorism analysts and government officials in Europe and the Middle East. The analysts also said the recent attacks indicate that the nerve center of the original al-Qaeda network remains alive and well, and is fully capable of orchestrating attacks worldwide by recruiting local groups to do its bidding. Intelligence officials say there is increasing evidence that several of the deadliest bombings against civilian targets in recent years can be traced back to suspected mid-level al-Qaeda operatives acting on behalf of bin Laden and the network's leadership.
2005-07-25 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive