AFGHANISTAN: The al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was alive in late December, which means he survived a US assault on caves in Tora Bora in Afghanistan, Time magazine has reported.
Evidence that he was alive came in the form of a letter from him to his operations chief, Abu Zubaydah, which was found among the papers that Zubaydah was carrying when he was arrested in Pakistan in March, Time reported.
The hand-written note urges Zubaydah to continue fighting the US even if something happens to bin Laden. Zubaydah is now in US custody.
Meanwhile the Pakistani President, Gen Pervez Musharraf, said he thought bin Laden was probably not alive, but if he was he could not be in Pakistan.
"If he was alive, he obviously would be moving with a large entourage of local people and therefore they would like to have a safe haven, a large area for themselves," Gen Musharraf told a news conference.
There has been speculation bin Laden could have fled from Afghanistan to neighbouring Pakistan and taken shelter either in the country's lawless tribal areas or even its vast cities. - (Reuters)