Intercepts, calls being analysed

By Sridhar Krishnaswami

NEW YORK, SEPT. 12. The hunt is on for those responsible for the horrific acts of terror on Tuesday in New York and Washington which many believe have claimed thousands of lives.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation is said to be looking at the last minute intercepts and desperate phone calls from air crash victims from their cell phones to put together the pieces of the puzzle.

The focus is not just on those directly responsible for the tragedies in the two American cities; rather it is also on those sympathisers and people who may have harboured the terrorists. And if the U.S. has its way, there is also the determination to get to the mastermind, currently believed to be Osama bin Laden.

``Everything is pointing in the direction of Osama bin Laden,'' says the top Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Mr. Hatch has been quoted as saying that the intelligence agencies have identified a supporter of bin Laden in one of the flight manifests and also by way of an communications intercept.

``They have an intercept of some communication that included people associated with bin Laden who acknowledged a couple of targets were hit,'' Mr. Hatch has said. But officials of the Bush administration even if ``almost'' sure that initial evidence pointed to the Saudi fugitive are acting with caution.

The planning and pattern of execution of the horrendous acts point to an established organisation with a lot of organisation and support, not some group that sits on the fringes of extremism and takes credit. Even if law enforcement agencies will act on every tip and take note of every claim of responsibility, the ``doability'' of the acts by any particular group will be the focus of attention.

If the intelligence agencies are fanning across the country and overseas, a particular focus is on specific areas within this country where sympathisers of radical groups including Osama bin Laden reside. And one report has it that federal agents have sought search warrants in Florida where suspected sympathisers of Osama bin Laden are believed to be operating.

There is no doubt that if the Bush administration makes the determination that Osama bin Laden and his organisation have been behind Tuesday's attack in New York and Washington, the retribution will be swift and severe. And for the most part, Afghanistan which is already reeling under war and unrest for the last two decades will face the brunt of the attack in spite of all that the Taliban may have to say about bin Laden's innocence.

That Washington may be on the verge of unleashing its military might and wherewithal on Afghanistan is seen in the fact that the United Nations has already started moving out its 80-odd expatriate workers from the country. The U.N. Envoy to Afghanistan, Mr. Francesc Vandrell, has said that if indeed the U.S. makes the determination that Osama bin Laden is behind the terrorist hits there would be ``incalculable consequences'' for Afghanistan.

At present, the Bush administration is faced with two alternatives. On the one hand there are people who are saying that Washington must right away hit bin Laden and his associates given the preliminary evidence. The rationale is that waiting for all the information to trickle in will take the sting away from the response.

On the other hand, there is the argument that by rushing in to attack bin Laden and Afghanistan, the United States will be no different than what the terrorists have done - killing innocent people. This group makes the point that only after marshalling compelling evidence the United States should pursue the attackers and with such resolute force that would make terrorists think many times before indulging in wanton acts of terror.

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Section  : International
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