Posted on 10/01/2001 6:40:38 PM PDT by freedomnews
Bin Laden’s Relatives Evacuated From NYC
Tuesday, 2 October 2001, 8:29 am
Article: The Scoop Editor
Patrick Tyler of the New York Times is reporting from Washington: "In the first days after the attacks on Sept. 11, the Saudi Arabian ambasador to Washington, Prince Bandar ibn Sultan, supervised the urgent evacuation of 24 members of Osama bin Laden's extended family from ther United States fearing they might be subjected to violence."
" The young members of the bin Laden clan were taken under FBI supervision to a secret assembly point in Texas and then flown to Washington, from which they left the United States on a private charter plane when airports reopened three days after the attacks."
The bin Laden family has extensive investments in the U.S. including the hi-tech telecommunications industry. The family's assests include properties in Florida, Texas, and New England: a $2 million stake in Carlyle Group, a Washington-based investment bank that specialises in defence and aerospace companies; a 6 percent stake in Hybridon Inc., a Massachusetts biomedical company; and investment ties with enterprises such as Citigroup and General Electric.
Harvard University has been the recipient of million dollar grants which coincided with the graduation from Harvard of one of Osama's nephews.
There is no word yet whether these companies or organisations will be investigated by the FBI or CIA as part of the crackdown of financing or involvement in global terrorism.
NEWS Report: Bin Laden Linked to Russia
THE ST. PETERSBURG TIMES
U.S. intelligence agencies have uncovered information that Russian criminal groups have been supplying Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaeda terrorist group with components for chemical, biological and even nuclear weapons, The Washington Times reported.
The Foreign Ministry called the report an attempt to undermine relations between the United States and Russia at a time of increased cooperation.
The Washington Times, citing U.S. officials speaking on condition of anonymity, reported last Wednesday that bin Laden is believed by U.S. intelligence to have a secret nuclear-weapons laboratory inside Afghanistan. This is believed to be one of the sites sought for U.S. military strikes, the newspaper said.
There is no hard evidence that bin Laden or his followers have actually produced chemical, biological or nuclear weapons. But bin Laden has worked with Russian mafia groups in obtaining components for weapons of mass destruction, according to officials familiar with the intelligence reports.
The U.S. State Department's latest report on international terrorism says that al-Qaeda continued to seek chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear capabilities, the newspaper said. Intelligence officials say al-Qaeda is probably trying to produce the nerve agent Sarin or biological weapons made up of anthrax spores.
A former State Department counterterrorism official, Larry Johnson, said the contacts between the Russian mafia and bin Laden could be related to drug trafficking and that such cooperation would not be surprising, the newspaper said.
The Foreign Ministry said the new report raises a question: "Why should such information be splashed out on newspaper pages instead of discussing it through the channels existing between our countries, including confidential ones?"
"One may get the impression that some in the United States oppose the positive tendency in Russian-American relations that has made itself felt recently," the ministry said in a statement carried by Interfax.
At the same time, military intelligence has reported that the brother of Bin Laden’s Filipino right-hand man has sneaked into the country to help the saboteurs make the bombs that would be used to sow terror in the metropolis.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the intelligence official said "raw reports" from various sources showed that the terrorists are in safe houses in different parts of Metro Manila awaiting the order to strike.
"We received information that they are just awaiting actions that would be taken by the US," he said.
But the intelligence official said police and military officials are taking the report seriously as the government would not want to be caught flat-footed in case of any emergency.
"We (intelligence community) are closely monitoring the situation although these reports are still considered raw information, but we’re not taking chances," the official said.
Intelligence reports said Talib, brother of a certain Amuran, who is reportedly a former Abu Sayyaf member, is helping the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) prepare and assemble bombs.
"Around 800 sympathizers of the Abu Sayyaf have committed themselves to joining a wave of terrorist bombings in Metro Manila for the next two months," intelligence reports said.
Intelligence reports said Kunting Ashraf, alias Abu Khalid, who is a student of Amuran, has also arrived in Metro Manila, along with five Abu Sayyaf and two MILF members for a still unknown mission.
The Abu Sayyaf has a tactical alliance with disgruntled members of the MILF and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF), intelligence reports added.
The intelligence official said authorities are looking into reports that some non-government organizations, set up by Bin Laden’s brother-in-law Mohammed Jamal Khalifa in the early 1990s, are conduits for foreign funds for the Abu Sayyaf.
Army officials said Bin Laden’s al-Qaeda group continues to finance the Abu Sayyaf based on information given by captured Abu Sayyaf leaders Nadzmie Sabdullah and Jimmy Theng.
Armed Forces chief Gen. Diomedio Villanueva said communications between the Abu Sayyaf and al-Qaeda have waned but remain open.
Good idea. Plant them in major landmarks around the U.S. and then prevent Osama from knowing their locations. Keep moving them around. If this seems unfair, we should remember that some of his relatives are still giving him large sums of money.
Maybe we should review who we get tough with.
Good Point.
From military exchanges to science exchanges, ect. Teachers, police, and open boarders.
Congress must accept some responsibilities from not protecting the United States citizens.
They have signed onto by the way of treaties and laws to this internatinal U.N. World Order.
Now, because of the mistakes Congress has made, they want to make laws for our freedom, constitution, and bill of rights to be taken away from us.
Everyone has the potential of having a black sheep in the family so I do not automatically condemn a criminal's relatives. One of Fidel Castro's harshest critics is his own sister, Juanita Castro.
Then again, I have not heard of these bin Ladin relatives condemning Osama. If they had, as Juanita condemns Fidel, we might view them in a different light.
Does anyone else find it interesting bin Laden has money in biomeds over here?
The California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS) is investing $425 million as part of a strategic financial relationship with the Carlyle Group. CalPERS initial funding will consist of a $250 million investment in various new Carlyle private equity funds and a $175 million investment for a minority equity stake in the Carlyle Group.
In addition, CalPERS has an option over the next two years to invest an additional $425 million as part of the relationship with Carlyle.
The Washington, D.C.-based Carlyle Group has offices around the world and manages over $12.5 billion of private equity capital in 14 active buyout, venture, real estate, high-yield, and energy funds. Founded in 1987, Carlyle has invested $5.2 billion in equity and achieved a 34 percent annual return.
"We have maintained a strong relationship with Carlyle over the past five years and have been very pleased with the firm's performance," said William D. Crist, president of CalPERS Board of Administration. "It was important to extend this relationship with an equity interest that will enable us to participate in the firm's growth and success."
CalPERS began its investment relationship with Carlyle in 1996 with an $80 million investment in Carlyle Partners II, L.P., and later made a $150 million investment in Carlyle Partners III, L.P. in 2000.
"We are convinced that our relationship with Carlyle will strengthen their global capabilities," said Michael Flaherman, chairman of CalPERS Investment Committee.
CalPERS provides retirement and health benefits to more than 1.2 million state and local public employees and their families. It has more than $16 billion invested or committed to be invested in the private equity arena, and total assets across all investment classes are approximately $170 billion.
The Carlyle Group is located on the web at http://www.thecarlylegroup.com.
Roy Mark writes for dc.internet.com, an internet.com site.
February 2, 2001
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