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| A French newspaper rings the alarm bells | | 'Osama bin Laden died in Pakistan last month' | |
Early TImes New Delhi Bureau
NEW DELHI, SEPT. 23
India's intelligence community has been set in motion, making frantic attempts to know the fact following the big sensation triggered by a French newspaper on Saturday when it claimed that Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan last month. Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, who is currently holding the country's External Affairs portfolio, was apprised of the highly sensational media report from Paris.
And the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), which has direct operational and administrative control over India's external intelligence agency, RAW (Research and Analysis Wing), was reported to have called for "discreet" monitoring of events after the reported death of Osama bin Laden. Obviously, monitoring of events would cover the neighbouring countries, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
However, it was officially stated in Islamabad Saturday afternoon that Pakistan had receivedc "no information from any foreign government" that would corroborate a French newspaper report that Al Qaeda leader, Osama bin Laden, died of typhoid in Pakistan last month. French publication, The daily L'Est Republicain, reported that, according to a French secret service report, Saudi Arabia was convinced that Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan in late August 2006.
Defence Ministry of France said on Saturday that a secret service report saying Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden had died could not be confirmed but said that it would launch an inquiry into the leak of secret documents. The Defence Ministry issued the statement after the French regional newspaper, L’Est Republicain, published a report quoting a French secret service report as saying Saudi Arabia is convinced Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden died of typhoid in Pakistan last month.
“The information published this morning in the L’Est Republicain newspaper relating to the supposed death of Osama bin Laden cannot be confirmed,” the Defence Ministry said, adding that the French Defence Minister has asked that an inquiry be carried out to determine the origin of the leak that can be punished by criminal charges.
The newspaper printed what it said was a copy of the report dated Sept. 21 and said that it was shown to President Jacques Chirac, Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin and France’s Interior and Defence Ministers on the same day. And the document was quoted as saying: "According to a usually reliable source, the Saudi services are now convinced that Osama bin Laden is dead".
It added: “The information gathered by the Saudis indicates that the head of Al Qaeda was a victim while he was in Pakistan on Aug. 23, 2006, of a very serious case of typhoid which led to a partial paralysis of his internal organs". The report, which was stamped with a “confidential defence” label and the initials of the French secret service, said Saudi Arabia first heard the information on Sept. 4 and that it was waiting for more details before making an official announcement.
Saudi-born bin Laden was based in Afghanistan until the Taliban government there was overthrown by US-backed forces in 2001. Since then, US and Pakistani officials have regularly said they believe he is hiding somewhere on the rugged border between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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