Al-Qaeda

CIA Hired Blackwater to Kill al-Qaida Operatives
A failed CIA program involved contracting with mercenaries from Blackwater to kill high ranking members of al-Qaida.

Obama Blamed by al-Qaeda Operative for the Gaza Turmoil
Number two in command of al-Qaeda makes incongruous statements about President-elect Obama’s role in the Gaza Strip bombings.

Al Qaeda Prisoners "Pinky Swear" to be Good; Released from Prison
The Saudi royal family has released 1,500 members of Al Qaeda who promise to be good.

Jersey Residents Have Ties to Al-Qaida
FBI officials have reported that several New Jersey residents have ties to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida.

Insurgent Leaders Split with Al Qaeda
In what appears to be a long-awaited break for U.S. troops in Iraq, Al Qaeda may be losing a number of allies in the embattled country. The split comes on the tail of the killings of 12 in Shia vs. Sunni battles.

Muslims Not Satisfied by Pope’s Regret for Inflammatory Comments
Al Qaeda issued a statement Monday warning Pope Benedict XVI that the war against the West and Christianity will continue until Islam takes over the world.

The Far Enemy: The New Definition of Jihad
The infighting between factions of jihadis and gives a clearer picture of the role Al Qaeda plays among militant Muslims.

The Far Enemy: Why Jihad Went Global
The Iraq War: Planting the Seeds of Al Qaeda’s Second Generation. Middle east expert Fawaz Gerges introduces his new book, "The Far Enemy" concerning the infighting between factions of jihadis and gives a clearer picture of the role Al Qaeda plays among militant Muslims.

Federal Judge’s Ruling: Charge Jose Padilla or Release Him
A federal judge in South Carolina ruled that the U.S. government cannot continue to hold Jose Padilla, arrested years ago and suspected of plotting with Al Qaeda to commit terrorist acts in the United States, unless they bring charges against him.

Al-Qaida Chief Killed in Pakistan, Us Claims
Counter-terrorism official says Usama-al-Kini died in air strike in South Waziristan

14 Al-qaida Suspects Held As Europe's Leaders Gather in Brussels
Arrests take place during series of raids and include suspects under surveillance

Al-Qaida Leader Uses Racial Abuse to Attack Obama
Ayman al-Zawahiri also claimed US president-elect formed ties with Jewish organizations for political purposes

US Forces Staged More Than a Dozen Foreign Raids Against Al-qaida
Former CIA official lifts lid on America's secret anti-terror operations under condition of anonymity

US Authorised Forces to Carry Out Raids in Middle East, Asia and Africa
The US has authorized its special forces to carry out more than a dozen raids in countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa over the last four years in its hunt for al-Qaida

Warning to British Travellers As Bali Bombers Are Buried
Al-Qaida supporters may launch attacks against foreigners in retaliation for execution of three of the Bali bombers

Official Fined for Leaving Al-qaida Papers on Train
Seconded MoD man also suffers pay cut and demotion after losing 'top-secret' security files

Cyber-attack Theory As Al-qaida Websites Close
Analysts suspect western intelligence agencies targeting propaganda sites in new front in 'war on terror'

Al Qaeda, US Administration, and Kurdish Gangster Talebani: An Unholy Alliance
The Aramaean Christian Exodus from Mesopotamia is Anathema for both, the blind world of Islam, and the evil realm of the West.

Battle Against Al-qaida Brand Highlighted in Secret Paper
Private sector PR firms may be involved in work to challenge group's image as champion of victims

Terrorist Opera Set to Storm the Theatre World
Al-Qaeda love story ends in Camp X-Ray as composers use music to explore global nightmare

What Al-qaida Did to Us - Part Three
Tomorrow is the third anniversary of the epoch-shaping onslaught on New York and Washington but a string of other al-Qaida attacks since 1998 has left little mark on our consciousness. What has terrorism done to the lives of ordinary people from Casablanca to Karachi? Our team of reporters asked nine people living in the shadow of the bombers

Al-Qaida: Bin Laden's Driver is Given Light Sentence
US military panel rule that Salim Hamdan should serve five and a half years

Salim Ahmed Hamdan: Profile
Salim Ahmed Hamdan was the first al-Qaida suspect to be charged at Guantanamo Bay

Al-Qaida Confirms Death of Poisons Expert in Pakistan
Midhat Mursi, accused by the US of training hundreds of terrorists, has been killed by a CIA drone aircraft

Warning on Al-qaeda's New Female Recruits
European intelligence chiefs launch a major investigation into threat posed by female Islamic militants

The Not-so-winnable War Against Terrorism
Jason Burke: Al-Qaida's unorthodox structure means the terrorist organization is unlikely to ever face total defeat

Al-Qaida: Saudia Arabia Arrests 700 'militants' in Six Months
Figure suggests al-Qaida is still a significant threat despite the perception it has been effectively beaten in the kingdom

Embassy Warns Britons in Uae of Terror Threat
Conservative Muslim country hosts 100,000 British expatriates and could be considered a 'soft' target by al-Qaida

Secret Al-qaida Report Found on London Train
Police anti-terror squad launches investigation after top secret intelligence documents were left on train and handed to BBC

Has Bin Laden Lost His Way?
Jason Burke: Al-Qaida is doomed to progressive marginalization. But it is a process that will take decades

Experts Fear New Front With Al-qaida As Terror Group Switches Focus From Iraq
Concern as Somalia, north Africa and Yemen attract 'western jihadists', with five bombings in Algeria in last week alone

CIA Claims Al-qaida is on Defensive
Ewen MacAskill: Al-Qaida defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia and on defensive throughout rest of world, CIA claim

Al-Qaeda Chief Dies in Missile Air Strike
The death of a senior militant in a controversial hit has led to claims of the terror group's defeat

Students Urged to Challenge Extremists
Threat of al-Qaeda-influenced extremists recruiting in Britain's universities is considered real and credible

CIA Chief Claims Al-qaida Essentially Defeated in Iraq and Saudi Arabia
Upbeat assessment from Michael Hayden comes less than a year after US intelligence reported that al-Qaida had rebuilt its strength around the world

Time to Talk to Al-qaida, Senior Police Chief Urges
Britain should negotiate with leaders of al-Qaida as part of a new strategy to end its violent campaign

Court is Asked to Quash Order to Supply Notes on Islamist Book
Author challenges police's order to supply material used in writing his book Leaving al Qaeda

Al-Qaida Leader in Iraq Captured During Mosul Raid
Abu Ayyub al-Masri arrested during police raid, Iraqi officials say

Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader 'arrested'
Abu Ayyub al-Masri captured by Iraqi troops in northern city of Mosul, Iraqi defence ministry says

Appeal Judges Bar Removal of 'key Al-qaida Deputy'
Appeal court blocked the removal of the Jordanian Abu Qatada, and two Libyans

Al-Qaida Could Be Beaten in a Few Years, Says Head of Fbi
US security chief's prediction goes beyond what counter terrorism officials and government ministers in Britain suggest

Al-Qaida Deputy Goes Online to Justify Attacks
In Q&A, Zawahiri denies innocent people killed and claims Bin Laden is 'healthy and well'

Sunni Militia Strike Could Derail Us Strategy Against Al-qaida
Fighters accuse the US military of using them to clear al-Qaida militants from dangerous areas and then abandoning them

New Bin Laden Message Attacks Eu Over Cartoons
Newly publicized message purportedly from the al-Qaida leader threatens EU over Muhammad cartoons row

Trade in Stolen Iraqi Treasures 'fuels Al-qaida'
A flourishing underground trade in antiquities is helping fund insurgents in the war-torn country

We Talked to the Ira, So Why Can't We Talk to Al-qaida?
Jackie Ashley: A former adviser to Blair says we should keep lines open to terrorists. It was rubbished by No 10, but he's right

Top Blair Aide: We Must Talk to Al-qaida
Former No 10 chief says governments must talk to terror groups if they hope to secure a long-term halt to their violence

Terror Talks: Would Contacting Al-qaida Be a Step Too Far?
Experts sympathize with Powell's view on need for dialog with the enemy

Friend of 7/7 Bombers Jailed for Possessing Al-qaida Cd
Father of three jailed for 16 months after downloading al-Qaida training manual

Patrolling Al-qaida's Last Baghdad Stronghold
David Smith on the three weeks he spent embedded with the US military in al-Hadar, in southern Baghdad

Legal Challenges to Military Tribunals Could Tie Up Trial of 9/11 Suspects for Years
Six al-Qaida suspects accused of organizing 9/11 attacks to be put on trial through Guantánamo's military tribunals

Patrolling Al-qaida's Last Baghdad Stronghold
David Smith on the three weeks he spent embedded with the US military in al-Hadar, in southern Baghdad

Captured Videos Show 'al-qaida Children' Training to Kidnap and Assassinate, Says Us
'Disturbing trend' to exploit children in Iraq · Coalition forces admit holding 600 juveniles

CIA Admit 'waterboarding' Al-qaida Suspects
CIA interrogators used water boarding on three al-Qaida suspects just after the September 11 attacks, the CIA admitted today

Demise of Al-qaida's 'number Three'
If Abu Laith al-Libi is indeed dead, then there is a certain inevitability to his sudden demise

Five Dead After Turkish Raid on Suspected Al-qaida Cells
Police officer and four militants killed during operation in south-eastern city of Gaziantrep

Turkish Police Raid Suspected Al-qaida Cells
At least two killed including a police officer during operation in south-eastern city of Gaziantrep

US Drops 18 Tonnes of Explosives on Al-qaida 'safe Havens' in Iraq
American planes yesterday mounted the biggest recent air strikes of the Iraq war, pounding what the US military called al-Qaida 'safe havens' south of Baghdad

US Targets Al-qaida Insurgents With Massive Air Strikes
Planes drop 40,000lb of explosives during 10-minute blitz on 40 targets on the southern outskirts of Baghdad

Waziristan: the Hub of Al-qaida Operations
Killing of eight tribal elders is latest violent incident in a region renowned for bloodshed

Al-Qaeda 'only One of Many' Major Security Threats to Uk
Globalisation and climate change are perils, says ex-spy chief

Patrolling Al-qaida's Last Baghdad Stronghold
David Smith on the three weeks he spent embedded with the US military in al-Hadar, in southern Baghdad

45 Killed in Algeria Blasts
Car bomb explosions will increase fears al-Qaida has opened up new front line in the Maghreb

CIA Destroyed Video of 'waterboarding' Al-qaida Detainees
The CIA destroyed video evidence of the coercive interrogation of al-Qaida operatives held under its secret rendition program in order to shield agents from prosecution, it was revealed yesterday

Upbeat Us Military Claims It Has Forced Al-qaida Out of Iraqi Capital
· Number of murders cut by 80%, commander says · European analysts cast doubt on assessment

White House Denies Mishandling Al-qaida Tip-off
The Bush administration today was accused of compromising surveillance of al-Qaida by leaking a video of Osama bin Laden 20 minutes after it received a copy from a small private intelligence firm.

Resurgent Al-qaida Plotting Attacks on West From Tribal Sanctuary, Officials Fear
Violence flares in Waziristan as President Musharraf battles to retain power.

Al-Qaida Will Take Decades to Eradicate, Thinktank Says
'Adaptable, resilient' al-Qaida is skilfully propagating its extremist ideology, says International Institute of Strategic Studies

The Al Qaeda Reader: Martyrdom or Mortardom?
A Commentary on Raymond Ibrahim's recent release. Why should you read the Al Qaeda Reader by Raymond Ibrahim? What you have missed in the Media's soundbite portrayal of Al Qaeda's message? An answer to Reza Aslan's dismissive review in Slate Magazine

Pakistan's Release of Al-qaida Suspect Upsets Us and Uk
· Alleged mastermind out of jail after three years · Western analysts claim man is significant threat

Violence Won't Work: How Author of 'jihadists' Bible' Stirred Up a Storm
Revisionist message from prison cell shakes al-Qaida colleagues.

In Town Split in Two By Al-qaida, a Ray of Hope for the Country
As US digests mixed report on war strategy, one community says it is time to rebuild.

US Report Says Al-qaida Regaining Strength
Al-Qaida has rebuilt its strength around the world over the last six years and is well placed to launch fresh attacks, according to a classified US national intelligence report.

Al-Qaida Threatens Uk Over Rushdie Honour
Al-Qaida today threatened Britain with retaliation for the knighthood the UK awarded to the novelist Salman Rushdie, a US-based intelligence group said.

Al-Qaida's Deputy Leader Threatens Retaliation for Rushdie's Knighthood
Audio message addresses Gordon Brown directly - Award not meant to insult Muslims, says UK official

Al-Qaida Linked to Baghdad Hotel Bombing
Sunni extremists with links to al-Qaida today said a suicide bombing that killed several tribal leaders at a Baghdad hotel was in retaliation for the rape of a Sunni Muslim woman.

US Arms Sunni Dissidents in Risky Bid to Contain Al-qaida Fighters in Iraq
Guns and equipment already handed over - Insurgents promise not to attack Americans

The Six-day War is Not Over. Today, It Brings the Spectre of Al-qaida in Gaza
Victory in 1967 was as much curse as blessing. It paved the way for 40 years of mortal, political and moral disaster. By Jonathan Freedland

Al-Qaida Says It Has Captured Three Us Soldiers
Thousands of US troops look for missing men - Suicide bombing kills 50 Iraqi civilians

African Liberation Fronts and al Qaeda: a Most Disastrous Confusion
You cannot save the collapsing, bogus-Ethiopian Tyranny; save at least Africa from the clutches of Islamic Terrorism!

AL QAEDA: The Chameleon Enemy
Our mindless and genocidal response to an horrific event has created such bitter and enduring hatred that a growing number of our enemies are willing to assume the brand name of the miscreants made famous by the eleventh of September.

Leader of Al-qaida in Iraq Reported Killed in Shootout
The US military and the Iraqi government were seeking yesterday to establish whether the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been killed in a shoot-out in Anbar province.

Al-Qaida in Iraq Leader Abu Ayyub Al-masri Believed Dead
The al-Qaida in Iraq leader, Abu Ayyub al-Masri, has been killed in a fight between insurgents north of Baghdad, the interior ministry claimed today.

Iranian Tip-off May Have Led Americans to Al-qaeda Leader
A major in Saddam's army, believed to have masterminded the London bombings, could have been betrayed in Tehran, reports Jason Burke.

Top Al-qaida Man Caught Trying to Enter Iraq
Commander had called for large scale attack on UK - Captive seized by US and flown to Guantánamo

Catching Them Young
Al Qaeda and the Taliban will do what it takes to brainwash as many of the gullible and disenfranchised as it can into subscribing to their twisted cause. Their latest effort, however, touches a new low – even for them.

Al-Qaida Group Claims Algerian Bombs
A group with links to al-Qaida today said it carried out the bombings in Algiers that killed at least 30 people and injured more than 80.

Al-Qaida Suspect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed 'confesses' to Killing Journalist Daniel Pearl
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged No 3 in al-Qaida, confessed to personally beheading the kidnapped US journalist Daniel Pearl, according to an updated transcript of his appearance before a military tribunal issued today.

Al-Qaida Suspect Says He Beheaded Pearl
Gruesome claim detailed in Pentagon transcript - Detainee's boast of link to 31 plots said to be feasible

'High Value' Hearings Begin at Guantánamo Bay
The US opened military hearings at Guantánamo Bay today into the 14 suspects described as "high value", allegedly the most dangerous of all the inmates with direct links to al-Qaida.

Al-qaida Back in Business
World Briefing: Fears that a resurgent al-Qaida is planning a stepped-up offensive against "soft" western targets are driving an intensifying debate inside and outside the Bush administration over how to counter the threat. By Simon Tisdall

Iraq's Al-qaida Chief Wounded, Claim Local Police
Security forces have wounded al-Qaida's top man in Iraq in a clash north of Baghdad, Iraqi government officials said today.

Jihad Versus the Knights of Justice: Inside Jordan's War on Al-qaida
Fear of secret police tempers popular support for anti-terrorism measures.

Pakistan Hits 'al-qaida Hideouts' Near Afghan Border
A Pakistani military strike against an alleged al-Qaida hideout in the lawless tribal areas near the border with Afghanistan left at least 10 people dead early this morning.

US Launches Air Strikes at Al-qaida Suspects
At least 27 killed as 'war on terror' moves to land of Black Hawk Down disaster.

In the Heartland of a Mysterious Enemy, Us Troops Battle to Survive
In the final part of our series, Declan Walsh visits Korengal Valley, an al-Qaida hotspot and insurgents' stronghold.

Al-Qaida 'planted Information to Encourage Us Invasion'
A senior al-Qaida operative deliberately planted information to encourage the US to invade Iraq, a double agent who infiltrated the network and spied for western intelligence agencies claimed last night.

Confusion Over Fate of Al-qaida in Iraq Leader After Four Die in Raid
Iraqi and US officials were plunged into confusion yesterday over reports that Iraq's most wanted man, the al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, had been killed in a raid earlier this week in Haditha.

US Denies Claims Al-qaida in Iraq Leader is Dead
US forces in Iraq today denied reports that the new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq was killed in an air strike and ground assault.

Iraqi Tribes Launch Battle to Drive Al-qaida Out of Troubled Province
· Anger at insurgent attacks provokes backlash · Baghdad PM backs tribal fighters with cash gifts

Bush is a Lying Failure, Says Al-qaida Number Two
Al-Qaida's second-in-command has branded George Bush a "lying failure" and urged Christians to convert to Islam in the wake of Pope Benedict XVI's recent remarks about the Islamic faith.

4,000 Fighters Killed, 'al-qaida in Iraq' Tape Claims
The new leader of al-Qaida in Iraq has admitted that more than 4,000 foreign fighters have been killed in the country since the US-led invasion in 2003, according to an internet recording.

Angry Clinton Defends Record on Fighting Al-qaida
Former US president Bill Clinton reacted angrily in a television interview yesterday to recent criticism of his failure to capture Osama bin Laden, accusing 'President Bush's neocons' of failing to act until after the attacks of September 11 2001.

Ruin and Defeat Await You, Al-qaida Tells West
Western forces in Iraq and Afghanistan are 'fighting their last battles', al-Qaida's deputy leader says in a new video apparently timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks in New York and Washington.

Al-Qaida Tape Warns of New Attacks
A taped message from Osama bin Laden's deputy, broadcast today on the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, has warned of further terror strikes.

It May Well Take 20 Years. But Al-qaeda's Days Are Numbered
Five years after 9/11, Osama bin Laden waits in vain for a Muslim 'awakening'. The lure of the West is just too powerful a force. By Jason Burke

Arrest Deals 'fatal Blow' to Al-qaida in Iraq
· Capture of senior jihadist creates 'leadership crisis' · Gloomy Pentagon report raises fear of civil war

Irish 'in Denial' Over Threat By Al-qaeda
Irish society is in denial over the threat of Islamic fundamentalist terrorism on its soil, an expert in counter-terrorism has warned.

Pakistan Links Al-qaida's Number Two to Plot
Pakistan believes the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic passenger jets was sanctioned by al-Qaida's second in command, it was reported today.

Pakistan Says Al-qaida Link to Plot Found
Organisation's number three identified as main planner by security sources.

Pakistan Says 'ringleader' Admits Link With Al-qaida
Arrested Briton has given 'many clues' but campaigners say he was tortured.

Terror Plot: Pakistan and Al-qaida Links Revealed
· Key suspect seized on Afghan border · Arrested men attended Islamic camps · Martyrdom tapes found during searches · Tip-off came from Muslim informer

US Officials Suggest Al-qaida Link to 'aircraft Terror Plot'
US authorities announced a major tightening of airport security today, banning all liquids and gels from aircraft cabins except for baby formula and medicines, and raising the official terror threat level throughout the aviation system.

Security Forces Kill Six Suspected Al-qaida Men
Saudi security forces stormed a suspected al-Qaida hideout in the capital early yesterday, killing six militants in a gun battle.

Saudi Forces Shoot Dead Six Al-qaida Men
Saudi security forces stormed a suspected al-Qaida hideout in the capital early today, killing six militants in a gun battle, according to the interior ministry and local media.

Al-Qaida Tape Calls for Fresh Wave of Violence in Afghanistan
Al-Qaida stepped up its propaganda war against foreign troops in Afghanistan yesterday through a fresh video by deputy leader Ayman al-Zawahiri urging Afghans to rise against "infidel invaders".

Al-Qaida Claims 'revenge for Zarqawi'
· Group says its new leader in Iraq killed US soldiers · Discovery of bodies brings US toll to 2,505 · Leak reveals US ambassador's pessimism · Leak reveals US ambassador's pessimism

Al-Qaida Cell 'plotted Gas Attack' on New York Subway
An al-Qaida plan for a gas attack on the New York subway system, a "second wave" that could have been more destructive than 9/11, was called off just weeks before it was due to be carried out in early 2003, according to a new book.

'Beginning of End' for Al-qaida in Iraq
· 'Intelligence haul' after Zarqawi death · US says 2,500 troops killed in conflict

Zarqawi Died 52 Minutes After Air Strike, Us Says
· Autopsy finds 'no evidence' of beating or gunshots · Al-Qaida in Iraq names new leader

Zarqawi Group Uses Website to Promise New Attacks
Al-Qaida in Iraq, the militant group created by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, issued a defiant declaration on an extremist website yesterday, vowing to "prepare major attacks that will shake the enemy like an earthquake and rattle them out of sleep".

Zarqawi Was Alive When Us Forces Arrived at Bomb Scene
Abu Musab al-Zarqawi initially survived the US air strike on his al-Qaida safe house and tried to escape from US special forces as they arrived on the scene, it emerged yesterday.

A Remote Farm Surrounded By Date Palms - Zarqawi's Last Hiding Place
Intelligence on al-Qaida leader's whereabouts enabled US aircraft to pinpoint building and drop two 500lb bombs.

Poor Bedouin Who Became a Butcher
From petty criminal in Jordan to al-Qaida leader in Iraq.

Zarqawi Death a 'significant Blow' to Al-qaida
A statement by US General George Casey announcing the death of the leader of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

'Bin Laden' Tape Says Tv Journalists Have No Al-qaida Links
A new tape recording purportedly from Osama bin Laden claims that two al-Jazeera journalists who have been imprisoned have nothing to do with al-Qaida. By Julia Day.

Army Report on Al-qaida Accuses Rumsfeld
Defence secretary was 'involved' in interrogation · 'Where was the throttle on this stuff?' asks general.

The Trailer Park Hq Where the 'long War' is Being Waged
Since the autumn of 2001, when George Bush declared the 'global war on terror', Fort MacDill has been the nerve centre of the US-led coalitions against al-Qaida and its affiliates.

Abbas Claims Al-qaida is Operating in Gaza
· Palestinian leader says infiltration can ruin region · Hamas part of global terrorism, says Israel

Iran: Revolt Against Terror?
Did Iran Aid Terrorist Transit? In 1996, after the Taliban seized power, Osama bin Laden relocated to Afghanistan where he established a number of terrorist training camps. Al-Qaeda training attracted a steady stream of young Islamists, many of whom transited Iran. While Iranian border officials normally stamp passports, they made an exception for many Al-Qaeda terrorists. The 9-11 Commission explained how this facilitated Al-Qaeda operations:

30 Hurt As Taliban and Al-qaida Prisoners Lead Revolt at Afghan Prison
· Uprising prompted by new uniform regulations · Soldiers surround jail to prevent mass escape

Al Qaeda has better PR: Rumsfeld
The Pentagon's propaganda machine still operates mostly eight hours a day, five or six days a week while the challenges it faces occur 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Exclusive report from Vipin Agnihotri

Batman Returns to Wage War on Al-qaida
Holy terror, Batman! Gotham's under attack, and the caped crusader is the only one who can kick al-Qaida's butt.

Bush Tells of Al-qaida Plot to Fly Jet Into Tallest Building in Los Angeles
· Architect of 9/11 planned to use Asian recruits · Several states collaborated to foil new attack, US told

Interpol Alert for Al-qaida Militants Who Tunnelled Out of Prison in Yemen
Interpol was on worldwide alert yesterday after 13 al-Qaida militants convicted of attacking the American warship USS Cole and French supertanker Limburg escaped from jail in Yemen along with 10 other prisoners, according to a government-run website.

Interpol Alert: 23 Terrorists Escape Yemeni Prison
Interpol has issued an Orange Alert for 23 suspected Al Qaeda operatives. They present a clear and present danger to us all.

MI6 and Cia 'sent Student to Morocco to Be Tortured'
An Ethiopian claims that his confession to al-Qaeda bomb plot was signed after beatings, reports David Rose in New York

Prewar Claims 'sourced From Rendition Detainee'
The practice of 'extraordinary rendition' was today again in the spotlight with claims that the detainee who supplied the Bush administration's pre-war claims linking al-Qaida to Iraq was in Egyptian custody.

From African Bush to Scotland Yard - the Murder Trail That Led to Al-qaida
Eight sentenced to death in Somaliland for murder of British couple caught in killing campaign.

Husband and Wife Among Bombers, Claims Al-qaida
A husband and wife team blew themselves up at one of the Jordanian hotels attacked on Wednesday, al-Qaida said yesterday. In its third statement posted on the internet, al-Qaida in Iraq said that it had sent four Iraqis to Jordan to launch suicide attacks, including the wife of one of the bombers.

Al-Qaida Group Claims Jordan Attacks
The al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist organisation today claimed responsibility for the suicide attacks in Jordan, which killed at least 57 people last night.

Al-Qaida Accused After Suicide Bombers Attack Hotels in Jordan, Killing at Least 57
· Targets were popular with foreigners based in Iraq · Blair and Bush offer help to ally in war on terrorism

Pressure on Allies Over Cia's 'al-qaida Camps'
· European commission and Red Cross seek answers · No 'black sites' here, say Poland and Romania

EU to Investigate Secret Cia Jails
The European commission is to investigate claims the CIA is holding al-Qaida captives at Soviet era compounds in eastern Europe.

'Al-Qaida Chief' Held in Pakistan
A Syrian man believed to be a key figure in Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Europe may have been captured by Pakistani security agencies, officials said today.

Arrested Syrian May Be Key Al-qaida Suspect
A Syrian man believed to be a key figure in Osama bin Laden's terrorist network in Europe may have been captured by Pakistani security agencies, officials said today. Authorities were investigating whether one of two arrested al-Qaida suspects was Mustafa Setmarian Nasar, alleged to have...

East Europe 'has Secret Cia Jails for Al-qaida'
· Top 30 terrorist suspects held in underground cells · Amnesty urges inquiry into eight-state network

St Peter Role Prompts Death Threat
A message on a website linked to al-Qaida has threatened death to the veteran Egyptian actor Omar Sharif after he played St Peter in an Italian TV film.

'We Don't Need Al-qaida'
Abu Theeb is the leader of a band of Sunni insurgents that preys on US targets north of Baghdad. Last week he openly defied al-Qaida in Iraq by actively supporting the referendum. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad spent five days with him - and uncovered evidence of a growing split in the insurgency.

Al-Qaida Urges Muslims to Come to Pakistan's Aid
· Bin Laden's deputy calls for help in al-Jazeera video · US at forefront of rescue effort as winter looms

Al-qaida Plan to Seize Control of Iraq
Revealed: Memo to Zarqawi calls for founding of Islamic state · Clash with Israel seen as final stage of conflict

Al-Qaida Tells Terror Chief to Kill People Less Brutally
Al-Qaida has urged its commander in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, to shoot rather than behead hostages because brutal executions alienate the Muslim world, according to American officials.

Ten Al-qaida Plots Foiled Since 9/11
· President claims US and allies halted major attacks · Bush outlines five-point strategy against terrorists

US Hits Iraqi Villages Near Syria
More than 1,000 US troops, backed by helicopter gunships and jets, yesterday launched a major offensive against Iraqi villages on the Syrian border, claimed to be in areas used by al-Qaeda.

Kabul Attack Raises Fear of Al-qaida Link to Taliban
A suicide bombing outside an army base in the Afghan capital Kabul killed nine people and injured 28 yesterday, raising fears that insurgents are importing ruthless Iraqi-style tactics into Afghanistan.

Spain Jails 9/11-linked Al-qaida Suspect
A suspected al-Qaida leader was sentenced to 27 years in prison in Madrid today for conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the September 11 attacks on New York. Imad Eddin Barakat Yarkas, 42, the alleged head of an al-Qaida cell, was sentenced to 15 years in jail plus 12 more...

Al-Qaeda's slaughter has one aim: civil war
150 died in one day in Baghdad - and Iraqis, not foreign fighters, are now the insurgency's keenest recruits. Peter Beaumont investigates how this crucial shift has changed the fight.

9/11 REVISITED: The US A Victim And A Testbed?
Was Sept 11 part of a historical impulse that may soon reach its intended culmination? Here is a fresh perspective and the role of Old Europe.

Al-Qaida in Iraq Seizes Border Town As It Mobilises Against Poll
Al-Qaida in Iraq has seized control of a town on the Syrian border and is mobilising to disrupt next month's referendum on a draft constitution. The group, led by the Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, has imposed strict Islamic law on the population of Qaim, despite a series...

Al-Qaida Will Retreat to Africa, Says General
A senior US military officer yesterday predicted that al-Qaida fighters in Iraq will move to the "vast ungoverned spaces" of the Horn of Africa once conditions in the country get too tough for them.

Saudis Kill Al-qaida Leader
Saudi Arabia's security forces killed the regional leader of al-Qaida yesterday in a gun battle in the holy city of Medina, the interior ministry reported last night.

US Officer Says Pentagon Prevented Al-qaida Reports Reaching the Fbi
A US army intelligence officer went public yesterday with claims that a secret military unit had identified Mohammed Atta and three other al-Qaida members as a potential threat a year before they carried out the September 11 attacks in 2001.

Profile: Abu Qatada
Simon Jeffery rounds up what we know about the man who some believe is al-Qaida's highest-ranking member in Europe.

A Chilling Message to Britons
Al-Qaida blames Blair and threatens more attacksThey are dark, dim and backwards, says Bush

Al-Qaida Warns of More London Destruction
The deputy of the al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden warned in a video broadcast today that Tony Blair's policies would bring "more destruction" to London.

Al Qaida-style Terrorists Are Not the Type Who Seek Out Madrasas
Al Qaida-style terrorists are not the type who seek out madrasas. William Dalrymple

Germany Blocks Extradition of Al-qaida Suspect
The pan-European fight against terrorism was thrown into crisis yesterday when Germany's highest court blocked the extradition of a suspected al-Qaida financier to Spain after rejecting an EU arrest warrant.

Egyptian envoy to Iraq killed, says al-Qaida
Al-Qaida in Iraq yesterday killed a kidnapped Egyptian envoy after releasing a video of him wearing a blindfold. An internet posting showed Ihab al-Sherif, 51, identifying himself as the head of Egypt's diplomatic mission in Baghdad and confirming that he previously worked at Egypt's embassy in Israel.

Al-Qaida Threatens to Kill Captured Egyptian Diplomat
Al-Qaida in Iraq threatened to kill a kidnapped Egyptian envoy yesterday and posted pictures of his identification cards on the internet to prove he was in its custody.

Al-Qaida Militants Raise Fears of Taliban Resurgence
Fears of a bloody Taliban resurgence, bolstered by newly arrived al-Qaida militants, are rising in southern Afghanistan amid a string of Iraq-style attacks, executions and a steadily rising US death toll.

Al-Qaida Suspect 'is British'
An al-Qaida suspect claiming to be British has been arrested in Pakistan following a raid on a house near the city of Peshawar in the North-West Frontier Province.

Al-Qaida Detainee May Know About Plans to Attack Uk
A top al-Qaida suspect recently arrested in Pakistan could have vital information about possible terrorist attacks on Britain, intelligence sources believe.

More Al-qaida Suspects Seized in Terror Raids Across Pakistan
Pakistani soldiers swooped on two dozen suspected al-Qaida fighters after interrogating the man believed to be the terror network's third in command, officials said yesterday.

Suspected Al-qaida Number Three Captured After Gunbattle in Pakistan
The man thought to be al-Qaida's head of global operations and the mastermind behind an attempt to assassinate the president of Pakistan was captured by the country's troops after a fierce gun battle in the lawless tribal belt close to the Afghan border, officials said last night.

Europe's Biggest Al-qaida Trial Starts
Strict security measures were in place around a Madrid court last night ahead of the start today of a mass trial of alleged members of al-Qaida, some of whom are charged with involvement in the September 11 2001 terrorist attacks in the US.

The Ricin Ring That Never Was
Yesterday's trial collapse has exposed the deception behind attempts to link al-Qaida to a 'poison attack' on London. Duncan Campbell

Two Al-qaida Suspects on Most-wanted List Die in Saudi Gun Battle
Saudi forces overpowered a group of gunmen last night after a ferocious three-day battle in which officials said they had killed two of the kingdom's most wanted men.

British Theatre Director is Qatar Suicide Bomb Victim
A British theatre director was named last night as the victim of a suicide car bombing in Qatar which officials believe is the first attack on western interests by al-Qaida in the tiny Gulf state.

American Accused of Plotting With Al-qaida to Assassinate Bush
An alleged al-Qaida plot to assassinate George Bush was revealed yesterday when an American man who spent 20 months in a Saudi jail on suspicion of terrorism was charged with conspiring to kill the president.

Suspected Al-qaida Leader Dies in Custody in Kuwait
Militant preacher captured in gun battle suffers fatal collapse after questioning as key US ally faces upsurge in Islamist violence.

Joining Al-qaida? Please Think Again
The latest in online help services is designed to address the most extreme of social problems: the danger of straying into international terrorism.

Musharraf: Al-qaida is on the Run
The Pakistani president said last night that the US 'war on terror' had failed to address core problems, and that the world was in consequence a far less safe place.

Al-Qaida is Bleeding Us to Bankruptcy, Bin Laden Claims
Al-Qaida is "bleeding America to the point of bankruptcy", Osama bin Laden claims, in a section of his latest videotape which has just come to light. Delivering a financial report on the "war on terror", he says that every dollar spent by al-Qaida in attacking the US has cost Washington...

Al-Qaida Behind Hotel Attack That Killed 30, Says Israel
Israel's military intelligence chief yesterday blamed al-Qaida for the devastating hotel bombings that killed at least 30 people, mostly Israeli tourists and Egyptian workers, in the Sinai.

Al-Qaida Suspected of Sinai Bombings
· Al-Qaida link 'most likely', Israeli cabinet told
· Thousands of Israelis head home
· Sharon claims agreement with Mubarak

Al-Qaida Bomb Plot Trial Begins
Ten alleged members of an al-Qaida cell, including a man believed to be a senior lieutenant of Osama bin Laden and a suspect being held in a British jail, went on trial in France yesterday accused of plotting a bomb attack on Strasbourg's Christmas market. The suspected members of the...

Brown's Photo 'on Al-qaida Disks'
Seized computers included chancellor's image among information on potential US attacks. Details emerged yesterday of potential terrorist targets found on captured al-Qaida computers, including a downloaded picture of Gordon Brown, and possible plans to use helicopters to attack New York.

Senior Al-qaida Prisoners Face Us Extradition
The United States is poised to extradite the two senior al-Qaida figures whose detention in Pakistan sparked terror alerts in London and New York, it emerged yesterday.

Al-Qaida Trail Links Leading Suspects With Uk
Arrest of key figures in Bin Laden network connected to US computer surveillance and raids in Britain.

Between Washington and Al-qaida
Pressures both at home and from Washington ensure that Pakistan is kept on its toes in 'war on terror', writes Sarah Left.

Saudi Security Forces Find Hostage's Head
The head of a murdered American hostage was found in a freezer yesterday after a raid by Saudi security forces on a villa where the kingdom's leading al-Qaida militant is thought to have been hiding. The interior ministry, in a statement broadcast on Saudi television, identified the head...

Iran Rejects Us Claim of Al-qaida Link
The Iranian government yesterday admitted for the first time that half a dozen of the al-Qaida terrorists behind the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington had passed through Iran. But the government, anxious to avoid being the next US target after Afghanistan and Iraq, denied...

Introducing Del-qaida
Worried about losing money, the entertainment business is peddling false links between DVD pirates and terror cells.

Amnesty Surrender By Al-qaida Man
A supporter of al-Qaida yesterday became the third person to surrender under Saudi Arabia's month-long amnesty for militants. Khaled al-Harbi, who uses a wheelchair and who was reportedly paralysed while fighting in Bosnia, contacted the Saudi embassy in Tehran from the Iranian-Afghan...

Al-Qaida Supporter Surrenders
A supporter of al-Qaida yesterday became the third person to surrender under Saudi Arabia's month-long amnesty for militants. Khaled al-Harbi, who uses a wheelchair and was reportedly paralysed while fighting in Bosnia, contacted the Saudi embassy in Tehran from the Iranian-Afghan border,...

Sacked Sergeant is New Al-qaida Chief in Saudi Arabia
A former sergeant in the Saudi security forces has been appointed head of al-Qaida in the kingdom after the death of Abd al-Aziz al-Muqrin, the previous leader, in a gun battle on Friday. Paying tribute to Muqrin for "having prepared sincere men from among the combatants to succeed him...

Secret World of Us Jails
Jason Burke charts the worldwide hidden network of prisons where more than 3,000 al-Qaeda suspects have been held without trial - and many subjected to torture - since 9/11.

UK Spymasters Shrugged Off Al-qaeda Recruit's Warning
British authorities ignored warnings from a British former curry waiter in April 2000 that Osama bin Laden was planning terrorist attacks using US aircraft. A year before the 11 September attacks, Niaz Khan, 30, walked into the New York office of the FBI and told agents of plans by...

Radical Preacher is an Al-qaida Hero, Court Told
The radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza is an "al-Qaida hero" comparable to Osama bin Laden, a lawyer acting for the US in its extradition bid claimed yesterday. James Lewis QC told Belmarsh magistrates that Mr Hamza had sent money to a "top-level associate" of the terrorist network while...

Briton Jailed for Al-qaida Bomb Plot
A Briton who plotted to blow up Israel's embassy in Canberra was jailed for nine years in Perth yesterday. Jack Roche, 50, who converted to Islam to help him cope with alcoholism, was convicted last Friday after changing his plea to guilty halfway through the trial. Roche, who...

New Saudi Attack 'probable'
· Search for gunmen who killed 22
· US advises nationals to leave
· Al-Qaida 'claim' reported

World Cup Was Target for Al-qaeda
Plot raises fears for Athens Olympics and Euro 2004.

US Fears Al-qaida Squad is in Place for Election Hit
Americans began to prepare yesterday for the possibility of a spectacular terrorist attack during the summer, after evidence emerged that al-Qaida may have spirited members into the US to disrupt the presidential election campaign. The attorney general, John Ashcroft, and the FBI director...

Fears Grow Over Security Chaos at Athens Olympics in Terrorist Crisis
American athletes voice concerns about al-Qaeda and Greek games despite billions spent on safety measures.

Family Says Us Held Man Who Was Beheaded
CIA links video execution to al-Qaida

Syria Blames Al-qaida-linked Group for Attacks
The Syrian government yesterday blamed a terrorist group that could be related to al-Qaida for the violence in the diplomatic quarter of Damascus that left four dead. Syrian security, the most-feared in the Middle East, was last night holding two of the alleged gunmen and also raided a...

'Al-Qaida' Tape Warns of More Attacks Against Us
Al-Qaida will this year carry out "fierce" new attacks against the US, according to a taped warning purported to have come from a senior leader of the terror organisation. The warning was said to be from Abdulaziz al-Muqrin, believed to have recently become al-Qaida's main leader in Saudi...

Europeans Rule Out Al-qaida Talks
European countries, including Britain, today ruled out talks with al-Qaida after a tape recording from a man claiming to be Osama bin Laden offered a truce to any of them if they stopped "attacking Muslims or interfering in their affairs". In the tape, broadcast on Arab television, the...

Militants Execute Pakistan Troops
Protests against Musharraf as losses mount in hunt for al-Qaeda deputy.

Al-Qaida Man Planned Italy Bomb
An al-Qaida operative told the Italian police that his unit had been poised to carry out mass murder at the main Milan railway terminus, the newspaper Corriere della Sera reported yesterday.

Mile-long Tunnel Helped Al-qaida Slip Away
Pakistani troops battling suspected al-Qaida fighters in Pakistan's lawless north yesterday discovered a mile-long tunnel running through the battlefield, through which senior al-Qaida members may have escaped, officials said. Several tunnels were discovered leading from a huddle of...

Pakistan Increases Assault on Al-qaida
Thousands of Pakistani troops today joined an attack on militants suspected of sheltering the al-Qaida second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, after a midday deadline to leave their mountain stronghold passed. Residents of Wana, the main town in that part of the Afghan border region,...

Troops Resume Attack on Al-qaida 'hideout'
Pakistani troops today resumed their attack on militants suspected of sheltering the al-Qaida second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, after a deadline to leave their mountain stronghold passed. "The operation is on," said military spokesman Major-General Shaukat Sultan. A resident...

Al-Qaida Deputy 'trapped in Hideout'
Pakistan troops fight militants in mountain stronghold.

We Bombed Madrid, Says Al-qaeda Tape
The Madrid bombings which killed 200 people were dramatically claimed by the Islamic militant group al Qaeda early on Sunday morning.

Guantanamo Families Seek Justice in Us
Detainee's father condemns leak from Bush camp claiming son trained with al-Qaida.

Amnesty Barred From Guantanamo Trials
Amnesty International and two other leading human rights organisations are protesting to the Pentagon about its decision not to let them attend the planned trials of al-Qaida suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The US defence department, in a written response to the organisations...

24 Hours in Iraq: 102 Dead, Al-qaida Bombers Blamed
The US military in Iraq last night sought to blame al-Qaida loyalists and foreign militants for a series of recent suicide bombings, including two attacks that killed more than 100 Iraqis in 24 hours. Under pressure to explain the sudden escalation in violence, commanders also released...

Al-Qaeda Launches Online Terrorist Manual
Al-Qaeda has issued a chilling new call to arms to recruits who remain undetected by security agencies.

Al-Qaida Terror Plot Foiled, Say French Police
The French police are convinced that their country has escaped a planned chemical or biological attack by an Islamist cell linked to al-Qaida. An interior ministry official said evidence from Islamist militants arrested in the Lyon area last week made it "very plain" that an attack with...

America Deploys Missiles Around Airports
Officials fear al-Qaida may hijack planes again to target US interests.

Britain on High Alert for Al-qaida Attack
Britain's security and intelligence agencies have been on a heightened state of alert for several weeks, fearing that al-Qaida was planning an attack in this country. Suspicions that the threat was growing preceded President George Bush's visit to London and the suicide bombings in...

The Moral Myth
Superpowers act out of self-interest, not morality, and the US in Iraq is no different. It is no use telling the hawks that bombing a country in which al-Qaida was not operating was unlikely to rid the world of al-Qaida.

US Plans War on Al-qaida's Afghan Opium
Huge effort planned to plough up fields in a bid to destroy predicted £2bn-plus bumper poppy crop. American forces in Afghanistan are planning an offensive against the next opium crop, predicted to be the country's biggest ever, after calculating that drugs are now al-Qaida's main source of income.

Al-Qaida Linked to Bombing of Kurds
US blames Islamic militants and Saddam loyalists for suicide attack. US and Iraqi officials are blaming al-Qaida linked Islamic militants and Saddam loyalists for a suicide bomb attack on the offices of...

Fear Turns to Reality As Al-qaida Bombers Strike at British Targets
Envoy among 27 killed in Istanbul attacks.

Iraq War Has Swollen Ranks of Al-qaida
War in Iraq has swollen the ranks of al-Qaida and 'galvanised its will' by increasing radical passions among Muslims, an authoritative think-tank said yesterday.

Bomb type and tactics point to al-Qaida
As FBI agents launched an investigation into the bombing of the UN headquarters in Iraq, Paul Bremer, the country's top civilian administrator, yesterday highlighted three groups of suspects - Baathist supporters of Saddam Hussein, members of the Iraqi Ansar al-Islam organisation, or foreign Islamist militants.

Iran holding al-Qaida men 'as bargaining chip with US'
Iran is using the senior members of the al-Qaida network it has detained as a bargaining chip in its war of nerves with the US, and will only allow their extradition in return for substantial concessions, sources in the political establishment said yesterday.

Racist Shadow Falls Over Village Cricket
Charges of racist taunting have shaken the sedate world of village cricket after Asian players were allegedly jeered as "al-Qaida members" on a summer afternoon. The "gentle game" is facing pressure for tougher disciplinary action against an amateur Yorkshire XI, which has been fined...

Ghost of Al-qaeda Left Out of Story
Links between Saddam and the terrorist group were cited among reasons to prosecute a war. Jason Burke finds little to support the claims.

US justice department defies court on al-Qaida
The US justice department, in a remarkable move that could have profound judicial ramifications, yesterday defied a judge's order to allow a potential witness to be questioned by an al-Qaida suspect, Zacarias Moussaoui.

Al-Qaeda: Casting a Shadow of Terror By Jason Burke
In this extract from his new book, Al-Qaeda: Casting a shadow of terror, The Observer's chief reporter, Jason Burke, looks at the true nature of bin Laden's organisation and why the west's misunderstanding undermines its response to terrorism.

Six al-Qaida suspects to be tried by American military tribunal
Six alleged members of al-Qaida are to be the first to face a military tribunal according to a senior Bush administration official.

US Al-qaida's Brooklyn Bridge Plot
A truck driver who became an American citizen three years ago has admitted his involvement in an al-Qaida terrorist plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge in New York. Kashmiri-born Iyman Faris was ordered by leaders of the terrorist network to get hold of equipment to cut the cables of the...

CIA Had Doubts on Iraq Link to Al-qaida
The debunking of the Bush administration's pre-war certainties on Iraq gathered pace yesterday when it emerged that the CIA knew for months that a connection between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaida was highly unlikely. As President George Bush was forced for the second time in days to defend...

MI6 Led Protest Against War Dossier
Agencies kept quiet on claims over al-Qaida links and forgeries to avoid embarrassing PM.

Al-Qaida 'sheltered in Shah's Lodge'
Tough US line on Iran fuelled by intelligence from air crash.

US Hunts Al-qaeda's New Terror Chief
The prime suspect for the bombings in Riyadh may be operating from Iran. Jason Burke reports on US efforts to link terrorists with the Tehran regime.

Al-Qaida trial opens in Belgium
One of Europe's most significant terror trials since September 11 began in Belgium yesterday with prosecutors seeking to establish the guilt of 23 alleged Islamist extremists.

CIA to review pre-war advice
The CIA has launched a review of intelligence assessments of Iraq's banned weapons programme and its links with al-Qaida, to see how the intelligence community's pre-war pronouncements compared with reality.

Al-qaida is Spending Its Men and Blowing Its Networks
The Arab world will reject terrorism, as it has done in the past. When the war in Iraq passed off without a single substantial terrorist attack in the region, let alone in the United States and Britain, it was taken as evidence that al-Qaida and its allies had been weakened and disrupted to a degree not suspected before.

Al-Qaida Tape Calls for More Attacks
Follow example of 9/11, urges voice purportedly of top Bin Laden aide.

Thousands of al-Qaida suspects ready to attack, warns US official
A senior US official warned that thousands of al-Qaida activists are still at large and preparing more attacks, as police raids around the world netted several dozen suspects yesterday.

You let al-Qaida off hook, Bush told
The attacks in Riyadh and Casablanca emboldened the Democrats contending for next year's presidential nomination to launch the most vigorous attack yet on President George Bush's war on terrorism.

Al-Qaida is back and stronger than ever
Security and intelligence agencies believe al-Qaida has managed to reorganise its network to become a more potent - although more dispersed - force. In the past week, and for the first time since September 11, Osama bin Laden's network has used dozens of suicide bombers against soft targets of civilians in restaurants and residential areas.

Hope in the Carnage of Casablanca
Al-Qaida's soft-target strategy could eventually be its downfall. Deeds, as ever, speak more eloquently than words, Blofeld or blowhard. Al-Qaida isn't finished. Its structure - devolved, barely organised by conventional standards - can survive any number of strikes at individual bases.

Horror in Casablanca As Al-qaeda Toll Hits 41
Harrowing details of how terrorists slit the throats of security guards before detonating bombs in Moroccan bars and restaurants were revealed last night as police disclosed that at least 41 people had been killed in the latest atrocities linked to al-Qaeda. Moroccan police arrested 27...

Six More African Countries on Danger List As Terror Hits the Travel Industry
Al-Qaeda is causing chaos across the travel industry, as more and more destinations are deemed out of bounds to travellers.

Kingdom threatened by collision of worlds
Monday night's spectacular al-Qaida-style attack may not have come as a great surprise to moderate Saudi Islamists familiar with the thinking of the extremists in their midst.

Terror Crackdown Has Not Reduced Al-qaida Threat, Warns Thinktank
Al-Qaida remains a "potent" international terrorist network with more than 18,000 trained members at large in up to 90 countries, and could take a generation to dismantle, a leading international affairs thinktank warned yesterday. The warning came in the annual strategic survey of the...

29 Killed and 194 Wounded - the Deadly Return of Al-qaida
Blundering Saudi police let attackers slip through their net.

US: more than 90 dead in Saudi blast
· Suicide attacks on foreign compounds
· Britons among 'hundreds' injured
· Bombings 'bear al-Qaida hallmarks'

Up to 10 Dead in Riyadh Suicide Attacks
· Cars packed with explosives hit foreign compounds
· Britons among victims
· Bombings 'bear hallmarks of al-Qaida'

Al-Qaida 'restructured and Ready for Spectacular Attacks on Us'
Al-Qaida has restructured itself and is planning spectacular attacks against the United States, according to an interview obtained by a London-based Arabic magazine which has previously reported contacts with the organisation. In the latest edition of al-Majalla, published today, a...

Al-Qaida Links Still Dubious
Western intelligence officials are playing down the significance of documents appearing to show that Saddam Hussein's regime met an al-Qaida envoy in Baghdad in 1998 and sought to arrange a meeting with Osama bin Laden. "We are aware of fleeting contacts [between Baghdad and...

Saddam 'held talks on alliance with al-Qaeda'
Negotiations about about a possible alliance between Saddam Hussein's regime and al-Qaeda took place in 1998, according to documents found in Baghdad by a British newspaper.

Al-Qaida suspect's guilty plea
A third Yemeni American arrested last year in a suburb of Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to assisting al-Qaida. He has agreed to give evidence against three other Yemeni Americans.

Al-Qaida Suspects Detained in Berlin
German investigators were last night questioning five suspected Islamist terrorists detained on suspicion of planning an attack to coincide with the start of the war in Iraq. As police in Berlin swooped on at least six locations in the capital, including a mosque, anti-terrorist...

1pm Update
Al-Qaida suicide boats are more of a threat to coalition naval vessels in the Gulf than anything Saddam Hussein can throw at them, the British naval commander in the region said today. Rear Admiral David Snelson said the threat of small speedboats packed with explosives was "uppermost in...

Roll call of al-Qaeda's most wanted... dead and alive
Mohammed Atef, aka Abu Hafs. Egyptian policeman and key member of the Islamic Jihad group who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviets before becoming aligned with Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda group when it was formed in 1989.

Endgame in the Desert of Death for the World's Most Wanted Man
The dramatic capture of leading al-Qaeda figures has put US agents back on the trail of the biggest prize of all, report Rory McCarthy and Jason Burke.

Fears That Us Will Use 'torture Lite' on Al-qaida No 3
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the al-Qaida leader captured in Pakistan over the weekend, was yesterday believed to be under interrogation at a US base in Afghanistan. The White House denied he was being tortured, although there is speculation that a variety of techniques known in the...

Al-Qaeda suspected of killing Briton
Terrorists linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda network are suspected of being behind the killing of British defence worker Richard Dent in Saudi Arabia, police sources said yesterday.

The Missing Link?
In the latest of his regular online dispatches, Jason Burke says we need to be sceptical about claims of Iraq's links to al-Qaeda.

Doubts Grow Over Al-qaida Arrests in Italy
Pakistan insists 28 suspects held in Naples have no terrorism links. The arrest of 28 Pakistani men thought to have been plotting terrorist attacks in Naples, heralded earlier this week as a breakthrough against al-Qaida, has triggered a diplomatic storm amid concerns that the men could be innocent.

False trails that lead to the al-Qaeda 'links'
Since the aftermath of 11 September, it has been the Holy Grail of Bush administration hardliners: to link Iraq with al-Qaeda - and join up its war on terrorism with its policy of regime change in Baghdad.

Bush: New Al-qaida Link to Iraq
US to rally support by releasing secret files.

Doctors held for treating al-Qaida sick
American and Pakistani intelligence agents hunting al-Qaida leaders in Pakistan have focused their investigations on several doctors who they believe treated fighters from Osama bin Laden's network.

Why We Should Stop Talking About Al-qaeda
Jason Burke argues that we need to ditch the label "al-Qaeda" if we want to understand the chaotic nature of the terrorist threat.

Iraq and al-Qaida are part of the same picture, Straw tells envoys
Jack Straw, the foreign secretary, will today soften up British public opinion for war in the Gulf by making a direct link for the first time between Iraq and terrorist groups such as al-Qaida.

US Watching Al-qaida's Fleet
Spy satellites and surveillance planes are being used by US intelligence to track about 15 cargo ships which it believes are owned or controlled by al-Qaida, it was reported yesterday. Officials are concerned that the freighters could be used to smuggle explosives, chemical or biological...

West African Leaders 'in Al-qaida Plot'
The governments of Liberia and Burkina Faso facilitated an al-Qaida plot to funnel diamonds and weapons through west Africa before and after the September 11 attacks, it was reported yesterday. A joint investigation by European intelligence agencies has uncovered an elaborate web of...

Flawed Investigation Kills Al-qaida Case
The first trial of suspected al-Qaida operatives completed in Europe ended in farce in Rotterdam yesterday with the Dutch judge acquitting the four men. Dealing a heavy blow to the credibility of the Dutch secret service, which provided the original tip-off, the judge said there was...

CIA Authorised to Target and Kill Al-qaida Members
President Bush has authorised the CIA to kill around two dozen alleged terrorists on a secret hit list and any others it considers to be "enemy combatants", including many senior figures from the al-Qaida network. The authorisation gives the CIA the legal authority to hunt down and kill...

Snubbed Libya May Stop Aiding Fight Against Al-qaida
The son of Colonel Muammar Gadafy delivered an unexpected rebuff to the west last night when he warned that Libya should drop its support for the American-led war on terrorism. Saif-ul Islam Gadafy, who is seen as the Libyan leader's heir apparent, said Tripoli should no longer pass on...

Mystery Men Link Saudi Intelligence to Sept 11 Hijackers
Two mysterious Saudi citizens living in California before the September 11 attacks may link the al-Qaida hijackers to Saudi intelligence, according to reports yesterday which are likely to provoke a new row between the US and Riyadh. The possibility of a Saudi intelligence link emerged...

US captures key al-Qaida suspect
The US government appeared to have made a breakthrough in its hunt for the leaders of Al-Qaida last night with the capture of the man believed to be the terrorist network's director of operations in the Gulf.

The Us Accused of Executing Six Alleged Al-qaida Members
'War on terror' tag allows US to attack anywhere, lawyer argues.

Al-Qaida suspect killed in Yemen car blast
A leading al-Qaida suspect, hunted in Yemen for more than a year, died along with five others when the weapons-laden car in which they were travelling exploded, officials in the capital, Sana'a, said yesterday.

CIA Missile Kills Al-qaida Suspects
The United States yesterday admitted its involvement in the assassination of six alleged suspected al-Qaida members in Yemen, saying that a car carrying the suspects was hit by a missile fired by a CIA drone in an attack on Sunday. The involvement of the CIA in an attack on foreign soil...

Al-Qaida men handed to US, says Georgia
Georgian special forces have detained as many as 15 al-Qaida operatives in the turbulent Pankisi gorge and handed them over to the American authorities, according to Georgian officials.

Al-Qaida detainees to be questioned over sniper
Investigators hunting the Washington sniper are preparing to interrogate al-Qaida detainees at Guantanamo Bay, intelligence officials said yesterday, in the first indication that the US authorities are seriously considering a terrorist connection to the unsolved string of murders.

Al-Qaida 'has regrouped'
The CIA warned yesterday that al-Qaida had regrouped and presented as serious a threat to the US and its allies as it did immediately before the September 11 terrorist attacks.

Warnings ignored: what the papers say
The explosion should be a wake-up call to the Indonesians that US warnings about al-Qaida operations in their country should be taken seriously. Indonesia - and the victims of the bombings - is now paying a heavy price for its failure to take a hard line.

Bush Puts World on Alert for New Wave of Al-qaida Attacks
The US president, George Bush, was forced to acknowledge that the threat from Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network was back at the top of the US agenda yesterday after months in which the focus has been unswervingly on Iraq. Mr Bush, at an impromptu press conference, reflected fears that...

Al-Qaida captive may have been planning fifth hijack
An al-Qaida operative being interrogated in US military custody may have been planning to hijack a fifth airliner on September 11 and fly it into the White House, it was revealed yesterday.

Yemen may be al-Qaida's new base
The US state department issued an unusually specific warning on September 10 that al-Qaida was planning to attack oil tankers in the Arabian gulf and Horn of Africa. That warning appeared to become reality yesterday after the explosion on board a French supertanker off Yemen.

Al-Qaida Suspected in Tanker Explosion
Fears for oil prices as French ship burns off Yemen.

The Weakest Link
If Saddam Hussein is actively involved with al-Qaida, as the US national security adviser Condoleezza Rice has suggested, why is there no hard evidence? Simon Tisdall reports.

Al-qaida's Hatred Will Burn Out
Our only hope in these dangerous times is to play a waiting game. Nearly 6m shipping containers arrive in the US every year from scores of ports overseas, and any one of them could contain a potentially devastating bomb, chemical or biological toxins, or even terrorists themselves to place and discharge the weapons.

Al-Qaida Linchpin Eludes His Pursuers
Trail goes cold in hunt for Karachi's most wanted.

Where are they?
Osama bin laden: The 45-year-old leader of al-Qaeda. Probably still alive, as his death could not have been kept secret for long. Still hiding in the remote and lawless border lands between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

15 Al-qaida Suspects Held in Italy
Police in Sicily have arrested 15 Pakistanis suspected of belonging to al-Qaida after a tip-off from Italian military intelligence.

Al-Qaida leaders say nuclear power stations were original targets
Two of the world's most sought after fugitives, the alleged al-Qaida leaders Khaled al-Sheikh Mohammed and Ramzi bin al-Shaibah, have boasted about how they planned the attacks on New York and Washington a year ago this week.

Al-Qaida's desire for ever more deaths raises spectre of germ, chemical or nuclear attacks
No terrorist group has come close to the killing power unleashed on September 11. The deaths of more than 3,000 people drove home Osama bin Laden's central point: terrorism was not simply a means to an end. The more people killed the better.

Al-Qaida units in world's lawless zones
The smashing of al-Qaida's Afghan camps was like stamping on a nest of termites - it destroyed a base but sent its members scurrying in all directions to set up new colonies. The US military campaign proved highly successful in pounding al-Qaida's old camps, but a startling failure at containing and capturing Osama bin Laden's men.

Deadly attack keeps world on alert
Djerba attack that left 21 dead provided al-Qaida with its first 'success' outside Asia. April 11 2002. About 10.20am: A coach full of German tourists is bumping down the road that leads to the ancient El Ghriba synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba.

Secret arrest of leading al-Qaida fugitive
One of Washington's most wanted al-Qaida fugitives was captured in Karachi in July and secretly transferred to US custody, striking a significant blow to Osama bin Laden's network, Pakistani intelligence sources have claimed.

Al-Qaida Terror Leaders Said to Be Working in Iran
Two of Osama bin Laden's senior lieutenants are planning operations from a safe haven in north-east Iran, according to Arab intelligence sources quoted by the Washington Post yesterday. It reported that Saif al-Adel and Mahfouz Ould Walid had risen in al-Qaida's ranks since the Afghan war...

Networks Paid for Videos
CNN and CBS both paid for videotapes that depict al-Qaida poison gas experiments, but yesterday insisted that the money did not go to Osama bin Laden's terrorist organisation.

Al-Qaida Videos Show Poison Gas Tests
Videos found in Afghanistan of experiments on dogs were broadcast yesterday, adding weight to court evidence and US intelligence reports that al-Qaida was developing chemical weapons before the Afghan war began in October. The videotapes are part of a large archive of 60 cassettes...

FBI says dirty bomb suspect is no big fish
The investigation into Jose Padilla, who is accused of planning to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the US, has found no evidence that he was preparing such an attack and little to suggest that he had any support from al-Qaida to do so, according to FBI officials.

US considers assassination squads
Pentagon said to be discussing use of units to work abroad. The US government is considering plans to send elite military units on missions to assassinate al-Qaida leaders in countries around the world, without necessarily informing the governments involved, it was reported yesterday.

Iran Handed Over Al-qaida Members
Saudis question 16 fighters as reports claim Bin Laden lives

'One hell of a big bang'
Today is Hiroshima Day, the anniversary of the first use of a bomb so powerful that it would come to threaten the existence of the human race. Only two such devices have ever been used, but now, a decade after the end of the cold war, the world faces new dangers of nuclear attack - from India, Pakistan, Iraq, al-Qaida, and even the US.

US to deploy elite units to hit al-Qaida
US military planners are to deploy elite special forces units for new aggressive missions in Afghanistan after growing frustration with the slow pace of operations against Taliban and al-Qaida fighters.

Special Forces Take Over Hunt for Al-qaeda
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld has ordered the head of US Special Forces to take over the hunt for senior al-Qaeda leaders following frustration in the Bush administration that the war on terror has run out of steam.

Britons left in jail amid fears that Saudi Arabia could fall to al-Qaeda
Saudi Arabia is teetering on the brink of collapse, fuelling Foreign Office fears of an extremist takeover of one of the West's key allies in the war on terror.

Well, they look like Al-Qaeda
In the latest of his regular online dispatches, The Observer's Chief Reporter looks at why terrorist "links" are so easy to claim and difficult to prove and congratulates the Pakistani journalists who decided to dig deeper after seven men were shot in Macedonia.

SAS skills used by American pilots to hit moving al-Qaida targets
The SAS taught the Americans how to direct high-flying aircraft to moving targets on the ground, a tactic widely used in Afghanistan, a leading US official disclosed at the weekend.

Al-Qaida Fears Over $12m in False Cheques
A Jordanian-born man with suspected links to al-Qaida has been detained after allegedly arriving in the US with $12m (£8m) in false cheques, it emerged at the weekend. Omar Shishani was arrested at Detroit airport last week when customs officials found the nine cheques in his baggage...

The Kurdish Jihadis
Jason Burke on how the Kabul paper trail showed al-Qaeda had developed a presence among Saddam's opponents in northern Iraq.

Al-Qaida 'preparing for Guerrilla War'
Two al-Qaida spokesmen have released separate interviews in which they say Osama bin Laden's group is thriving and planning new attacks and assassinations. A purported statement from Abu Laith, a Libyan-based spokesman, broadcast on the Saudi-owned MBC television station said al-Qaida was...

Al-Qaida Suspect 'hidden By Uk Agents'
The alleged spiritual leader of the al-Qaida terrorist network is living with his wife and children in northern England, in a safe house paid for by the intelligence services, it was claimed yesterday.

Al-Qaida Suspect on Trial in Italy
The trial of one of the alleged leaders of al-Qaida's European terror network opened in Milan yesterday with a display of defiance from when the defendant, who refused to stand before the judge, rejected his court-appointed lawyer.

Assessing the Al-qaida Threat
Evidence of accelerating al-Qaida activity may be inconclusive, but it is still certainly a matter of concern, writes Simon Tisdall.

Pakistan Soldiers Killed By Al-qaida
Pakistan suffered its first losses in operations against al-Qaida when 10 soldiers were killed in a gun battle with Chechen fighters in the country's lawless north-west. The soldiers closed in on a village near Wana, in the Waziristan area, on Tuesday night to arrest several al-Qaida...

Al-Qaida Fighters Kill 10 Pakistani Troops
Suspected al-Qaida fighters have killed 10 Pakistani soldiers in an early morning gun fight near the Pakistani border with Afghanistan today. The gun battle lasted four hours and two Pakistani army officers were among the dead, according to an Interior Ministry official. The...

London 'an Al-qaida Intelligence Centre'
Scotland Yard admitted yesterday it had "growing, darkening" concerns over the unwitting part the UK played in the development of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida terrorist network. Assistant commissioner David Veness, head of special operations at the Metropolitan police, said that there was...

US Dismisses Al-qaida Claim That Network is '98% Intact'
The US military yesterday dismissed as "wishful thinking" new threats from an al-Qaida spokesman who said Osama bin Laden's terrorist network was still intact and preparing new attacks. "We felt that we have had a significant impact on their ability to perform, command and control,"...

Al-Qaida Plot to Blow Up Bologna Church Fresco
An Islamist terror group linked to al-Qaida is suspected of plotting to blow up Bologna's most important church to erase the offence of a 15th-century Gothic fresco showing Mohammed being tormented by devils in hell.

US tastes success with arrest of senior al-Qaida suspects
US officials were quietly jubilant yesterday about recent arrests which appear to include significant al-Qaida members.

Dispersed Al-qaida Poses Even Bigger Terror Threat, Us Says
The routing of Taliban and al-Qaida forces in Afghanistan has only succeeded in deepening the terrorist threat to the west, senior US government officials believe. The war disrupted Osama bin Laden's network but spread the threat around the world, according to a classified report...

Rumsfeld in Kashmir Climbdown
Defence chief has no evidence of al-Qaida units in region.

US plays down claims of al-Qaida in Kashmir
Donald Rumsfeld, the US defence secretary, today sought to play down earlier assertions that al-Qaida fighters were operating in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, close to the porous Indian border.

US Foils Al-qaida 'dirty Bomb' Plot
The US claimed yesterday to have uncovered an al-Qaida plot to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" on the streets of an American city, after the arrest of a former Chicago street gang member who had become a follower of Osama bin Laden. US officials said there was evidence that the target...

Al-Qaida 'dirty' Bomb Plot Thwarted
The US government said today it had thwarted an al-Qaida plot to build and detonate a radioactive 'dirty' bomb in Washington, DC that could have caused 'mass death and injury'.

50 Al-qaeda Britons Feared to Be Back in Uk
British police and security services are hunting 50 al-Qaeda trained Islamic militants whom they fear could be in the UK. Many are believed to be British-born Pakistanis who travelled to south Asia to take part in the 'holy war' and returned home following the collapse of the Taliban...

Marines Launch New Al-qaida Offensive Near Pakistan Border
Royal Marine commandos have launched a new operation near the Pakistan border to prevent al-Qaida and Taliban fighters from returning to Afghanistan, defence officials said yesterday. The mission, called Operation Buzzard, is the first where the marines have adopted new counter-insurgency...

Al-Qaida 'plans Afghan Terror Campaign'
Al-Qaida and the Taliban have regrouped in Pakistan's tribal areas and are planning a terrorist campaign in Afghanistan aimed at wrecking the formation of a new national government next month, a US general said yesterday. Major General Franklin Hagenbeck told the New York Times that the...

What the US papers say
US newspapers respond to reports that George Bush received warnings prior to September 11 that al-Qaida planned to hijack US planes.

Marines Insist Hunt for Al-qaida Was a Success
The Royal Marines have announced the end of Operation Snipe, their two-week search for al-Qaida fighters and weapons in mountainous areas of southeastern Afghanistan in which they saw no sign of the enemy. Brigadier Roger Lane, the marines' commander, said yesterday that the operation, in...

Critics say mission could turn into Britain's Vietnam
Senior government sources, who boasted last year that the net was tightening around Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaida leadership, have become noticeably less confident in recent months.

Marines lead British push against key al-Qaida position
A thousand British soldiers, led by the Royal Marines, have begun an operation against a key al-Qaida base and former Taliban fighters.

British Special Forces Believed to Be Hunting Al-qaida in Pakistan
British special forces hunting al-Qaida and former Taliban fighters are believed to be operating alongside their American counterparts inside Pakistan. Officials in Washington and London refused to confirm this yesterday, but defence sources said privately that the SAS or SBS had been...

Tunisian Synagogue Bomb Tied to Al-qaida
The German government said yesterday it was certain that terrorists were responsible for the blast in Tunisia earlier this month that killed 17 people, most of them German tourists. There is persuasive evidence that the explosion, originally described as an accident, was al-Qaida's first...

Al-Qaeda's bombers used Britain to plot slaughter
Christmas shoppers were the target for a massive blast planned by bin Laden's terror network. Drug deals paid for the operation. But a single error alerted MI5.

Al-Qaida Bomb Plot Trial Begins
Amid some of the tightest security Germany has known, the trial of al-Qaida suspects charged with planning to blow up a Christmas market opened in Frankfurt yesterday with one of the defendants delivering an outburst which led to his removal from the court. Five Algerians, three of whom...

Al-Qaida Bomb Plot Led From Uk, Trial Papers Say
British-based men will be at the centre of the biggest trial of al-Qaida suspects since September 11, when it starts tomorrow in Frankfurt. Five men are charged with plotting to set off a bomb in the Christmas market of the French city of Strasbourg. According to documents obtained by the...

Al-Qaeda in plot to hijack British plane
Investigators in the Far East are hunting an Islamic extremist linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda terrorist group who is planning to hijack a British plane and crash it into an airport.

Perilous fight against shadowy enemy
Royal Marines prepare to tackle the last remnants of al-Qaida, a campaign fraught with danger.

Marines Seize Al-qaida Caves As Afghan Violence Escalates
Royal Marine commandos have seized an al-Qaida cave complex in Afghanistan in a covert mission to minimise risks for American troops, marking Britain's first overseas combat deployment since the Gulf war a decade ago. A unit of 50 men infiltrated the Zawar valley on the border with...

Raids Yield Al-qaida Plot Details
A plot by al-Qaida to assassinate American officials in Pakistan and to make another attack on the US was uncovered by raids on the group's hideouts there last week in which its operations chief, Abu Zubaydah, was seized. The raids produced detailed information about the planned...

Marines face al-Qaeda elite
British troops get ready to battle bin Laden's well-equipped army - Commandos pledge to wipe out 2,000 enemy fighters in mountains.

Britain Joins Al-qaida Search in Africa
Britain last night widened its role in the campaign against international terrorism by deploying two spy planes to overfly Somalia in the search for suspected al-Qaida cells. Two RAF Canberra reconnaissance aircraft with sophisticated photographic equipment landed last night at the Kenyan...

Al-Qaida Fighters Evaded Us Siege, Afghans Claim
Afghan commanders cast doubt on the success of the US military operation at Shah-i-Kot when they admitted hundreds of al-Qaida and Taliban fighters had escaped during the assault.

US Sends Suspects to Face Torture
The US has been secretly sending prisoners suspected of al-Qaida connections to countries where torture during interrogation is legal, according to US diplomatic and intelligence sources.

US Bombards Al-qaida Stronghold
American B-52 bombers, F-16 fighter jets and attack helicopters pounded a Taliban and al-Qaida stronghold in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan yesterday.

Allied Troops Close in on Al-qaida Caves
Afghan soldiers fighting alongside US special forces troops yesterday closed in to within 100 metres of a Taliban and al-Qaida hideout in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan, a senior Afghan commander said. For most of the fourth day of Operation Anaconda, American B52 bombers and F16...

US Drops Camp X-ray Turban Ban
United States authorities today dropped a ban on al-Qaida suspects held at Camp X-Ray wearing turbans after prisoners went on hunger strike in protest. But 88 detainees were still refusing food as tensions remained high at Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, where 300 men from 32 countries...

US Targets Al-qaida Hideout in Georgia
Dozens of al-Qaida militants or Taliban fighters have fled Afghanistan and moved into the fragile post-Soviet state of Georgia, according to US and Russian officials who are pressing the government of President Eduard Shevardnadze to strike at the radicals' alleged mountain redoubts in the north of...

Cornered Yemeni Al-qaida Suspect Blows Himself Up
A suspected al-Qaida member accidentally blew himself up yesterday after he was cornered by security forces at his home in the Yemeni capital Sana'a, police said. The incident came a day after the FBI issued the names and photographs of 17 men, mostly with Yemeni connections, whom it said...

Allies Point the Finger at Britain As Al-qaida's 'revolving Door'
Investigators in Britain are privately at loggerheads with their US and continental European counterparts over claims that the UK was used as a pivotal base for Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network in the run-up to the September 11 terror attacks. Documents compiled in Madrid, Milan, Paris...

Al-Qaida Fighters Took Iran Drug Route to Gulf
Fighters loyal to the Taliban and al-Qaida have evaded US military operations in Afghanistan by crossing the border into Pakistan and escaping to freedom along the established drug smuggling route to Iran.

Harlequins 22 - 20 Leicester
A disconcerting week all round for Leicester folk, even for those who don't live next door to a suspected al-Qaida terrorist. In the great scheme of things their side's failure to reach the Powergen Cup semi-finals is no reason to panic but another distinctly low-wattage display has done more than...

Videos show al-Qaida men planning new attacks, says US
The US justice department yesterday released videotapes of three men and still photographs of five others who it said had pledged their lives to martyrdom for the al-Qaida cause, and who are still at large. The attorney general, John Ashcroft said the pictures had been found in the...

Call-up for TA to aid al-Qaida probe
The first compulsory call-up of army reserves since the Suez crisis over 45 years ago is to be announced by the government today. In a move reflecting the government's belief that Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida followers continue to pose a serious threat to Britain, more than 100 Territorial...

British al-Qaida suspects disappear
Three Britons accused of being al-Qaida fighters are thought to have been spirited away by Afghan authorities, along with dozens of other Taliban and al-Qaida suspects, and are beyond the reach of human rights monitors and diplomats. The governor of a Kabul jail admitted yesterday that...

French ID found on al-Qaida corpse
A frozen corpse found by Pakistani villagers in the mountains on the Afghan border may have been a French member of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, it emerged yesterday. A search of the body yielded a French identity document and passport in the name of Hervé Djamel Loiseau and...

Troops round up al-Qaida fugitives
The Pakistani security forces and tribal fighters in the remote north-west of the country said they had by last night recaptured or killed all but a few of the busload of captured al-Qaida fighters who escaped on Wednesday after overpowering their guards. During the escape, 17 people are...

Comoros attacked by men 'pursuing al-Qaida'
A mysterious band of white soldiers attacked an island in the Comoros yesterday and claimed to be American forces in pursuit of terrorists. At least five people were killed in the fighting between government troops and the invaders who landed by speedboat on the smallest of the...

Al-Qaida PoWs revolt in Pakistan
A revolt by prisoners in which 10 people died yesterday showed that al-Qaida fighters have been slipping out of Afghanistan in far greater numbers than thought. Pakistani officials said six guards and four al-Qaida captives died in an exchange of fire after the guerrillas overpowered...

Pakistan troops in al-Qaida border patrol
Pakistan has deployed its army for the first time in over a decade in the autonomous regions along the border with Afghanistan after it was discovered that the local police were accepting bribes to allow fleeing al-Qaida fighters to escape across the mountainous frontier. The police, the...

Al-Qaida diehards push into Pakistan
Several thousand al-Qaida and Taliban fighters were reported to be trying to escape towards the Pakistan border yesterday, fleeing heavy assaults by US and anti-Taliban forces in the Tora Bora mountains, as speculation mounted over the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden. Despite radio...

Al-Qaida leader still on run in Afghanistan, says Rumsfeld
America believes that Osama bin Laden is still in hiding in Afghanistan, the US defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld declared last night, as Washington unleashed its heaviest bomb attacks on the Tora Bora mountain range. Heartened by the propa ganda coup of the Bin Laden video tape, Mr...

Broken al-Qaida driven from their last fortress
The ash in the campfires of Tora Bora in the heart of Afghanistan's White Mountains was still warm. Around the boxes of heavy-calibre ammunition at the mouth of one cave lay a freshly used intravenous drip, still spattered with drops of blood. For more than a week Osama bin Laden's...