Sunday Mail October 14, 2001
WINTER CAN FREEZE OUT TERROR CHIEFS
TERROR chief Osama bin Laden could be snared by nature before the batteries of superpower spy technology catch up with him. Hi-tech equipment is being used to track the Islamic militant and his al-Qaeda network, who have so far eluded capture. But experts say the pursuit will step up a gear in the icy winter.
John Pike, of Washington-based GlobalSecurity.org, says winter will impede the Taliban and al-Qaeda and, along with sensors that home in on body heat, turn the mission in favour of the Allies. He said: "Satellites and planes will be able to pick up where people are hiding from melting snow and tramped down tracks."
The US will also use old-style spy networks, Russian and Pakistani secret services and the promise of millions in reward money to encourage one of bin Laden's henchmen to betray him. Pike added: "Without human intelligence, finding the 22 on the FBI's most wanted list match the odds of winning the lottery."
Bin Laden has gone to great lengths to evade the multi-million pound spies-in -the-sky. He knows all phone calls in Afghanistan are monitored, and fearful of a similar fate to Chechen leader, General Dudayev - killed by a Russian missile that homed in on his mobile - has turned off his phone.
Even the orbits of satellites are public knowledge and can be looked up on the web at heavens-above.com, which has had more hits from Afghanistan than any other Asian country, except Japan. In the end, winter - or a trusted member of bin Laden's terror group - could succeed where space-age technology has failed.
Copyright 2001 Scottish Daily Record & Sunday Mail Ltd.
