Identity of Bin Laden’s Visitor Still a Mystery
Senior U.S. officials said they still are not sure about the identity of the man seen visiting terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in a videotape released last week.
“We’re trying to get a firm identification of him so there’s no question about who we’re dealing with,” Secretary of State Colin L. Powell said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
“We do not know who the other people in the tape were,” National Security Advisor Condoleezza Rice said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “Of course, we have an interest in finding out.”
The tape shows Bin Laden discussing the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with a visitor, who congratulates him on their success.
U.S. officials said Friday they believe the man is Sheik Ali bin Said al-Ghandi, a Saudi Arabian Islamic cleric known for anti-Western views. The New York Times reported Sunday that a senior Saudi official had identified the visitor as Khaled al-Harbi, a legless veteran of battles in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Chechnya.
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