-Caveat Lector- Bin Laden Threats Close Embassies NewsMax.com Wires Saturday, April 7, 2001 WASHINGTON (UPI) - The threat of attack by terrorists linked to Islamic extremist Osama bin Laden caused the United States on Friday to close three of its embassies in South America, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The embassies closed were in the capitals of Uruguay, Paraguay and Ecuador. A U.S. intelligence official said, "It's best to take the worst-case scenario." Another U.S. government official said, "There was a certain level of huffing and puffing" being intercepted between cells of known and suspected bin Laden operatives, and U.S. security specialists felt "we should take certain precautions." According to a source, the tip on bin Laden came from Argentine intelligence. "Of all the groups in the area, Argentina is most dedicated to fighting terrorism," he said. The tri-border area between Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil has been described as a bin Laden terrorist "nerve center," according to one expert U.S. government official who spoke on condition of anonymity. "It's a tremendous network, and there were indications it was being activated for something specific," he said. Bin Laden operatives had arrived "over a period of time," apparently to carry out special missions. Shiite Muslims put up the operatives in their homes, helped them move around, and furnished them with maps and diagrams of target areas, he said. A former CIA official said the area around Igasu Falls in Argentina contained 80,000 Shia Moslems, and that Iran "is directly implicated" in the 1992 Hezbollah bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires and another bombing two years later. Bin Laden operatives are said to have had a subsidiary role in both bombings. Even Abu Nidal, the famed Iraqi-based Palestinian terrorist, had cells in Peru, the former agency official said. The threat of bin Laden strikes against the Eypgtian government forced Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak to place his security forces on high alert during his recent visit to the United States, U.S. officials said. Copyright 2001 by United Press International. All rights reserved. <A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/">www.ctrl.org</A> DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER ========== CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis- directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought. That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply. Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector. ======================================================================== Archives Available at: http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html <A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html">Archives of [EMAIL PROTECTED]</A> http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/ <A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/">ctrl</A> ======================================================================== To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email: SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED] Om
