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PESHAWAR, Nov 12: Osama bin Laden has reduced the number of his bodyguards to avoid attracting attention, an eyewitness, having access to the Al-Qaeda network, told Dawn here on Monday.
According to the witness, the long motorcade, including pick-up trucks, which used to accompany Osama, has been replaced by a couple of Landcruiser jeeps.
Before the US airstrikes on Afghanistan, Osama used to travel along with 20 pick-up trucks, escorted by dozens of Arab bodyguards.
The witness said Osama had once come to the communications ministry building in Kabul in a motorcade consisting of only two Landcruisers, escorted by five or six Arab bodyguards.
“ Osama was relaxed, shook hands and exchanged views in Pushto with the people present there”, the witness said.” I was surprised to see the world;s most-wanted person for the first time and shook hands with him”, the witness added.
He said: “I had met Osama on the third floor of the ministry building, armed with an AK-47 rifle. I could not know the purpose of his visit, but he was probably recording some statement”.
The witness said a man had delivered a parcel to communications ministry officials, sent by the Qatar-based Al-Jazeera Television. The packet contained a small-size D-8 video cassette.
STOCKPILING OF FOOD: As the US-led allied forces are tightening their noose around the ruling Taliban, particularly in northern parts of Afghanistan, Arab fighters and other foreign nationals are stockpiling food to meet any emergency.
Travellers, who returned from Kabul on Sunday, told Dawn that they had seen many Arab nationals buying huge quantity of food and also a large number of cattle in Kabul. The travellers said that some Arabs had akso signed contracts with cattle owners in Kabul for the supply of 2,000 sheep, goats and 20 buffalos.
The Arabs and other fighters have planned to preserve dry meat and other food items for the coming harsh winter, during which they expect battles will be fought against the US-led ground forces.
An official of a foreign relief agency told Dawn that the Taliban government had gone almost bankrupt and had not paid salaries to its employees, including soldiers, for the last five months.
