US general backs off on confidence of bin Laden capture

WASHINGTON -- The US general who predicted Osama bin Laden would be captured or killed this year struck a decidedly cautionary note yesterday, saying he doesn't know when or if the mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks will be brought to justice.

Army Lieutenant General David Barno, commander of the 18,000 US troops in Afghanistan, said a dedicated team of military and intelligence officials remain on the hunt around the clock for bin Laden, his followers, and leaders of the deposed Taliban regime.

But he backed off comments he made in January that the terrorist leader will be found by the end of the year, a statement that ignited a firestorm of rumors that the United States or Pakistan was closing in on the Saudi fugitive.

"I retired my crystal ball and I don't make predictions any more in terms of when we're potentially going to get any of the figures out there," Barno told reporters at the Pentagon. He also declined to say whether US intelligence officials still believe, as it has been widely reported, that bin Laden is hiding in western Pakistan in the border region with Afghanistan.

"We obviously don't know where he is or we'd have him in custody," Barno said. "So it's probably not helpful to speculate since we really don't know."

Bin Laden's fate has dogged the US presidential campaign. Democratic challenger John F. Kerry has frequently criticized President Bush for failing to capture him during the battle of Tora Bora in Afghanistan in December 2001.

It remains unclear whether bin Laden was there at the time, but Kerry's attacks have been designed to sow doubt in the public's mind about whether capturing the world's most-wanted terrorist has been enough of a priority.

Barno yesterday indicated that bin Laden's capture would primarily be a symbolic victory, putting only a dent in the worldwide terrorist network's morale. "He is an important target, but I would also tell you that I don't see any indications that he is in day-to-day command and control" of the al Qaeda organization or other terrorist groups sympathetic to his cause.

Pakistani forces continue to put pressure on the tribal areas where al Qaeda and Taliban leaders have a enjoyed a relatively safe haven, Barno said.