LONDON - Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden warned three weeks ago that he and his followers would carry out an unprecedented attack on US interests for its support of Israel, an Arab journalist with access to him said today.
Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper said Islamic fundamentalists
led by bin Laden was "almost certainly" behind the attack of the World Trade Center in New York.
"It is most likely the work of Islamic fundamentalists. Osama bin Laden warned three weeks ago that he would attack American interests in an unprecedented attack, a very big one," Atwan told Reuters.
"Personally we received information that he planned very, very big attacks against American interests. We received several warnings like this. We did not take it so seriously, preferring to see what would happen before reporting it."
Atwan has interviewed bin Laden and maintains close contacts with his followers.
Two planes crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center as office workers began work this morning (about 1 am NZT), causing the south tower to collapse, eyewitnesses said.
In Washington, another plane crashed next to the Pentagon, a US official said. Eyewitnesses said the building was being evacuated. The White House and State Department were also evacuated.
A Palestinian group claimed responsibility, Abu Dhabi television said. President George W. Bush called it an "apparent terrorist attack," and pledged the US government would "hunt down" those responsible.
