WASHINGTON DC - The United States unveiled a list of its most-wanted suspected terrorists this morning (NZT) and announced new rewards for information about the 22 men that it said should all be considered "armed and dangerous".
President George Bush said that by publicising their pictures, he was "robbing themof their secrecy" and increasing the pressure on them.
"Terrorists try to operate in the shadows, they try to hide. But we're going to shine the light of justice on them," he added, speaking at the headquarters of the FBI in Washington.
"These 22 individuals do not account for all of the terrorist activity in the world, but they're among the most dangerous, the leaders and key supporters, the planners and strategists. They must be found. They will be stopped, and they will be punished.
"All of our allies and friends will now be familiar with these evildoers and their associates. For those who join our coalition, we expect results. Eventually, no corner of the world will be dark enough to hide in."
Many of the 22 names are well-known, most particularly that of Osama bin Laden, the Saudi-born dissident blamed by the US for the September 11 attacks and the man at whom the current waves of US and British missile strikes in Afghanistan are aimed. Two of his most senior aides are also on the list.
In all, 13 of the men on the list have been indicted in the US for their alleged role in the 1998 bombing attacks on the American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in which 224 people were killed.
Others on the list are said to have been involved in four earlier terrorist incidents such as the 1985 hijacking of TWA flight 847 which resulted in the murder of a US serviceman and the 1996 Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia.
To coincide with the publication of the list, the US Secretary of State, Colin Powell, announced a new programme of rewards for information about the 22 men. Each now has a $5m price tag on their head, with the exception of Mr bin Laden. Two additional rewards for information about him mean he is worth $7m.
