US take DNA samples from bin Laden family

18 Dec, 2001 01:43 AM4 mins to read

2:00 pm - By ANDREW BUNCOMBE

WASHINGTON - As US and opposition forces continue to pursue the last pockets resistance in the Tora Bora mountains, it has emerged that investigators have taken DNA samples from Osama bin Laden's family to help identify the al Qaeda leader if he is captured or his body recovered.

Members of bin Laden's family are said to have "quietly cooperated" with officials in the US to provide the samples.

A total of 21 members of bin Laden's family have been living in the US although it is believed that all but one of them returned to Saudi Arabia in the aftermath of September 11.

The DNA could prove crucial in identifying the al Qaeda leader, if coalition forces capture him or recover his body if he is killed.

Yesterday that scenario appeared no closer despite the surrender of a number of al Qaeda fighters and the revelation that around 200 more had been killed in fighting in Tora Bora in recent weeks.

Though the Pentagon said yesterday that the al Qaeda resistance had been all but crushed, there was still no news about the fate or whereabouts of bin Laden.

"Until we catch him - which we will - we won't know precisely where he's been," the US Defence Secretary, Donald Rumsfeld, told reporters as he flew to Brussels.

At the Pentagon, Rear Admiral John Stufflebeem, said US and British special forces soldiers and opposition forces were now pursuing the remaining al Qaeda fighters through the mountains.

They were also involved in the physical searches of cave networks. "There are still isolated pockets of al Qaeda fighting in this area, so we're not done yet," said Mr Stufflebeem.

Auzubillah, a commander of the tribal eastern alliance, said his forces had clashed with retreating al Qaeda fighters, killing two and capturing five. Several fighters said women and children were among the al Qaeda dead, adding credence to reports that some foreign fighters had brought along their families.

Experts believe the DNA sample could prove extremely important in the event of bin Laden being taken – either alive or dead.

Officials in Washington believe some of bin Laden's followers may claim reports of their leader's capture or killing are false. With DNA evidence they believe they will be able to argue more convincingly that the body they recover is that of the Saudi dissident and not that of one of the several body doubles that popular rumour says he has.

"We've got to stop him from becoming Elvis, with sightings here and there," Adil Najam, professor of international relations at Boston University, told USA Today.

Several of bin Laden's family have lived in America, including four of his half-brothers and their 17 children who have homes in California and Boston.

Timothy Metz, a spokesman for the group, who spell their name Binladen, said he believed they had "quietly cooperated" with the government.

DNA identification of bin Laden will not be straightforward, however, as he has no full brothers or sisters and investigators do not believe they have found a sample of his own DNA.

His father had at least 50 children, but had no other children with bin Laden's mother, meaning investigators will have to take DNA from as many of his siblings as possible to be sure of a positive match.

The hunt for bin Laden is being conducted alongside that for the Taleban's leader, Mullah Omar Mohammad. Yesterday Haji Gulalai, the intelligence chief for Kandahar's governor, said there were reports which said Omar was holed up with hundreds of fighters in the town of Baghran, northwest of the one-time stronghold.

- INDEPENDENT

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