An Arab prisoner claiming he was Osama bin Laden's cook said the al-Qaida leader has sought refuge in Chechnya, Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper reported. Haji Mohamad Akram's account of bin Laden's movements comes amid continued speculation over bin Laden's whereabouts. "Bin Laden had three offers of escape," Akram, a Saudi, said. "One from Iraq, one from Iran and another from some mafia types. He chose the latter and moved from Afghanistan into Pakistan and then back into Afghanistan and on to Iran. The mafia types were working for money and Osama saw their offer as the most reliable. Now I understand from friends that he was headed to northern Iran." He added he believed bin Laden had then gone to Azerbaijan and into Chechnya.
Cookie's probably not the most reliable of witnesses - if he was Binny's cook in fact. But Chechnya's a pretty shrewd destination, probably the only one other than Xinjiang where the US won't follow in force. And the mafia involvement sure fits in. Since he's got a certain amount of sense, he's more likely to trust a crook than a mullah. (Wouldn't you, if it came down to it?) |