Bin Laden's Capture Should Be U.S. Priority, Saudi Envoy Says [View All]

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http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000103&sid=aDiaYnBg9ODA&refer=us

Bin Laden's Capture Should Be U.S. Priority, Saudi Envoy Says

April 18 (Bloomberg) -- The U.S. should intensify its hunt for Osama bin Laden because the al-Qaeda leader is inspiring and directing terrorist attacks more than four years after Sept. 11, according to Saudi Arabia's new ambassador to the U.S.

Prince Turki al-Faisal, who met with bin Laden years ago as Saudi intelligence chief, criticized the ``lack of resources'' devoted to finding bin Laden. ``He should be a primary target for the United States and the world community,'' Turki said yesterday in an interview in Washington.

The envoy said the U.S. should be adding rather than withdrawing forces in Afghanistan and ought to enlist other countries in the pursuit of bin Laden. Saudi Arabia may be willing to contribute troops to such an effort, he said.

Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter, is under threat from al-Qaeda, and Turki said the ``cult'' has grown into a global franchise. The biggest blow to the terrorist organization would be the capture of bin Laden, he said.