More evidence surfaces of Soviet germ-warfare accident
   By John K. Cooley, Staff correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
   Washington - The USSR is concealing the truth about an anthrax epidemic at Sverdlovsk last year that probably involved Soviet violation of a 1975 treaty against
manufacturing biological weapons, according to intelligence reports released by a congressional committee June 30.

Critics of the Carter administration, led by US Rep. Les Aspin (D) of Wisconsin, are charging that the administration's awkward handling of news about a reported explosion
in a Sverdlovsk germ-warfare research laboratory that allegedly led to hundreds of Soviet casualties has made it more difficult to get at the truth.

In comments prepared for delivery on the House floor June 30, Congressman Aspin agreed with findings of the Subcommittee on Oversight of the Housing Permanent Select
Committee on Intelligence that there is strong evidence "the Soviets have cheated" on the biological weapons treaty.

However, Mr. Aspin agrees with the subcommittee's majority report that absolves the Carter administration from allegations that it played politics with the Sverdlovsk
germ-warfare information. Some critics have charged that the administration withheld the information from the Us public until all hope for the ratification of the SALT II
treaty by the Senate had been lost in the wake of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.

The committee's ranking Republican member, Rep. John M. Ashbrook of Ohio, and Rep. C. W. Bill Young (R) of Florida, added the opinion that the US should sign no
arms-control treaties with the Soviets "unless they are self-enforcing or if we have the capability to fully monitor them through our intelligence agencies or with on-site
inspection.

The committee document and a related, earlier account of the Sverdlosk affair by the Public Interest Report of the Federation of American Scientists, disclose the following
sequence of events:

* In 1972, the US and the Soviets signed the biological weapons convention. Signers are bound "never in any circumstances to develop, produce, stockpile, or otherwise
acquire or retain" germ-warfare agents "of types and in quantities that have no justification for prophylactic, protective, or other peaceful purposes."

* The US intelligence community began collecting information on suspected Soviet germ-warfare facilities, including one called Laboratory No. 19 near Sverdlovsk. Travelers from the USSR and one Soviet Defector, indentified as "Mr. Popovsky," reported that in April 1979 an explosion there released clouds of anthrax bacteria spores, and that
hundreds of fatalities resulted from inhaling the spores.

* On Feb. 19, 1980, the Soviet news agency Tass denied anything had happened in Sverdlovsk, calling published reports about the anthrax epidemic "malicious inventions."
But on March 19 Tass conceded there had been a natural epidemic. It said diseased meat had brought on the epidemic. The Soviet government formally told the US the same
thing March 20.

* Meanwhile, on March 17, as Mr. Aspin points out, the US had approached the Soviets privately, reminding them of the obligation to consult on such matters under the 1975 treaty.

Before the Soviets had a chance to respond privately, the US then went public in a State Department comment, during a conference in Geneva to review progress on the
treaty. The result of this was the indignant Soviet response of March 19 . This looks to some administration critics, including Mr. Aspin, as though "we intended to embarrass the Soviets and to make political capital out of the incident rather than to resolve it."

Radio France Internationale --a state-owned station-- has confirmed
today (Nov. 1st) the news about the meeting between Osama bin Laden and a
CIA agent in the emirate of Dubai. It has also given more details: his
name is Larry Mitchell and he is the local station chief under the guise
of a 'consular agent'. The meeting took place on July, 12, 2001.
The news also quotes Zbigniew Brzezinski, the former aide to President
Jimmy Carter on the CIA help to the Afghans. It didn't begin in 1980 as
a consequence of the Soviet intervention on December, 24, 1979, as the
official story tells. To the contrary, the Soviet invasion was a
consequence of a secret directive by Carter dated July 3, 1979, who
ordered the clandestine help to the Afghan rebels.
 
 
 

http://www.radiofranceinternationale.fr/special.asp?m1=1&m2=1&SurTitre='Attentats%20%20l%20enqujte%20et%20les%20suites'&Titre='Ben%20Laden%20et%20la%20CIA%20%20les%20ditails%20de%20la%20rencontre'

jeudi 1 novembre 2001
Ben Laden et la CIA: les ditails de la rencontre
Aprhs les informations rivilies par RFI et Le Figaro concernant une
rencontre en juillet dernier entre Ben Laden et un agent de la CIA `
Dubao, l?agence amiricaine parle +d?absurditi totale;. RFI maintient et
pricise ses informations.

Le reprisentant local de la CIA qui a rendu visite ` Oussama Ben Laden -
le 12 juillet dernier - ` l'Htpital amiricain de Dubao s'appelle Larry
Mitchell. Si sa carte de visite pricise qu'il est +agent consulaire;,
chacun sait ` Dubao, notamment dans le petit milieu des expatriis qu'il
travaille sous couverture. En clair, Larry Mitchell appartient ` la
+grande maison;, autrement dit la CIA. Lui mjme, du reste ne s'en cache
pas...

Bon connaisseur du monde arabe et spicialement de la pininsule, Larry
Mitchell est un personnage haut en couleur qui igaie souvent les soiries
un peu mornes des expatriis de Dubao. Un de ses proches a coutume de dire
que son exubirance naturelle frise souvent le +confidentiel difense;. Et
c'est peut-jtre une des raisons pour lesquelles il a iti rappeli aux
Etats-Unis dhs le 15 juillet dernier.

Une vingtaine de jours aprhs les attentats du 11 septembre, dans un
communiqui dati du 5 octobre 2001, la CIA qualifiait dij` de rumeurs sans
fondement des informations selon lesquelles l'agence de renseignement
avait eu, dans le passi des contacts avec Ben Laden et son entourage,
notamment`l'ipoque de la guerre contre l?Union soviitique en Afghanistan. Il se
trouve que ce communiqui de la CIA est en complhte contradiction avec les
diclarations officielles de plusieurs reprisentants de l'administration
amiricaine elle-mjme.
 

La CIA et Ben Laden: une longue histoire
Un retour sur le passi est nicessaire et capital ` double titre, tout
d'abord historiquement, mais aussi parce qu'il permet de juger du sirieux
de certains communiquis officiel. L'ancien directeur de la CIA, Robert
Gates affirme dans ses mimoires que les services amiricains ont commenci a
aider les moudjahidine afghans - dont les amis d'Oussama Ben Laden - six
mois avant l'intervention soviitique...

Cette affirmation qui aniantit le communiqui de la CIA du 5 octobre
dernier a iti confirmie par Zbigniew Brzezinski, l'ancien conseiller ` la sicuriti
du prisident Carter et je le cite: +Selon la version officielle de
l'histoire, l'aide de la CIA aux Afghans a dibuti courant 1980, c'est `
dire aprhs l'intervention soviitique du 24 dicembre 1979. Mais la rialiti
gardie secrhte jusqu'` prisent est tout autre...; et poursuit Brzezinski
+c'est le 3 juillet 1979 que le prisident Carter a signi la premihre
directive sur l'assistance clandestine aux opposants du rigime
pro-soviitique de Kaboul. Et ce jour l`, j'ai icrit une note au prisident
pour lui expliquer qu'` mon avis cette aide allait entranner une
intervention militaire des soviitiques;.
RICHARD LABEVIERE
01/11/2001
Oussama Ben Laden
)AFP
Ben Laden a regu un agent de la CIA ` Dubao
Selon les informations recueillies par RFI, Oussama Ben Laden a rencontri
un agent amiricain alors qu?il itait traiti en juillet dans un htpital de
Dubao. Information dimentie par ce dernier. 31/10/2001
 

http://www.radiofranceinternationale.fr/revues_presse.asp?Id_sRub=18&m1=1&m2=3&m3=1

la revue de presse internationale
01/11/2001
Philippe LEYMARIE
(....)
Liaisons dangereuses
+Vivre avec le terrorisme; : c'est un des iditoriaux reproduits ce matin
par le HERALD TRIBUNE, qui - par ailleurs - affirme qu'une +vague de
scepticisme et de dimentis; a suivi la diffusion hier dans le FIGARO et
sur

RFI d'informations sur des contacts ricents entre la CIA amiricaine et le
chef terroriste Ben Laden.
LE FIGARO justement qui revient sur ces +liaisons dangereuses;, rappelant
que les +apprentis sorciers amiricains; n'ont ouvert les yeux que lorsque
se sont produits les attentats de Nairobi et de Dar-es-Salaam, contre
leurs ambassades. Le quotidien consacre igalement une pleine page ` l'entrie en
action des bombardiers lourds B 52 sur les lignes des taliban
d'Afghanistan, face ` l'Alliance du Nord, dont un des chefs affirme
: +Nous manquons d'armes et de munitions;.
(....)

Le Figaro, Nove. 1, 2001, CIA agent allegedly met bin Laden in July

===========================
CIA AGENT ALLEGEDLY
MET BIN LADEN IN JULY
From 'Le Figaro' [1 November 2001]
Translated by Tiphaine Dickson
===========================
By Alexandra Richard
(Page 2, October 31st, 2001)
Dubai, one of the seven emirates of the Federation of the United Arab
Emirates, North-East of Abi-Dhabi. This city, population 350,000, was
the backdrop of a secret meeting between Osama bin Laden and the local
CIA agent in July. A partner of the administration of the American
Hospital in Dubai claims that public enemy number one stayed at this
hospital between the 4th and 14th of July.

Having taken off from the Quetta airport in Pakistan, bin Laden was
transferred to the hospital upon his arrival at Dubai airport. He was
accompanied by his personal physician and faithful lieutenant, who could
be Ayman al-Zawahari--but on this sources are not entirely certain--,
four bodyguards, as well as a male Algerian nurse, and admitted to the
American Hospital, a glass and marble building situated between the
Al-Garhoud and Al-Maktoum bridges.

Each floor of the hospital has two "VIP" suites and fifteen rooms. The
Saudi billionnaire was admitted to the well-respected urology department
run by Teerry Callaway, gallstone and infertility specialist. Dr Callaway
declined to respond to our questions despite several phone calls.

As early as March, 2000, 'Asia Week,' published in Hong Kong, expressed
concern for bin Laden's health, describing a serious medical problem that
could put his life in danger because of "a kidney infection that is
propagating itself to the liver and requires specialized treatment".
According to authorized sources, bin Laden had mobile dialysis
equipment shipped to his hideout in Kandahar in the first part of 2000.
According to our sources, bin Laden's "travels for health reasons" have
taken place before. Between 1996 and 1998, bin Laden made several trips
to Dubai on business.

On September 27th, 15 days after the World Trade Center attacks, at the
request of the United States, the Central Bank of the Arab Emirates
announced an order to freeze assts and investments of 26 people or
organisations suspected of mainting contact with bin Laden's
organization, and in particular at the Dubai Islamic Bank.
"Relations between the Emirate and Saudi Arabia have always been very
close," according to sources, "princes of reigning families, having
recognized the Taliban regime, often travelled to Afghanistan. One of the
princes of a ruling family regularily went hunting on the land of bin
Laden, whom he had known and visited for many years."

There are daily flights between Dubai and Quetta by both Pakistan and
Emirates Airlines. As to private planes from Saudi Arabia or from the
Emirates, they regulariy fly to Quetta, where their arrival is rarely
registered in airport logs.

While he was hospitalised, bin Laden received visits from many members
of his family as well as prominent Saudis and Emiratis. During the
hospital stay, the local CIA agent, known to many in Dubai, was seen
taking the main elevator of the hospital to go to bin Laden's hospital
room.

A few days later, the CIA man bragged to a few friends about having
visited bin Laden. Authorised sources say that on July 15th, the day
after bin Laden returned to Quetta, the CIA agent was called back to
headquarters.

In late July, Emirates customs agents arrested Franco-Algerian activist
Djamel Beghal at the Dubai airport. In early August, French and
American authorities were advised of the arrest. Interrogated by local
authorities in Abu Dhabi, Beghal stated that he was called to Afghanistan
in late 2000 by Abou Zoubeida, a military leader of bin Laden's
organization, Al Qaeda. Beghal's mission: bomb the US embassy on
Gabriel avenue, near the Place de la Concorde, upon his return to France.
According to Arab diplomatic sources as well as French intelligence, very
specific information was transmitted to the CIA with respect to terrorist
attacks against American interests around the world, including on US
soil.

A DST report dated 7 September enumerates all the intelligence, and
specifies that the order to attack was to come from Afghanistan.
In August, at the US Embassy in Paris, an emergency meeting was called
between the DGSE (French foreign intelligence service) and senior US
intelligence officials. The Americans were extremely worried, and
requested very specific information from the French about Algerian
activists, without advising their counterparts about the reasons for
their requests. To the question "what do you fear in the coming days?", the
Americans kept a difficult-to-fathom silence.

Contacts between the CIA and bin Laden began in 1979 when, as a
representative of his family's business, bin Laden began recruiting
volunteers for the Afghan resistance against the Red Army. FBI
investigators examining the embassy bombing sites in Nairobi and Dar es
Salaam discovered that evidence led to military explosives from the US
Army, and that these explosives had been delivered threee years earlier
to Afghan Arabs, the infamous international volunteer brigades involved
side by side with bin Laden during the Afghan war against the Red Army.
In the pursuit of its investigations, the FBI discovered "financing
agreements" that the CIA had been developing with its "arab friends" for
years. The Dubai meeting is then within the logic of "a certain American
policy".
(c) Le Figaro 2001 * Reprinted for Fair Use Only