Stewart Stogel
Saturday, Aug. 31, 2002

Despite almost a year into the war on terrorism, a draft U.N. report says al-Qaeda is "alive and well" and "poised to strike at will."

The draft report, by a group of experts authorized by the Security Council's committee on anti-terrorism, is critical of efforts being made to control terrorist organizations, such as al-Qaeda.

A copy of the report obtained by NewsMax.com shows that the U.N.'s assessment of the effectiveness of the war on terrorism is even more critical than first reported.

Though Osama bin Laden and his associates have been "forced underground," the report claims that bin Laden and those associates are "fit and well" and "poised to strike at their leisure."

Forces Deployed

It continues by claiming that these bin Laden "associates" are deployed in numerous countries around the world, and "given the opportunity, they will have no compunction in killing as many people as they can."

One way to carry out these new attacks, according to the report, is to recruit locals, or second- or third-generation nationals living in the U.S. or Europe.

By recruiting U.S. nationals in its war, al-Qaeda makes it more difficult for the U.S. to track its movements, admit U.N. diplomats. U.S. nationals will most likely not show up on any INS investigations nor are their travels within the U.S. as easily traced as those of foreigners.

But more importantly, as U.S. nationals at birth, they blend into the local surroundings and arouse less suspicion, the diplomats claim.

The U.N. report says: "… by all accounts [al-Qaeda] is alive and well and poised to strike again, how and when it chooses." The report goes on to say that "the prime targets of the organization are likely to be persons and property of the United States of America and its allies in the fight against al-Qaida as well as Israel."

Surprised

Diplomats at Israel's U.N. mission in New York were surprised by the draft report and even more concerned that they were not notified by the Security Council. Those diplomats, speaking on background, were at a loss as to why they were not notified, considering that Israel is specifically referred to in the draft.

U.S. United Nations ambassador John Negroponte had little to say about the report, claiming it was "a draft" which he "did not read."

However, the U.S. Treasury Department downplayed the report, calling it "incomplete."

The report was first leaked by individuals normally considered sympathetic to Washington and its war on terrorism.

'Negativeness'

Diplomatic sources confirm that the State Department is concerned about the "negativeness" of the draft report and is considering having the final official version "watered down."

The draft report now being reviewed by Security Council members concludes with an ominous warning:

"At this stage of the campaign against al-Qaida there is no room for complacency. On the basis of past events and knowledge, it must be expected that al-Qaida is planning further attacks. ... Consequently, all U.N. members need to re-double their efforts in a concerted and sustained manner in order to bring to bear every legal means possible to fight this scourge to international peace and security."

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