Geo Pakistan

Osama hiding place visited by Taliban: British newspaper

Updated at: 0520 PST,  Sunday, May 15, 2011  LONDON: Al Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden had direct contact with Taliban allies and fellow Arab fundraisers at the compound in Abbottabad, British newspaper The Telegraph claimed. According to the newspaper, British intelligence agents last week joined their US counterparts to sift through the material after repeated references to Britain were found in the haul retrieved from Osama's compound when US commandos killed him this month. An Afghan Taliban commander, who has previously provided reliable information to foreign media, disclosed to the British newspaper that he had visited bin Laden at the compound in Abbottabad. He said that the Saudi terror chief also received sporadic visits from leaders of his al-Qaeda network, Taliban allies and fellow Arab fundraisers. When the commander, who asked not to be named, last saw Osama in Abbottabad two years ago, he seemed healthy and well briefed on recent developments, but concerned about his safety and money. The Sunday Telegraph has learned that Britain was one of six countries - along with the US, Canada, Israel, Germany and Spain - identified as a target for terror strikes in the intelligence haul. Officials did not disclose specific plots or threats.