Osama bin Laden is firmly back in command of al-Qaeda and the group is digging in for guerrilla attacks on US troops in Afghanistan, an Arab journalist with close ties to bin Laden's associates has said.
Mr Abdel-Bari Atwan, editor of the London-based daily al-Quds al-Arabinewspaper, said al-Qaeda associates recently told him the network had regained confidence after facing intense US bombing and was ready to fight US troops over the long haul.
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"Al-Qaeda were shattered during the US bombing so it was difficult for bin Laden to stay in control. Now they said he is fully in command again and they have regrouped and are organized again," Mr Atwan said.
"Al-Qaeda people say they are relaxed now and they will fight a war of attrition against US soldiers," added Mr Atwan, who interviewed bin Laden in 1996 and keeps in contact with his associates and followers.
Bin Laden was in good health and "safe" and was planning new attacks on the United States, he was told, but his whereabouts were not disclosed.
The United States launched strikes on Afghanistan last year to flush out al-Qaeda and hunt down bin Laden, its prime suspect in the September 11th attacks. But remnants of al Qaeda and their Taliban allies have continually frustrated the US-led coalition by hiding in mountains, melting into the local population or fleeing into neighboring Pakistan or Iran.
Mr Atwan said that the al-Qaeda and Taliban had re-established links that were severed when the United States began its military campaign in Afghanistan.
"They are working together again. They are organizing," he said.
There is no trail, meanwhile, leading to bin Laden.
"My sense is that he will time any new attack to coincide with a US attack on Iraq. He would want to capitalise on this to appeal to the Arab street so he will probably delay any attacks until the United States moves on Iraq," said Mr Atwan.
"He will probably want to be seen as the only Arab standing up to the United States when the United States attacks Iraq."
His associates said bn Laden, who has a $25 million US bounty on his head, was well protected but his entourage was small in order to avoid capture, said Mr Atwan. "He is the master of disguise and he is making sure that he is not giving anything away so he travels in a small group," he said.