THE US: Leading US legislators who were briefed on the capture of a top al-Qaeda leader in Pakistan said yesterday that the arrest would produce further results soon.
Congressman Porter Goss, a Florida Republican who is chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that the arrest of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, a suspected mastermind of the September 11th 2001 attacks on America, would give US law enforcement agents "more focus and more clarity on where to go and what to look at".
"This is a very huge event. This is the equivalent of the liberation of Paris during the second World War," Mr Goss said.
The congressman indicated that US agents were already moving on information which was seized when Mohammed was arrested in Pakistan before dawn on Saturday, predicting that the operation was "going to lead to other very successful activities very soon".
Although ruling out torture of the suspect, who was described by US officials as one of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden's "most senior and significant lieutenants", Mr Goss said: "I believe we will be successful in getting information ... that will link with other pieces that we have already."
Senator Pat Roberts, the chairman of the US Senate Intelligence Committee, called Mohammed a "really big fish", saying: "He's the king fish. He's the operations manager."
The Kansas Republican said that the arrest would effectively put an end to a spring offensive officials believed al-Qaeda was planning for Afghanistan.
"Look out, al-Qaeda ... It's a real coup for us. And I think there will be more coming," Mr Roberts said.
A Pakistani official said that the Kuwaiti-born Mohammed, who is in his late 30s, had been handed over to US custody.
Mr Roberts would not comment on where Mohammed was being held.
"He's in captivity. That's about all I'm going to say about that."
Mr Goss also said he believed Mohammed knew where bin Laden was and had been in contact with him, although he declined to say if he had been told that by US law enforcement agencies. "I think he does know and I suspect he has been in contact with him as well, but I don't want to get into too much detail," Mr Goss said.
Washington had put a $25 million price on Mohammed's head and he was one of 22 people on the FBI's list of "most wanted terrorists". - (Reuters)