Osama bin Laden may be on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" but his name does not officially figure in the case regarding the 9/11 terror attacks.
WASHINGTON: Osama bin Laden may be a household name in the US and on the FBI's "Ten Most Wanted List" but his name does not officially figure in the case regarding the September 11, 2001 terror attacks.
There is a legal reason why the Federal Bureau of Investigation has not formally put bin Laden's name to the 9/11 attacks, David Kelly a former US Attorney in New York who has been in charge of terrorism cases like the embassy bombings of 1998 has said.
"It might seem a little strange from the outside, but it makes sense from a legal point of view. If I were in government, I'd be troubled if I were asked to put up a wanted picture where no formal charges had been filed, no matter who it was," Kelly said.
According to the FBI notice Laden is a suspected mastermind of the deadly American Embassy bombings of 1998, but is not listed for September 11, 2001 which means that the Justice Department is not seeking criminal charges for the "most notorious" and perhaps spectacular terror hits of 9/11, or at least till date.
"The absence has also provided fodder for conspiracy theorists who think the US government or another power was behind the September 11 hijackings. From this point of view, the lack of a September 11 reference suggests that the connection to al-Qaeda is uncertain," a media report said
"There's no mystery here. They could add 9/11 on there, but they have not because they don't need to at this point... There is a logic to it," FBI spokesman Rex Tomb told The Washington Post.
Osama bin Laden was put on 'The Ten Most Wanted list' in June 1999 after being indicted for murder, conspiracy and other charges in connection with the embassy bombings, and a USD5 million reward was put on his head at that time. After September 11, 2001 the reward money was upped to $25 million but the terror attacks were not officially mentioned.
"The indictments currently listed on the posters allow them to be arrested and brought to justice," the FBI said.
"Future indictments may be handed down as various investigations proceed in connection to other terrorist incidents, for example, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001."
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