Washington A son of al-Qaeda supremo Osama bin Laden, believed to be an operative of the terror network, is probably hiding in Pakistan, the chief intelligence officer of the United States has said.

US Intelligence officials consider Saad bin Laden to be a mid-level al-Qaeda operative who fled to Iran after the US invasion of Afghanistan in 2001.

Two years later, Iran's Government placed him under what US officials call ‘permissive’ house arrest.

Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell told reporters yesterday that Saad departed Iran in September and is probably hiding in Pakistan, where his father is also believed to be, the CNN reported.

McConnell did not say whether the younger bin Laden escaped detention or was allowed to leave Iran.

He indicated that he was not troubled by the move, suggesting the United States has a better chance of getting rid of Saad if he is in Pakistan, the report said.

"It is better in my world if they are in places where we have access," McConnell said.

Questions about Saad's whereabouts were prompted yesterday by a Treasury Department release that announced financial sanctions had been imposed on bin Laden's son and three other al-Qaeda members with ties to Iran. The statement said, "As of September 2008, it was possible that Saad bin Laden was no longer in Iranian custody."

The Treasury Department described Saad "as part of a small group of al-Qaeda members that was involved in managing the terrorist organisation from Iran."

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/Osamas-son-an-alQaeda-man-is-in-Pak-US-officer/411973/

Jan. 14: The Opposition Asom Gana Parishad on Wednesday removed one of its general secretaries, who is an MLA, for his alleged links with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence.

This came to light when Assam health minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said during a debate in the Assam Assembly that AGP general secretary Nurul Hussain had met some jailed ISI undertrials with the court’s permission.

Mr Hussain admitted he had gone to meet the undertrials, who were from his constituency.

The AGP served a showcause notice to Mr Hussain, fearing the issue might snowball into a major controversy before the Lok Sabha poll as the party had taken a pro-BJP line and was already in the final stage of seat-sharing discussions.

“The party decided on Mr Hussain’s removal after it was not satisfied with his clarification,” said AGP spokesman Apurba Bhattacharya. He was removed as general secretary as well as from the party’s steering and executive committees.

The Congress minister told reporters: “The AGP should stop criticising us that the Congress is weak with the ISI as their own general secretary had met them inside the jail.”

The AGP had criticised the Congress and charged it with being soft towards ISI undertrials, saying that they managed to get bail as the Assam police had failed to file proper chargesheets.

The AGP has also formed a three-member committee, comprising Dr Kamala Kalita, Pabindra Deka and Sahidul Alam Choudhury, to further investigate the MLA’s alleged ISI connections and to submit a report on this to party president Chandra Mohan Patowary. Dr Kalita is the committee’s convenor.

http://www.asianage.com/presentation/leftnavigation/news/top-story/agp-sacks-top-leader,-links-to-pak-isi-alleged.aspx