Washington, May 12
Forced into deep cover by relentless US pressure and his dreaded group fragmenting, Osama bin Laden was planning attacks on America and Europe till his last moments, Al-Qaida chief's hand-written journals seized from his Abbottabad hideout have revealed.

Not only was he plotting fresh strikes, but was also in touch with his top operational commanders through human couriers, contrary to earlier intelligence estimates of bin Laden's being cut off and isolated from the terror frontline.

According to American intelligence officials involved in analysing the huge cache of materials recovered from the Abbottabad compound where bin Laden spent his last five years before being killed by US forces on May 2, he had never lost control of his terror group as the files reveal his imprint in every recent major Al-Qaida threats and attacks.

Intelligence officials familiar with the information being obtained from these huge cache of material - that can make a small college library - observed that bin Laden was more eager to motivate his cadres for large scale attacks in the US and the other European countries that killed thousands, rather those in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Both New York and Washington are mentioned in his target list, officials said, adding that he also asked his commanders to target other smaller cities as well. "Spread out the targets," was his message.

He was particularly focused on targeting rail roads, and other critical infrastructure that would have resulted in large scale casualties.

Even as if he appeared in a self-imposed prison for five years in a mansion in Abbottabad without any Internet and telephone, bin Laden was connected with his deputies and a small group of commanders and communicated with them on a regular basis through an well-oiled network of couriers.

Officials said there was evidence of two-way written communications demonstrating that not only was bin Laden sending messages, he was getting responses as well.

So far, The Post reported that there has been no evidence, through these documents, of any contact between bin Laden and the ISI or the Pakistani military. — PTI

Pakistan’s Foreign Office (FO) on Thursday summoned the US Ambassador to the country to lodge a protest against the raid conducted by US special forces in Abbottabad that killed Osama bin Laden. The decision to lodge a protest almost 10 days after the intrusion by US helicopters follows countrywide outrage at what is widely described as ‘violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty’. Ambassador Cameron Munter was summoned to the FO where foreign secretary Salman Bashir formally lodged the protest. Munter was reportedly told by Mr Bashir that the US operation on Pakistan’s soil was an attack on the country’s security and sovereignty.

Bashir said Pakistan ‘will not tolerate’ any such operation or violation of its airspace in the future, FO sources said. While he termed the death of bin Laden a success, Bashir said Pakistan should have been taken into confidence on the operation.

Meanwhile, the US Ambassador underlined the need of improved relations between the two countries but demanded a clarification on the Al- Qaida leader’s presence in Abbottabad.

In a severe setback to President Asif Ali Zardari, the Lahore High Court (LHC) on Thursday ordered him to suspend his political activities. The court ruled that the President cannot hold two offices simultaneously, including the Presidency and chairmanship of the Pakistan People’s Party.

After the assassination of his spouse Benazir Bhutto in December 2007, Zardari made his teenaged son Bilawal Zardari as chairperson and opted to become co-chairperson of the party. He was elected Pakistan’s president in September 2008, but retained the party office as well. A four-member bench headed by Chief Justice of the Lahore High Court Ijaz Haider gave a 35-page verdict on the case of the president’s dual offices, which it had reserved after prolonged hearing over the past year. — TNS

Tripoli, May 12
NATO air strikes hit Muammar Gaddafi's compound early on Thursday, hours after the Libyan leader was shown on television for the first time since another aerial attack killed his son nearly two weeks ago.

Libyan officials, who showed reporters around the scene of the air strike, at Gaddafi's Bab al-Aziziyah compound, said three persons were killed and 25 wounded. Government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim told reporters the strikes hit near a spot where dozens of Libyans come every night, to shout slogans in support of Gaddafi. There was no immediate comment from NATO.

Earlier, Gaddafi had drawn a line under nearly two weeks of speculation over his fate when Libyan television showed him meeting officials in a hotel. The Libyan leader had not been seen in public since an April 30 strike killed his youngest son. — Reuters

BRIEFLY

Gilani inaugurates N-plant at Chashma project
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Tahawwur Rana appears in court
Chicago: Pakistani-born Canadian citizen Tahawwur Hussain Rana, co-accused with David Coleman Headley in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, appeared in court here for a status hearing of his case, even as his lawyer claimed that the Indian Government had not approached him yet for access. At the status hearing, discussions were held about the commencement of trial next week, in what is supposedly the most important terrorism trial ever to be held here. — PTI

US slaps sanctions on Haqqani
washington: The US has slapped sanctions on Badruddin Haqqani, a "dangerous" commander of Pakistan-based Haqqani network, in a bid to check the flow of financial and other aid to him, though it said it currently had no plans to designate the group as a foreign terrorist organisation. “As a result of the designation (of Badruddin), all property subject to US jurisdiction in which Badruddin Haqqani has any interest is blocked and US persons are prohibited from engaging in any transactions with him," the State Department said in a statement after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton slapped sanctions on him on Wednesday night. — PTI

I'm more popular than the Queen: Bruni
LONDON: French First Lady Carla Bruni, who is at the centre of media speculation the she is expecting her first child with President Nicolas Sarkozy, has boasted that she is more in demand than the British Queen. The 43-year-old former supermodel made the declaration while discussing her role in Woody Allen's latest film ‘Midnight in Paris’, which opened the Cannes Film Festival on Wednesday night, the Daily Telegraph reported. Bruni, who got the role following Allen's breakfast with Sarkozy at the Elysée Palace, plays a museum tour guide in the Parisian-set comedy and is on screen for three minutes. — PTI