Hajj figured into bin Laden plot

The escalated fear over imminent terrorist attacks against the United States and its interests abroad has historical underpinnings, reports the Associated Press.

Citing increasing intelligence chatter among Osama bin Laden sympathizers, U.S. officials warn of a high risk of attacks against "soft," economic and symbolic targets during the Muslim holy period, the Hajj.

World Tribune.com reports attacks against U.S. "soft" targets, or lightly guarded places such as apartment buildings and hotels, may come as early as Wednesday.

With as many as 2 million Muslims on the move, the annual Muslim pilgrimage to the holy Saudi city of Mecca offers cover for terrorist groups to move operatives without detection.

The Associated Press reports bin Laden relatives tried to use the pilgrimage in 1999 as a cover to visit him in Afghanistan, where he was holed up and in poor health.

At that time, United Nations sanctions grounded Afghanistan's state-run airline except for flights to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

A former airline official told the AP, under the condition of anonymity, that bin Laden's brother contacted the carrier in hopes of sneaking himself and their mother aboard a flight from Saudi Arabia.

"He was a tall, young, handsome man and he said, 'We want to go because my brother is sick and my mother is insisting she goes to see him.' They said they had permission from the Saudis and from the foreign ministry in Afghanistan," the official told the AP.

The scheme was not carried out because U.N. workers were monitoring everyone arriving on flights in Kabul.

Law-enforcement officials are working to improve immigration controls in Afghanistan and Pakistan where authorities stopped nearly 1,000 people trying to board flights using fake passports.

But the sheer volume of traffic during Hajj makes the crackdown difficult, if not impossible.

AP reports 135,000 Pakistanis have traveled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage this year and some 25,000 pilgrims in Afghanistan were granted visas to Saudi Arabia.