Cofer Black, the State Department’s senior coordinator for counterterrorism, said last week in Pakistan that the capture of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden could happen soon, reports Geostrategy-Direct, the global intelligence news service.
Black told reporters in Islamabad that 75 percent of the senior al-Qaida leadership has been eliminated and that bin Laden’s capture is closer than in the past.
“If you are asking if we are close to getting OBL, the answer is yes,” he said, noting that recent arrests are assisting in the search.
President Bush “has said that we will arrest Osama Bin Laden. It is guaranteed,” Black said, adding it could happen tomorrow, a week or a month from now.
The comments came as Pakistan recently arrested a man believed to be a senior al-Qaida operative.
The Egyptian Sharif al Misri was arrested Aug. 29 in Ghausabad, Pakistani officials said.
Meanwhile, a senior Taliban leader, Mullah Dadullah Akhund, said in Karachi, Pakistan last week that bin Laden and Mullah Omar are safe.
According to Pakistani press reports, the Pakistani army was put on high alert after unconfirmed reports said bin Laden was sighted in Dera Ismail Khan and nearby tribal areas in Pakistan. Troops were sent to the areas to look for the al-Qaida leader.
Subscribe to Geostrategy-Direct.
WATCH: Tucker: JD Vance plans to find out how much we’re spending on illegal aliens
Tucker Carlson