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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - One of the top two-dozen al Qaeda leaders sought by the United States in its war on terrorism was captured recently and is in American custody, U.S. government sources said on Friday.
The sources declined to name the operative for Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s network who was caught in the past week or so. But it was not top lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri, operational leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, nor bin Laden's son Saad.
U.S. authorities have become increasingly concerned this week that al Qaeda was planning fresh attacks.
The FBI (news - web sites) said that in selecting its next targets, the network may favor "spectacular attacks" that result in mass casualties and severe damage to the U.S. economy.
Contributing to that concern was an audio tape broadcast earlier this week on the al-Jazeera television channel in Qatar believed to be of bin Laden praising recent attacks and making fresh threats.
The United States blamed bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America that killed about 3,000 people.
Senior al Qaeda leaders in U.S. custody include Abu Zubaydah and Ramzi Binalshibh, who were being interrogated at an undisclosed location overseas.
"There have been a number of -- numerous senior leaders of al Qaeda that have either been eliminated, incarcerated or detained someplace," national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said without elaborating.
President Bush (news - web sites) earlier this week, in response to a question about the audio tape, said, "We'll chase these people down one at a time. It doesn't matter how long it takes, we'll find them and bring them to justice."
The sources declined to name the operative for Osama bin Laden (news - web sites)'s network who was caught in the past week or so. But it was not top lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahri, operational leader Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, nor bin Laden's son Saad.
U.S. authorities have become increasingly concerned this week that al Qaeda was planning fresh attacks.
The FBI (news - web sites) said that in selecting its next targets, the network may favor "spectacular attacks" that result in mass casualties and severe damage to the U.S. economy.
Contributing to that concern was an audio tape broadcast earlier this week on the al-Jazeera television channel in Qatar believed to be of bin Laden praising recent attacks and making fresh threats.
The United States blamed bin Laden and his al Qaeda network for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on America that killed about 3,000 people.
Senior al Qaeda leaders in U.S. custody include Abu Zubaydah and Ramzi Binalshibh, who were being interrogated at an undisclosed location overseas.
"There have been a number of -- numerous senior leaders of al Qaeda that have either been eliminated, incarcerated or detained someplace," national security adviser Condoleezza Rice (news - web sites) said without elaborating.
President Bush (news - web sites) earlier this week, in response to a question about the audio tape, said, "We'll chase these people down one at a time. It doesn't matter how long it takes, we'll find them and bring them to justice."
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