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Haroun Fazul was a significant operative in Osama bin Laden's network in East Africa (see letter below).
It's believed he drove the lead truck in the Nairobi embassy bombing of August 1998. As of September 2003, Fazul is still at large. Martin
Smith (producer of "Hunting Bin Laden") traveled to Fazul's
homeland, the impoverished, volatile Comoros Islands just off the coast of
East Africa, to explore what shaped Fazul's young life in the Comoros and led
him, eventually, into the terrorist world of Osama bin Laden.
In May 2001, El Hage, a U.S. citizen, was convicted of conspiracy and perjury in the East Africa embassy bombings case. Prosecutors believed that he was
a top member of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network. Before the trial,
FRONTLINE wanted to know more about El Hage's life and motives, and sought out
his family, neighbors and friends. All were shocked by his arrest; most
proclaimed his innocence.
During a raid on El Hage's house in Nairobi, Kenya, the FBI recovered this
letter from his personal computer. They believe it was written by Haroun Fazul,
one of the suspects in the Nairobi bombing. He had stayed in El Hage's house.
In the letter, Haroun expresses concern that "the cell members in East
Africa are in great danger" from American intelligence forces, and asks, "Are
we ready for that big clandestine battle?"
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