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Public may see Bin Laden tape Wednesday

Osama bin Laden

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The videotape of Osama bin Laden purportedly bragging about the September 11 terrorist attacks could be released as early as Wednesday, providing what U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Alabama, called the "smoking gun" in the case against the suspected terrorist mastermind.

The White House was tight-lipped Tuesday about what time the videotape might be made public or even if it will be released at all. But a senior administration official said it would likely be released Wednesday.

U.S. officials said Bin Laden makes it clear in the tape that he had advance knowledge about the planning and details of the deadly attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"I think the most striking thing about the video is it shows unequivocally Osama bin Laden's culpability in this event of 9/11," said Shelby, vice chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee.

"And what's sad about it is that he's in this meeting and he's gloating, he's laughing, he's having fun about the death and destruction that occurred in the United States of America."

Bin Laden was named Tuesday as an unindicted co-conspirator in the indictment of Zacarias Moussaoui on six conspiracy charges, the first criminal charges directly related to the U.S. government's investigation of the September 11 attacks.

U.S. Attorney John Ashcroft accused Moussaoui, a French citizen of Moroccan descent, of "undergoing the same training, receiving the same funding and pledging the same commitment to kill Americans as the hijackers."

Ashcroft said four of the charges against Moussaoui carry the death penalty upon conviction. (Full story)

In Afghanistan, meanwhile, al Qaeda fighters cornered in the mountainous Tora Bora area showed no signs of surrendering, despite the passage of a deadline issued by the anti-Taliban Eastern Alliance.

Eastern Alliance commanders had given the al Qaeda fighters until 8 a.m. local time Wednesday (10:30 p.m. EST Tuesday) to lay down their arms or face death in a relentless attack. (Full story)

Tuesday marked the three-month anniversary of the terrorist attacks, with ceremonies around the world paying tributes to the victims. (Full story)

VIDEO CNN's Wolf Blitzer reports on the signifigance that the tape may have on the U.S.-led war on terrorism (December 11) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     QUICKVOTE Should September 11 be a national holiday? Yes No View Results    CNN.COM SPECIAL REPORT  CNN NewsPass Video  Agencies reportedly got hijack tips in 1998  MORE STORIES Intelligence intercept led to Buffalo suspects Report cites warnings before 9/11  EXTRA INFORMATION Timeline: Who Knew What and When? Interactive: Terror Investigation Terror Warnings System Most wanted terrorists What looks suspicious? In-Depth: America Remembers In-Depth: Terror on Tape In-Depth: How prepared is your city?  RESOURCES On the Scene: Barbara Starr: Al Qaeda hunt expands? On the Scene: Peter Bergen: Getting al Qaeda to talk

Latest developments

• Bush said a videotape of bin Laden purportedly bragging about the September 11 attacks shows that he is guilty of "incredible murder." That tape likely will be released Wednesday, a senior administration official said. (Full story)

• A spokesman for Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf said Tuesday that the country's military had moved more troops to the border with Afghanistan to seal it. Eastern Alliance fighters said they found unused plane tickets in a bombed al Qaeda base indicating that members of the network may have been planning to slip out of Afghanistan.

• Britain is willing to play a leading role in a multinational security force for Afghanistan, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Tuesday, but he added the details had not been worked out yet. Earlier, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell had said Britain would lead a peacekeeping force in post-Taliban Afghanistan. (Full story)

• U.S. officials visited a town in central Somalia over the weekend, humanitarian sources said. The visit Sunday by officials to Baidoa prompted speculation that Somalia might be a new target of the U.S.-led antiterror campaign. (Full story)

• Flames lit Kabul's bomb-ravaged skyline late Tuesday, burning out of control in a group of carpentry shops near one of the Afghan capital's largest outdoor markets. Authorities said they suspected the fire may have been sparked by propane heaters used by carpenters working late in their shops.

• The aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk, which has served as a floating base for special operations personnel in the war against terrorism, has left the waters off the coast of Pakistan, a senior Pentagon official said Monday. Some Army troops stationed on the ship have returned to the United States, while others have moved to other bases in the region, the official said. The United States now has two carriers conducting operations as part of the continuing bombing of Afghanistan.

• The man who served as the army chief of staff for the Taliban is among the small number of captured Taliban officials being held by friendly Afghan forces, a senior Pentagon official said Monday. The man, identified as Mohammad Fazal, is currently being held by the forces of Northern Alliance commander Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, the official said. Another Pentagon official identified a second prisoner, described as a "senior Taliban official," as Mullah Dadullah.

• Delta Air Lines evacuated two terminals and four planes Monday night at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York after a passenger found a 4- to 5-inch knife beyond security checkpoints. A Delta spokeswoman said nine planes -- four international and five domestic -- were affected. In suburban Washington, officials at Dulles International Airport cleared hundreds of passengers and employees Monday night from the main terminal after a screening device briefly malfunctioned. An airport spokesman said about four flights were delayed. (Full story)