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Is bin Laden dead?

Osama bin Laden

SUMMARY:

The United States has formally approached the bin Laden family and asked them for DNA samples, officials said Wednesday.

The United States wants to rule out definitively that al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was not killed in a recent CIA missile strike in Zawar Kili in Afghanistan.

The U.S. armed forces pathology lab is examining human remains from the strike. They are trying to determine the identities of people killed in the missile strike. (Full story)

Meanwhile, 10 UH-1H Huey helicopters are being sent to the former Soviet republic of Georgia to transport troops and gear in the fight against Chechen rebels suspected of having ties to al Qaeda, the U.S. European Command said.

A military trainer and six contractors have been on the ground in the Georgian capital, Tbilisi, since November, training air crews in the use of U.S. combat helicopters, according to the command.

U.S. military officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Wednesday that the United States is considering sending additional troops to Georgia but no final decision has been made.

The United States is looking into deploying up to 200 troops, including Special Forces, U.S. military officials said. The Pentagon has said that U.S. troops sent to Georgia would not be engaged in direct fighting. (Full story)

UPDATE:

Summary Update Key questions Who's who  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

In an interview on Russian television, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov said that a possible U.S. military deployment in Georgia would aggravate an already difficult situation in the Caucasus region. "This is our position," Ivanov said. "Washington is well aware of it. " U.S. military specialists also have said they believe members of the al Qaeda terrorist network may have fled to region from Afghanistan.

In Pakistan, the widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl sounded an "alarm for everybody" across the globe about "a vast and international network of terrorists." Mariane Pearl urged governments to take responsibility for fighting terrorism and for people to be aware of their countries' foreign policies. (Full story)

The U.S. Treasury Department announced that it has moved to freeze the assets of 21 people with alleged ties to ETA, the Basque separatist group that the United States considers a terrorist organization. Treasury Secretary Paul O'Neill said the action was taken in close collaboration with Spain and the European Union. (Full story)

A majority of people interviewed in nine Muslim countries had unfavorable opinions of the United States and President Bush, according to a new Gallup poll. Most respondents also said they think the U.S. military action in Afghanistan is morally unjustified. (Full story)

In Iran, the leader of Afghanistan's interim government ended his three-day visit there saying that Iran's troubled relations with the United States will not hurt bilateral relations between the two neighbors. "Iran has never interfered in the internal affairs of Afghanistan," Hamid Karzai said, disputing recent U.S. allegations. "Iran has always made praiseworthy assistance on the issue of the anti-terror fight" and in the ouster of the Taliban." (Full story)

The Pentagon will close its Office of Strategic Influence after news outlets reported that it would spread disinformation to the overseas press. Announcing the decision Tuesday, Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld blamed "inaccurate speculation and assertions" about the office's mission for the decision, but said that its functions would be taken over by other offices within the Pentagon. (Full story)

In New York, the federal prosecutor who has sent more terrorists to prison than any other U.S. prosecutor said Tuesday her only regret is that she never got to put Osama bin Laden on trial. "My biggest frustration I have is that bin Laden is still out there," former U.S. Attorney Mary Jo White said.

KEY QUESTIONS:

Is Osama bin Laden dead?

Are Chechen rebels fighting in the former Soviet republic of Georgia linked to al Qaeda?

Should the United States get involved in the Chechen fight?

Will Daniel Pearl's killers be brought to justice?

Will Afghanistan's interim regime lead to a stable, permanent government?

How will Afghanistan's relationship with the United States affect its ties with Iran?

WHO'S WHO:

Igor Ivanov: Russian foreign minister

Hamid Karzai: Head of Afghanistan's interim government.

Daniel Pearl: Wall Street Journal reporter, 38, kidnapped and slain in Pakistan.

Mariane Pearl: The widow of slain reporter Daniel Pearl.

Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh: Islamic militant now jailed in Pakistan as the suspected ringleader in Pearl's kidnapping.