WASHINGTON — Osama bin Laden emerged Friday as possibly a key figure in a European terrorism plot, and officials said he might be flexing his muscles in a move to show that a besieged al-Qaeda remains strong and able to launch major attacks on western targets.
U.S. counterterrorism officials said they think that senior al-Qaeda leaders, including bin Laden, were involved in a plan to strike several European cities in a coordinated assault. If bin Laden had a direct hand in the planning, it would be the most active role he has played in a terrorism plot since the 9/11 attacks, according to U.S. officials and analysts.
Counterterrorism officials said that they are working under the assumption that bin Laden played a role in the plotting, but they would not detail what indications they have seen that led them in that direction.
Still, some also think that bin Laden’s orders might have been delivered by one of his top commanders because the al-Qaeda leader is known to avoid contact with anyone except his closet confidants.
The multipronged scope of the emerging terrorism plan, which aimed to launch coordinated shooting rampages or attacks in Britain, France and Germany, is an al-Qaeda hallmark.
