Osama probably nowhere near London attacks

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http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/politics/12113019.htm

Osama probably nowhere near London attacks

DANICA KIRKA

Associated Press


LONDON - Simultaneous attacks on public transport. Blasts timed to key political events. Claims of responsibility on Internet sites.

The London terror attacks bear the stamp of al-Qaida, but terrorism experts say Osama bin Laden may have played little or no role. They suggest that what's far more likely is that the attackers who planned and carried out the bombings were local operatives who didn't need much money or expertise from overseas to wreak havoc.

"I think it's homegrown definitely," said Loretta Napoleoni, the author of the book "Terror Incorporated: Tracing the Dollars Behind the Terror Networks." "This is a new generation."

Experts are looking closer to home because of the relatively small scale of the operation - four bombs each containing less than 10 pounds of explosives, according to police. Such an attack wouldn't require funding from outside the country, allowing the bombers to avoid international bank transfers that might have caused suspicion.

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