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TERROR CHIEF: £18m reward for bin Laden
BRITISH intelligence agents have discovered the position of terror chief Osama bin Laden.

A specialist MI6 squad — some working undercover in Afghanistan — traced the Al-Queda leader to a desolate region close to the town of Jalalabad on the country's north-east border with Pakistan.

PM Tony Blair's official spokesman last night confirmed: "Bin Laden is in Afghanistan. We know he is there, put it that way."

When asked if Bin Laden's exact whereabouts had been identified, he insisted: "We know where he is."

A senior Ministry of Defence source confirmed that intelligence agents have been "actively pursuing" Osama bin Laden in the north of the country. He added: "They have been given good information and are following it up. I understand Britain is leading the search."

The vital new information was passed to Mr Blair by foreign policy adviser Sir David Manning and military adviser General Tony Piggott, as they flew to meet President George W Bush in Washington.

Sir David is chair of the Joint Intelligence Commitee, effectively head of MI5, MI6 and the other secret services. Mr Blair then passed on the information to Mr Bush as they dined in the White House on Thursday night.

The search for Bin Laden has been led by America's CIA using satellite technology.

Elite

But the remote passes of the Hindu Kush mountains, with their caves and underground passages, are almost impenetrable even to cameras in space.

The CIA have NO agents on the ground in Afghanistan. But MI6 HAS maintained a small but specialised team since 1999.

They are nicknamed The ‘Golden Crescent Club' and work for the ‘Global Issues Controllerate'. They are an elite unit of agents who usually investigate major drugs producers in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkey.

But immediately after the September 11 atrocity in New York they were contacted and given new orders. They are the closest thing the intelligence services have to James Bond. They are even licensed to kill — but only in self-defence.

Downing Street last night refused to deny that Bin Laden has been located.

But they said he is not yet under constant surveillance.

Armed with the news, Bush and Blair finalised the details of a search and destroy mission to take out Bin Laden and his terrorist organisation.

Meanwhile the US government has put an incredible £18 million reward on the head of Bin Laden and his gang — dead or alive.

Informants are even offered a place in the witness protection programme usually reserved for those who squeal on the Mafia and Cosa Nostra.

Kiwi