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Al Qaeda starts camps in Afghanistan

Even as the war against terrorism continues, the Al Qaeda has activated a number of training camps in eastern Afghanistan and has access to "substantial quantities" of arms and explosives, a United Nations group monitoring the terrorist group's activities said.

These camps, believed to be in the Assadabad region bordering Pakistan, are getting recruits, it said.

"Particularly disturbing about this trend is the fact that new volunteers are making their way to these camps, increasing the number of would-be terrorists and the long-term capabilities of the network," the group said.

A number of operatives trained in camps prior to September 11 attacks in the United States have returned to their countries of origin.

The leader of the UN group, Michael Chandler, said that trained Al Qaeda members who have now joined the mainstream pose the biggest danger.

There are no figures available for terrorists active in 40 countries "but the figure of 10,000 is tossed around", he said.

He, however, refrained from naming any particular country. Despite efforts being made to curb Al Qaeda, the outfit continues to get money, weapons and new volunteers.

According to Chandler, there is no proof that Al Qaeda has obtained nuclear material.

The outfit is also under pressure but it now operates from simple and mobile camps to escape detection, Chandler said. On the funding front, the outfit depends heavily on local sources though it still can use several channels, including international financial institutions.

Chandler said another disturbing aspect is that Al Qaeda has formed alliances with national and regional extremists groups who want to use terror to achieve their objectives.

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