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CIA, Dubai Hospital Deny Reports of Contact With Bin Laden
WASHINGTON, Nov 1 (News Agencies) - The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Wednesday flatly denied that one of its agents had contact with Osama bin Laden in July while the suspected terrorist was allegedly being treated in a Dubai hospital, as reported by two French media outlets Wednesday.
The American Hospital in Dubai also categorically denied reports that bin Laden underwent a 10-day treatment there in July for a kidney complaint.
"He was never a patient here for any days," Chief Executive Officer Bernard Koval told Agence France-Presse (AFP). "Osama bin Laden has never been here. He's never been a patient and he's never been treated here. We have no idea of his medical condition. This is too small a hospital for someone to be snuck through the backdoor."
The hospital initially refused to make any immediate comments on the report, saying that the board was meeting to discuss the issue.
And CIA spokeswoman Anya Guelsher called the report "complete nonsense".
Le Figaro and Radio France International had reported Wednesday that a CIA representative met with the man suspected by the United States of being behind the September 11 terrorist attacks while he was undergoing kidney treatment at the American hospital in Dubai.
In an October 5th statement, the CIA dismissed rumors that it had a long-standing relationship with bin Laden, particularly during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
"The CIA never employed, paid or maintained any relationship whatsoever with bin Laden," the statement said.
The Le Figaro article quoted "a witness, a professional partner of the administrative management of the hospital," saying bin Laden arrived in the Gulf emirate on July 4 by air from Quetta, Pakistan.
He was immediately taken to the hospital for kidney treatment. He left the establishment on July 14,
Le Figaro said.
During his stay, the daily said, the local CIA representative was seen going into bin Laden's room and "a few days later, the CIA man boasted to some friends of having visited the Saudi-born millionaire."
Quoting "an authoritative source," Le Figaro and the radio station said the CIA representative had been recalled to Washington on July 15.
Le Figaro said bin Laden was accompanied in Dubai by his personal physician and close collaborator, who could be the Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahari, as well as bodyguards and an Algerian nurse.
He was reportedly admitted to the urology department of physician Terry Callaway, who specializes in kidney stones and male infertility.
"I've spoken to all the medical workers, physicians, and Callaway himself and they know nothing. I was here for the whole month of July," Officer Koval said. "It's erroneous and fallacious."
Callaway was not taking calls on Wednesday.
"He's not available and he's not taking any calls before this afternoon," an employee in his department told AFP.
Emirati officials made no comment on the reports.
Bin Laden has been sought by the United States for suspected terrorism since the bombing of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. But his CIA links go back to the 1980s and the fight against Soviet forces in Afghanistan, where he is now under the protection of the Taliban Islamic militia and the target of massive U.S.-led strikes.
The American Hospital in Dubai, which opened in 1995, is a 100-bed, acute care, general medical-surgical hospital.
"Our mission is to provide high quality, cost effective, American standard healthcare which will meet the needs and expectations of Dubai and the surrounding Gulf states through comprehensive primary, secondary, and selected tertiary care services on an in-patient, out-patient, and referral basis," says the hospital website.
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