Terrorist Manual Said On CD-ROM

Monday, September 18th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) â€” U.S. intelligence agencies have obtained CD-ROM copies of a six-volume manual they believe is used by Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden to train recruits at his terrorism camps in Afghanistan, USA TODAY reported.

The 1,000-page manual contains information on how to recruit followers, shoot weapons, carry out assassinations and other terrorist operations and assemble bombs similar to those that destroyed U.S. embassies in East Africa in 1998, the paper reports in Monday's editions, citing unnamed U.S. intelligence officials.

Bin Laden, who is believed to be in Afghanistan, has been indicted in the United States in connection with the attacks in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than 200 people.

He has denied involvement.

USA TODAY said the CIA and FBI declined to comment on the manual, but that other intelligence officials called it a ``gold mine'' of information they hope to use to help slow or disrupt terrorist operations.

It said the manual, in CD-ROM form, recently was given to the CIA and the FBI by intelligence officials from Jordan, who seized it from one of 16 men arrested in Jordan in December for allegedly planning New Year's attacks in Israel and Jordan.

The paper quoted U.S. officials as saying they have ``positively confirmed'' copies of the manual were distributed by bin Laden.