Evidence, and Bin Laden News, Hard to Come By

By By Massimo Calabresi, Elaine Shannon, Mark Thompson and Douglas Waller/Washington

American Intelligence Agencies now strongly suspect that the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, a Cairo-based extremist group that is part of OSAMA BIN LADEN's loose network, may have carried out the Oct. 12 attack in Yemen on the U.S.S. Cole. But unless the Yemeni regime allows the FBI access to witnesses and suspects, that may never be proved. The Yemenis are refusing to let U.S. agents join Yemeni authorities in conducting interviews. On Friday FBI Director Louis Freeh and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright appealed to President Ali Abdullah Saleh to let FBI agents "work as partners" with Yemeni cops, then sharply reduced the fbi presence, saying the 80-plus agents removed had no more to do.

Intelligence on what Bin Laden has been up to is thin. He's still holed up in Afghanistan, but he now gives orders to lieutenants personally rather than by phone. The Pentagon isn't jumping to strike. "If we can find them, I am sure we will retaliate, but finding both motive and targets worth hitting could prove difficult," says a senior military officer.

--By Massimo Calabresi, Elaine Shannon, Mark Thompson and Douglas Waller/Washington