Washington: Just before and after the September 11 attacks in the US, the al-Qaida terror network's operatives had spent some $ 20 million and bought over the diamond trade in two West African countries to fund their activities, media reported on December 29, citing an intelligence report.

Liberia and Burkina Faso in West Africa harboured the terrorist operatives and allowed them to buy and effectively corner the diamond trade in the region, the 'Washington Post' reported, quoting a joint intelligence report it accessed.

A year-long European probe into the funding patterns of al-Qaida found proof that President Charles Taylor of Liberia received a one-million-dollar payment for arranging to harbour the operatives, who were in the region for at least two months after the September 11, 2001 attacks on World Trade Centre and the Pentagon.

The terrorists moved between Liberia and the Presidential compound in neighbouring Burkina Faso, investigators told the 'Post'.

Taylor and President Blaise Campaore of Burkina Faso have denied the charges, which is included in a summary of the joint intelligence findings.

A copy of the military intelligence summary obtained by 'Post' offers the clearest picture yet of al-Qaida's secretive business operations in West Africa and an elaborate plot that began in 1998 to hide substantial terrorist assets in diamonds.

European and Latin American investigations also found evidence that a group of people buying diamonds on behalf of the terrorists were simultaneously attempting to procure sophisticated weapons, such as missiles that could shoot down aircraft, the daily said.

Investigators were unable to trace the diamonds after they left Liberia and Burkina Faso, the daily said.

The diamond-buying operation appears to have been began in response to a move by the United States in 1998 to freeze al-Qaida assets after attacks on two US embassies in Africa that were blamed on the organisation.

Preparations for al-Qaida's diamond operation began in September 1998, six weeks after the bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, when Washington moved to freeze $ 240 million in Taleban and al-Qaida assets.

"It was at that point that al-Qaida realised where it was vulnerable in its financial structure and began to systematically move its assets to commodities," an intelligence analyst told the daily.

"You see a move into diamonds, tanzanite and other commodities along with a new emphasis on creating charities to handle the finances," the source said.

Senior European intelligence sources told the daily they were baffled by the lack of US interest in their findings.

The US Central Intelligence Agency, which in the past has downplayed reports of al-Qaida's diamond connections, declined the 'Post's request for comment, the daily reported.

PTI