Gwinnett Daily Post

Al-Qaida vows revenge over Bin Laden

CAIRO -- Al-Qaida vowed to keep fighting the United States and avenge the death of Osama bin Laden, which it acknowledged for the first time Friday in an Internet statement apparently designed to convince followers that it will remain vigorous and intact even after its founder's demise.

Al-Qaida's plots are usually large-scale and involve planning over months or even years. But Western intelligence officials say they are seeing increased chatter about cheap, small-scale attacks -- perhaps by individuals or small extremist groups inspired to take revenge for the killing.

''USA, you will pay!'' chanted more than 100 participants in a pro-bin Laden protest outside the U.S. Embassy in London on Friday.

Bin Laden was in touch with al-Qaida figures

WASHINGTON -- A U.S. official says material retrieved from Osama bin Laden's compound shows he was in touch with senior al-Qaida figures and was able to plot future attacks on U.S. targets from his suburban Pakistani hideout.

The official says the trove of documents and computer material confiscated from bin Laden's compound also includes new video of Bin Laden, both unreleased propaganda tapes and more candid shots like home videos.

The official would not confirm news reports that the data yielded clues to the whereabouts of al-Qaida deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Mexico sends troops, police to drug city

MEXICO CITY -- Mexico's government is sending hundreds of soldiers and federal police to a northern region where drug cartel violence has been on the rise and a prominent businessman was recently killed, authorities announced Friday.

The forces are going to the Comarca Lagunera region area that straddles Coahuila and Durango states, the Interior Department said.

The announcement came three days after Interior Secretary Francisco Blake met with the governors of the two states. He discussed the possibility of sending federal forces to the region but also urged the governors to step up efforts to root out corruption in state and municipal police forces.

The troops and federal police are being deployed because of ''weak local governments."