Times faulted by 9/11panel

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The September 11 commission falsely singled out The Washington Times for damaging an intelligence operation by disclosing in 1998 that Osama bin Laden used a satellite phone, even though his means of communication had been widely reported beforehand, including by CNN, CBS and Time.

The issue arose at President Bush's press conference Monday. Mr. Bush criticized an unnamed newspaper for reporting what type of telephone bin Laden was using in 1998, when he was being tracked by the CIA.

"We were listening to him," Mr. Bush said. "He was using a type of cell phone, or a type of phone, and we put it in the newspaper -- somebody put it in the newspaper that this was the type of device he was using to communicate with his team, and he changed.

"I don't know how I can make the point more clear that any time we give up -- and this is before they attacked us, by the way -- revealing sources, methods and what we use the information for simply says to the enemy: change."

The implication was that the newspaper foiled the possibility that the U.S. could find bin Laden and kill or capture him three years before the September 11 attacks.

Mr. Bush did not name the newspaper, but The Washington Post yesterday quoted the White House as saying the president was referring to an Aug. 21, 1998, story in The Washington Times. The New York Times reported that "the president was apparently referring" to the article.

The story was a profile of bin Laden that said, in the 22nd paragraph, "He keeps in touch with the world via computers and satellite phones and has given occasional interviews to international news organizations."

That is the only story cited by the September 11 commission on the issue of bin Laden's satellite phone.

In a chapter on efforts to catch the al Qaeda leader, the report states, "Bin Laden had taken to moving his sleeping place frequently and unpredictably and had added new bodyguards. Worst of all, al Qaeda's senior leadership had stopped using a particular means of communication almost immediately after a leak to The Washington Times. This made it much more difficult for the National Security Agency to intercept his conversations."

A report footnote refers to the Aug. 21, 1998, story, and cites interviews with three intelligence officials.