WASHINGTON – No evidence suggests that the deadly earthquake that rocked Pakistan on Saturday injured or killed the world's top terror leader, Usama bin Laden (search).
The quake shook the border region of Afghanistan and Pakistan (search), where bin Laden is believed to be hiding. However, authorities at this point have no information indicating he's been injured or killed, said a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the information's sensitivity.
Bin Laden guided the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks aimed at New York City and Washington.
U.S. hopes for bin Laden's death or capture were high in December 2001, when U.S. and Afghan troops surrounded a cave complex sheltering Al Qaeda members in Afghanistan's Tora Bora (search) region. But bin Laden escaped and is believed to be living a relatively isolated existence to evade capture.
He was last seen publicly on a videotaped message before the November 2004 elections.
Bin Laden's public face is often his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, who may be hiding with him and is known for more frequent messages. In one last month, Zawahri called the London transit attacks "a slap to the face" of Britain.
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