Document says bin Laden was responsible

The British Government has published a document laying out its case against Osama bin Laden for the US terror attacks.

It concludes that bin Laden and his network carried out the attacks and that the UK was also a potential target.

It adds that bin Laden retains the will and resources to carry out further atrocities.

"There is evidence of a very specific nature relating to the guilt of bin Laden and his associates that is too sensitive to release," it said.

The document carried a cautionary note that the information it contained did not amount to a prosecutable case against bin Laden.

But it said that on the basis of all the information available, the government was confident of its conclusions.

The document stated: "The attacks of 11 September 2001 were planned and carried out by al-Qaida, an organisation whose head is Osama bin Laden. That organisation has the will, and the resources, to execute further attacks of similar scale.

"Both the United States and its close allies are targets for such attacks.

"The attack could not have occurred without the alliance between the Taliban and Osama bin Laden, which allowed bin Laden to operate freely in Afghanistan, promoting, planning and executing terrorist activity."

The document will be placed in the House of Commons' library.