Arrest shows need for continuing war on al-qaida - Ashcroft

Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaida terror network continues to pose a serious threat, as shown by the arrest of an American suspected of preparing a ‘‘dirty’’ bomb attack on the US, Attorney General John Ashcroft said today.

‘‘Bin Laden has not been heard from for a long time,’’ Ashcroft said after meeting Swiss Justice Minister Ruth Metzler in Bern. ‘‘But we continue to believe that the al-Qaida threat is a real one, even without his public statements.’’