The American Hospital in
Dubai categorically denied reports that the world's most wanted man,
Osama bin Laden, underwent a 10-day treatment there in July for a kidney
complaint.
"He was never a patient
here for any days," Chief Executive Officer Bernard Koval told AFP.
"Osama bin Laden has never been here. He's never been a patient and
he's never been treated here. We have no idea of his medical
condition," he insisted.
"This is too small a hospital for someone to be snuck through the
backdoor."
In Paris, Le Figaro
newspaper and Radio France International said that the chief suspect for
the September 11 terror attacks in the United States also met a US
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official in his hospital bedroom.
Quoting
"a witness, a professional partner of the administrative management of
the hospital," they said bin Laden arrived in the Gulf emirate on July 4
by air from Quetta, Pakistan.
He was immediately taken to
the hospital for kidney treatment. He left the establishment on July 14,
Le Figaro said.
During his stay, the daily said, the local CIA representative was seen
going into bin Laden's room and "a few days later, the CIA man boasted
to some friends of having visited the Saudi-born millionaire."
Quoting "an authoritative source," Le Figaro and the radio station said
the CIA representative had been recalled to Washington on July 15.
Le Figaro said bin Laden was accompanied in Dubai by his personal
physician and close collaborator, who could be the Egyptian Ayman al-Zawahari,
as well as bodyguards and an Algerian nurse.
He was reportedly admitted to the urology department of Doctor Terry
Callaway, who specializes in kidney stones and male infertility.
"I've spoken to all the
medical workers, physicians, and Callaway himself and they know
nothing. I was here for the whole month of July," Koval said. "It's
erroneous and fallacious."
Emirati officials made no
comment on the reports.
Bin Laden has been sought by the United States for terrorism since the
bombing of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in 1998. But his CIA
links go back to the 1980's and the fight against Soviet forces in
Afghanistan where he is now under the protection of the Taliban Islamic
militia and the target of massive US-led retaliatory strikes.
The American Hospital in Dubai, which opened in 1995, is a 100-bed,
acute care, general medical-surgical hospital.
"Our mission is to
provide high quality, cost effective, American standard healthcare
which will meet the needs and expectations of Dubai and the
surrounding Gulf states through comprehensive primary, secondary,
and selected tertiary care services on an inpatient, outpatient, and
referral basis," says the hospital website
www.ahdubai.com
Quoting
"a witness, a professional partner of the administrative management of
the hospital," they said bin Laden arrived in the Gulf emirate on July 4
by air from Quetta, Pakistan.