U.S. President George W. Bush said Monday that Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden might be behind anthrax attacks on the U.S..
Bush's made the remarks after the office of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle received a heavily wrapped letter containing a powdery substance which initially tested positive for the potentially deadly anthrax bacteria.
"There may be some possible link. We have no hard data yet but it's clear that Mr. bin Laden is an evil man," Bush said as he met with Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.
"I wouldn't put it past him, but we don't have hard evidence yet," he added.
U.S. officials have also said they had suspicions, but no proof, that the proliferating anthrax cases in which one person has died could be an attack by bin Laden, the chief suspect in the September 11 hijacked-plane attacks on New York and Washington.
（ Xinhua News Agency 10/16/2001）
