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Washington: The US Senate has voted to double the reward for the capture or death of Al Qaida leader Osama Bin Laden to $50 million.
The 87-1 vote on Friday comes amid warnings that Al Qaida is trying to infiltrate the United States with its own agents and is rebuilding training camps.
"It is unfathomable this man remains alive and well and continues to pose such a serious threat to our nation," said Senator Kent Conrad, who co-authored the measure.
"Whether we capture Bin Laden or kill him, it is long past time that Bin Laden be brought to justice," Conrad said.
Conrad said the military has advised him that increasing the reward may be "beneficial" and may attract those "more distantly connected" to Bin Laden, who is thought to be behind the September 11 attacks on the United States.
Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff said earlier this week that he had a "gut feeling" that the US would be at greater risk of attack over the next few months.
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