Thursday, November 5, 1998 Published at 02:51 GMT
US charges Saudi exile
Mr bin Laden has threatened a 'holy war' against US
The United States has offered a $5m reward for the arrest of Saudi exile Osama bin Laden who has been indicted with the US embassy bombings in Africa.
Mr bin Laden is believed to be in Afghanistan, and an international warrant was earlier issued for his arrest in connection with a general campaign against American interests.
Their decision is a first step towards putting Mr bin Laden on trial in the United States.
The $5m reward is more than twice the $2m limit the US has previously offered in what it calls terrorist cases.
The limit was raised as a result of legislation passed recently by the US Congress.
'A pretty big guy'
A US official said: "There is going to be an announcement of a reward offer of up to $5 million for each of them.
"This is the first opportunity we've had to come out and say that the amount we can offer has increased, and we're doing it for a pretty big guy."
Federal prosecutors have been building a case against Mr bin Laden and his al Queda organisation since at least 1995.
Their efforts expanded after the 7 August bombings of the US embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam.
Following the attacks, the US carried out military strikes against targets in Afghanistan and Sudan, which it alleged were connected with Mr bin Laden.
The strikes were denounced in the Arab and Islamic worlds and Mr bin Laden renewed his threat to wage a holy war against the US.