Bin Laden supporters celebrated in phone call, sources say

October 2, 2001 Posted: 5:11 PM EDT (2111 GMT)

By Bettina Luscher CNN Berlin Bureau

HAMBURG, Germany (CNN) -- German intelligence services intercepted a phone call September 11 after the terrorist attacks on the United States in which two followers of Osama bin Laden applauded the deadly assaults, a German intelligence official said.

One of the individuals in the phone call made a reference to having "sent 30," but it was unclear whether that was a reference to the number of people involved in the terrorist plot. There were 19 suspected hijackers who died with their victims.

"What they were planning or whether others were still planning further attacks, or whether attacks could not be carried out remains open," the official said.

The official said the phone call did not originate in Germany or any other European nation, but refused to identify the country or region. The official did not say what language was spoken in the phone conversation.

The source said that German intelligence officials immediately alerted their U.S. counterparts and are working closely with American authorities on the matter.

-- Anonymous, October 02, 2001