Bin Laden called al-Qaida's 'Che Guevara'

BERLIN, Aug. 4 (UPI) -- Germany's intelligence chief said in an interview Monday that Osama bin Laden no longer plans attacks personally.

Ernst Uhrlau, head of Germany's Federal Intelligence Service, told Bild magazine that al-Qaida was run by bin Laden, who "as far as we know" still lives somewhere in the Afghan-Pakistani border region, Deutsche Welle reported. However, Uhrlau said he doesn't see bin Laden as personally involved in planning attacks.

Bin Laden is "a creative director and icon, something like the Che Guevara of al-Qaida" who helps hold the terror network together, Uhrlau said.

When asked about the recent bombing in Istanbul, Uhrlau said he knew "Islamist terrorist" forces were in Turkey as part of a global jihad movement.