American officials acknowledge they lack extensive information about a Qaeda network here, and how it might operate.

But several top officials said that the Qaeda network, while damaged, continued to pose a serious threat inside the United States.

"We only knew of the Qaeda network after the Sept. 11 attack."

At the time, the group, a part of the Qaeda network, had tried to penetrate southern Kyrgyzstan.

Now, officials say the Qaeda network is more decentralized.

Among those arrested was an important Taliban figure with links to the Qaeda terrorist network, the foreign minister said.

He reiterated that his focus was on Afghanistan and the Qaeda network there.

Intelligence officials, however, have said that two or three of the men have recently been linked to the Qaeda network.

He was also charged with contributing services to the Qaeda network.

They are the first people in Britain to be found guilty of being part of the Qaeda network.