PRESIDENT GEORGE W. BUSH SAID ON FRIDAY THE U.S. HUNT FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS STILL ON, DENYING THE PURSUIT OF THE AL QAEDA LEADER WAS LESS IMPORTANT AFTER THE CIA DISBANDED ITS BIN LADEN UNIT. FOLLOWING THE SEPT. 11 ATTACKS FIVE YEARS AGO, BUSH FAMOUSLY DECLARED BIN LADEN WAS WANTED "DEAD OR ALIVE," WORDS HE LATER CAME TO REGRET AFTER HIS WIFE LAURA TOLD HIM TO TONE IT DOWN. THE U.S. COMMITMENT TO FINDING BIN LADEN WAS QUESTIONED AFTER NEWS THE CIA HAD CLOSED ITS UNIT OVERSEEING THE HUNT FOR HIM AND SHIFTED THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES ELSEWHERE IN THE SPY AGENCY. BUSH DISMISSED THAT NOTION. "WE GOT A LOT OF ASSETS LOOKING FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN," HE SAID AT A NEWS CONFERENCE AT THE MUSEUM OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. "IT'S A MATTER OF TIME, UNLESS WE STOP LOOKING. AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO STOP LOOKING SO LONG AS I'M THE PRESIDENT -- NOT ONLY FOR OSAMA BIN LADEN, BUT ANYBODY ELSE WHO PLOTS AND PLANS ATTACKS AGAINST THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA," BUSH SAID. WHILE U.S. FORCES HAVE CAPTURED OR KILLED MEMBERS OF THE AL QAEDA NETWORK, BIN LADEN AND HIS DEPUTY AYMAN AL-ZAWAHRI HAVE ELUDED THE MANHUNT AND CONTINUE TO ISSUE BROADCAST TAPES TO SHOW THEY ARE STILL ALIVE. --MORE 07/07/2006 22:18 ت م