Taliban sticks to stand, refuses to hand over Bin Laden

ISLAMABAD, NOV 15: With the United Nations' sanctions against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan now in place, the organisation said it wa...

ISLAMABAD, NOV 15: With the United Nations’ sanctions against the ruling Taliban in Afghanistan now in place, the organisation said it was ready to assure the United States that it would not allow anybody, including Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden, to use Afghani soil to wage war against any country.

In an interview to the Urdu service of BBC from Qandhar last night, Taliban spokesman Syed Aqa stuck to his government’s stand that Bin Laden would not be asked to leave Afghanistan or handed over to any country to be tried for his alleged role in the bombing of American embassies in East Africa in August last year which killed more than 200 people.

But, he said, the Taliban was willing to hold talks with the United States. Asked what they wanted to talk, Syed Aqa said the Taliban would assure the US that neither Bin Laden nor any other person would be allowed to use Afghani soil to wage war against a third country.

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After the sanctions, no foreign flights can go to Afghanistan and all assets of the country would be frozen worldwide. The Taliban spokesman said these sanctions would add to the suffering of the Afghan people.

According to a BBC correspondent in Peshawar, yesterday’s agitation in Kabul against the UN and the US could have been supported by the Taliban regime because they took place despite a ban on protests and processions.

In Pakistan too, despite such a ban, the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Jamiat-ul-Ulema-i-Islam held separate public meetings yesterday in the North West frontier province to condemn the sanctions.

Tens of thousands demonstrated in Kabul yesterday, shouting anti-American slogans, breaking into UN offices and damaging equipment and several guards were injured in the protests.

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Meanwhile, the Taliban tightened security in Kabul today as more protests were expected against the sanctions imposed. It also renewed a security guarantee for UN staff, UN officials said.

Armed Taliban fighters could be seen guarding all UN compounds and roadblocks were placed around the guest house where the majority of the world body’s expatriates stay.

The head of the Taliban guard unit, Mullah Homayon, said two armed Taliban guards had been stationed at each foreign diplomatic mission.

“We will make sure that no harm is incurred to any UN personnel or its offices,” Homayon said.

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The United Nations also restricted the movements of its staff, Joloyn Leslei, the head of the UN coordinating body for Kabul, told reporters.

“The foreign ministry people reassured us that everything is fine for our operations,” Leslei said.

Witnesses said thousands of people took to the streets today in the eastern city of Jalalabad to demonstrate against the sanctions, but there were no reports of violence there.