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September 21, 2001
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Adamant Taleban refuses to hand Osama to US

The Taleban on Friday refused to hand over Osama bin Laden without evidence.

Responding to questions, the Taleban spokesman said Pakistan's assistance to the US was conditional, SADA news agency reported.

"I don't expect Pakistan to provide this kind of assistance. Afghanis and Pakistanis are brothers," he said, referring to reports that Pakistan may provide airspace to the US for attacks on Afghanistan.

"There would be resistance to such a decision. We are one people and there is a long border. We do not expect brotherhood to be turned into hostility," he added.

The Taleban said if the US provided evidence, they would cooperate, but reiterated that bin Laden was not the guilty party.

"The US has many enemies in the world. Osama is a minor enemy," he said.

The Taleban said the US had killed people in Iraq, Yugoslavia, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and Palestine.

Bush had issued a four-point ultimatum to the Taleban on Thursday night, saying these demands were 'not open to negotiation or discussion'.

Bush had demanded that the Taliban immediately deliver to US authorities all leaders of Al Qaida, release all foreign nationals in Afghan prisons, protect journalists, diplomats and foreigners, close all training camps and bases and give the US access to these training camps.

He had warned the Taleban to hand over the terrorists 'or share their fate'.

In his strongest ever condemnation of the Taleban, Bush said, "By aiding and abetting murder, the Taleban regime is committing murder."

Specifically holding bin Laden and his Al Qaida network responsible for the attacks in the US on September 11, Bush said bin Laden and his supporters propped up the Taleban in Afghanistan and that they 'plot evil and destruction'.

Earlier on Thursday, Afghanistan's Majlis-e-Shoora (Grand Council) recommended to the Taleban leadership that bin Laden be asked to leave 'voluntarily' without setting any time frame.

The council's clerics also said that the United Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Conference and other Muslim countries be involved in the investigation of the attacks in the US last week and America abstain from acting in haste.

The Afghan Shoora, a powerful body of prominent Islamic clerics, warned that if Afghanistan were to be attacked despite these 'gestures' a jihad would be obligatory on all Muslims.

The Taleban said the leadership was not required to apply the recommendations of the Shoora.

"There is no compulsion in the suggestion of the ulema (clerics). It is advice and an advice that would have been given to him (bin Laden)."

Indo-Asian News Service

Helpline for Missing Persons of Indian Origin

The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage

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