“JALALABAD, Afghanistan –– A senior Taliban leader said Sunday that the Islamic militia would be willing to hand over Osama bin Laden to a third country if the United States halts the bombing of Afghanistan and provides evidence against him.”
“President Bush quickly rejected the offer.”
“The statement by [Taliban] Deputy Prime Minister Haji Abdul Kabir did not break new ground. But its timing and the fact it was made to foreign reporters by such a senior figure – the Taliban’s third most powerful figure – could indicate the movement was desperate for a way out of the crisis after more than a week of punishing airstrikes.”
“Kabir said that if the United States gave evidence bin Laden was behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks and halted the bombing, “we would be ready to hand him over to a third country” – a country, he added, that would never “come under pressure from the United States.””
“Before the start of the air campaign, the Taliban had demanded evidence of bin Laden’s involvement in the attack and had offered to try him before an Islamic court inside Afghanistan – proposals that the United States promptly rejected.”
The United States launched the airstrikes Oct. 7 after weeks of pressing the Taliban to give up bin Laden unconditionally.
Read more (archived): Bush Rejects Taliban Bin Laden Offer
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