World

Bartering For Bin Laden?

October 26, 1999 / 6:28 AM EDT / AP

The Taliban militia showed what could be at least a flicker of interest Monday in expelling suspected terrorism kingpin Osama bin Laden in order to head off U.N. economic sanctions.

A Taliban representative brought "ideas" to the State Department, but U.S. officials made no assertion of progress toward a settlement. Nor was a follow-up meeting announced.

"I can't say what the outcome will be," department spokesman James P. Rubin said.

"Ideas were discussed about how to resolve this issue," Rubin told reporters after a Taliban official met with Assistant Secretary of State Karl F. Inderfurth for about an hour.

Refusing to characterize what Mujahid had proposed, Rubin said the simple U.S. demand was that bin Laden be sent where he could face trial in the bombing last year of two U.S. embassies. "We don't think it's that complicated," Rubin said.

The militia that controls most of Afhganistan must exile bin Laden to stave off a threatened freeze of assets and worldwide boycott of the country's airline, he said.
"There is not a lot that is new here other than the fact they are now discussing some ideas with us -- obviously because there isn't much time left before the sanctions bite," the State Department spokesman said.

The Taliban's embassy in Pakistan said the religious militia was ready to discuss bin Laden with the United States but was not willing to hand him over, at least not until it received evidence of his involvement in terrorism.

So far, the embassy statement said, the United States or United Nations have not offered any proof.

Earlier, at a news conference, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, who has denounced Taliban for its "despicable" repression of women, suggested the ruling militia had a chance at being accorded regular treatment by nations around the world if it let go of bin Laden.

"We want to make clearer that we consider Osama bin Laden and his activities a threat to Americans," Albright said. "He has made that very clear, and it is very important for the Taliban, if they wish to be treated with any sense of regularity, that he needs to be expelled to a country where he can be brought to justice."

The United States suspects the exiled Saudi multimillionaire masterminded the bombing of the U.S. embassies last year in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in which 224 people were killed. His organization is suspected in other attacks, as well, and bin Laden is on the FBI's 10 Most Wanted List. A $5 million reward has been offered by the State Department for information leading to his capture.

The Taliban, which controls most of Afghanistan, has said it tried bin Laden in an Islamic court and found him innocent. The ruling army also has called him a guest, permitted to stay in Afghanistan because of his assistance in battling Soviet forces during their failed war in the country almost two decades ago.

After Albright's news confeence, Rubin cautioned reporters that the talks with the Taliban were not "on the verge of a breakthrough."

Rubin said American diplomats have met periodically with Taliban officials for some time.