U.N. Sanctions Taliban

The Security Council imposed limited sanctions on Afghanistan's Taliban Islamic movement on Friday to pressure it to turn over Osama bin Laden for trial in the twin U.S. embassy bombings in Africa.

The measures will go into effect Nov. 14. That gives the Taliban one more month to surrender the Saudi exile for trial in the United States, where he has been indicted in federal court, or turn him over Â"to appropriate authorities in a country where he will be arrested and effectively brought to justice.Â"

The United States drafted the resolution, which freezes the Taliban's overseas assets and bans flights owned, leased or operated by the Taliban from taking off or landing internationally. It allows exemptions to the flight ban for humanitarian reasons or to allow Afghan citizens to perform the religious pilgrimage to Mecca.

The resolution demands the militia deliver bin Laden for trial on charges he masterminded the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya, and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, which killed 224 people.

Taliban leaders have said they want proof of bin Laden's involvement in terrorism before turning him over, saying he is a guest of the Afghan people.

The Taliban has been deeply distrustful of the U.S. accusations following the Aug. 20, 1998, American airstrikes on bin Laden's camps in Afghanistan, launched because of what Washington said was evidence bin Laden planned more attacks on Americans.

The U.N. sanctions are more modest than those imposed by the United States earlier this year.

The U.S. administration banned U.S. trade with and investment in Taliban-controlled parts of Afghanistan, barred Americans from using the Taliban-run Ariana Afghan airlines and started seizing the airline's $500 million in U.S. assets.

The United States has also placed bin Laden on the FBI's 10 most-wanted list and has offered a $5 million reward for his arrest.

The Taliban religious army has imposed a strict brand of Islam in the 90 percent of the country it controls, barring women from work and girls from school.

The Security Council has in the past threatened to take unspecified measures against Taliban leaders to force them to stop the military campaign and negotiate peace with their ethnic rivals in the northern part of the country.

The vote came as Afghanistan's opposition claimed Friday to have captured two districts from the Taliban, killing or wounding scores of Taliban soldiers.

By Nicole Winfield
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