Taliban for compromise deal on Osama?

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, FEB 22. The Taliban regime in Afghanistan, groaning under the weight of the crippling international economic sanctions, is reported to be willing to discuss a compromise deal over the fugitive Saudi terrorist, Osama bin Laden, a British newspaper said today, quoting Pakistan's Interior Minister, Gen. Moinuddin Haider, who recently met the Taliban's supreme leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar.

While not prepared to extradite him, the Taliban, it said, would consider allowing Islamic scholars to meet in a neutral country and hear evidence against bin Laden who is wanted by the U.S. for masterminding terrorist attacks against it. Gen. Haider told The Guardian in Islamabad: ``Mullah Omar said he was ready for religious scholars from Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and a third Muslim country to collect in some place and having seen the evidence then this group would decide what is to be done. If we speak to the Taliban, it is possible that they (the scholars) could meet in another country.''

No country for such a meeting was identified and Gen. Haider did not say if Pakistan would be willing to play the host. But he did support the idea, saying the new administration in Washington ``should look at the problem with a fresh approach'' and show ``some flexibility''.

The Taliban's ``offer'' is seen as an advance on its uncompromising stand on bin Laden, but officials at the U.S. State Department remained unimpressed. An official told The Guardian that the offer did not represent a step forward. ``This isn't a real trial we are talking about'', he said. Independent experts, however, were reported to be more forthcoming with Mr. Patrick Clawson of the Washington Institute for Near-East Policy saying that the Taliban seemed to be ``serious about negotiations over Osama's future.''

He wanted the Taliban to specify which countries the scholars would come from and declare that the ``trial'' would be outside Afghanistan. He thought the U.S. would be ``delighted'' if it was to be held in Saudi Arabia or Egypt. This is the second time in less than a month that the Western media has raised expectations about a ``deal'' over Osama bin Laden. A few weeks ago, The Times had reported the Taliban was willing to hand him over to a third country provided the Americans recognised the militia in Kabul as the legitimate Government of Afghanistan and the sanctions were lifted. The report was denied as a ``lie'' by the Taliban.

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Section  : International
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