Osama denies hand

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 12. The Saudi fugitive, Osama bin Laden, described as `America's number one enemy', has denied any involvement in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon but maintained that he fully supported such `daring attacks'.

Osama, in a message purportedly sent through a special representative to the Pakistani Urdu daily, Ausaf, has been quoted as saying that the attacks were a ``reaction of a suppressed people against repression''.

The daily is known for its contacts with religious and fundamentalist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan. However, the report should be taken with a pinch of salt. In the past, Pakistani media has published purported views of Osama only to be contradicted by the Taliban regime. The Taliban's standard response to such reports has been that while he is an ``honoured guest'' of the Afghan Government, he has been stripped of all facilities so that he does not indulge in any inimical activities from its soil.

The Ausaf report claimed that last night Osama contacted it through a special representative and conveyed a statement written in Arabic. In that, he also denied his involvement in the attack on the Afghan Commander, Mr. Ahmad Shah Masood.

Osama said he had even offered his services for a truce between the Taliban and the Northern Alliance. Once the internal tussle was over, he would extend help to his Muslims brethren in Palestine and Kashmir.

He said that the Saudi Government had contacted him on 10 occasions and asked him to give up `jehad' but he refused. He said that he had initiated a `sacred mission' to get Palestinians liberated from Zionism and would complete it any cost.

Osama claimed that he had dozens of experts in chemistry, biology, computer science and electronics, who would use their knowledge against `infidels'. He said that the U.S. was a `terrorist country' and was providing weapons to Israel against Palestinians. His war against the `oppressor' would continue till the `repressive activities were over'.

He said the U.S. wanted to establish airbases in Afghanistan and that it would continue creating problems for the Taliban regime even if he left Afghanistan.

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