British, American special forces 'closing in' on Osama

By Hasan Suroor

LONDON, NOV. 18. In a major breakthrough, British defence experts today claimed that the international search for the fugitive terrorist, Osama bin Laden, had been narrowed down to a 30-square mile range in southeastern Afghanistan, and the special troops trailing him were simply ``hours'' behind him. He was believed to be ``static'' somewhere to the southeast of Kandahar, one newspaper said quoting a defence intelligence source.

This is by far the most optimistic assessment of the coalition's chances of capturing Osama since the military hunt for him began six weeks ago amid widespread pessimism reflected most starkly in the U.S. Defence Secretary, Mr. Donald Rumsfeld's exasperating remarks that looking for Osama in the labryinthine caves of Afghanistan was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

The British claims were reported to be based on a dramatic improvement in Intelligence in the past few days following the rapid collapse of Taliban strongholds, leaving Osama with very little ``cover''. The Sunday Telegraph quoted a Defence Ministry official as saying that the coalition had been able to get ``some very hot'' intelligence which could lead to the capture or death of Osama ``within days''.

``Our intelligence picture is getting better every day. This time last week it was pretty poor. Now we are on to him. He is running out of places to hide,'' he said.

According to The Sunday Times, British SAS and U.S. troops are monitoring the southern approaches, near Kandahar, to prevent Osama from escaping into Pakistan. Intelligence agencies were reported to be ``confident'' that he had not been able to move far in recent days. The British Defence Secretary, Mr. Geoff Hoon, told newspapers that the ``space'' left for Osama to operate in had been sharply reduced, limiting his ability to move around. ``That gives us an advantage in running him to ground,'' he said. He expected that Osama would be betrayed by someone in the Taliban/Al-Qaeda fraternity given the disarray in their ranks.

``My view is that either we will come across information that allows us to track him down or more likely, given the state of collapse in the south, someone will give him away, perhaps a local leader who learns of his position. Either way, we will go on going after him,'' Mr. Hoon told The Sunday Telegraph. But tracking down a moving target remained a problem, it said citing a British intelligence officer who said: ``It is no good being told he was here yesterday. You have to have someone telling you he will be in this exact cave at this exact time tomorrow and you can get people there very quickly, that's the only way it will happen.''

Officials were inclined to pin their hopes on the low morale in the Osama camp, particularly following the death of his right- hand man and heir-apparent, Mohammed Atef. ``If he is sitting in a cave with his radio on, he will have learnt of the death of his own deputy and must realise we are closing in,'' one official said.Meanwhile, confusion over the deployment of British troops in Afghanistan continued. While the Foreign Office Minister, Mr. Ben Bradshaw, claiming that the issue had been sorted out, media reports said the ``stand-off'' was continuing and further despatch of troops was likely to be delayed as the Alliance remained opposed to induction of foreign forces into the liberated territory.

Surrender offer

AP reports from Bangi, Afghanistan:

After devastating U.S. airstrikes on Sunday, surrounded Taliban forces offered to surrender their last northern stronghold of Kunduz if the Alliance pledged to spare the lives of foreign fighters loyal to Osama, Opposition commanders said. There was no immediate word on whether the Alliance has accepted the offer.

U.S. B-52s led a day of intense bombing on Taliban positions outside Kunduz, sending huge fireballs skyward.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, a private news agency said U.S. bombardment of Taliban positions in their home base of Kandahar in the south and outside the eastern city of Jalalabad had killed more than 70 people overnight. The reports could not be confirmed.

Alliance forces had moved a multiple-rocket launcher and two tanks up to the road that is the eastern approach to Kunduz, but there was no sign an attack was imminent.

In and near Bangi, a village about 30 miles east of Kunduz, refugees gave chilling accounts of conditions inside the city.The Taliban was barring people from leaving, telling them, ``If you leave, the U.S. will bomb all the city,'' said a refugee, Dar Zardad. He said he made it out of the city after being beaten up by the Taliban.

The reports of bombings in eastern Nangarhar province and in Kandahar came from the Afghan Islamic Press. It said the Nangarhar raid killed 30 people, and quoted a Pakistani official at the nearby Torkham border crossing as saying seven wounded were brought to Pakistan for treatment.

It also said U.S. jets struck targets around Kandahar, killing 46 people, as the stalemate continued over control of the Taliban stronghold.

Rabbani, Vendrell meet

AFP reports from Kabul:

Afghanistan's deposed President, Mr. Burhanuddin Rabbani, had his first meeting today with the U.N. envoy, Mr. Francesc Vendrell, who is seeking to convene a special council to discuss the formation of a post-Taliban government.

The introductory talks between Mr. Rabbani and Mr. Vendrell, both of whom arrived in Kabul yesterday, took place at Mr. Rabbani's official residence, said the Alliance Interior Minister, Mr. Younis Qanooni.

Mr. Qanooni said Mr. Rabbani did not broach the main subject to be discussed - the U.N. plans for building a broadbased interim regime.

He added that the collective leadership of the Alliance would meet to consult the different groups making up the opposition force that ousted the Taliban from the Afghan capital last Tuesday. Mr. Rabbani and Mr. Vendrell were due to meet again on Monday, the Minister said.

UNI reports from Tashkent:

The U.S. special envoy Mr. James Dobbins, and Alliance Foreign Minister, Mr. Abdullah Abdullah, today reached an agreement on forming a Government representing all segments of the Afghan population. Addressing mediapersons after the meeting here, Mr. Dobbins said consultations would continue with the involvement of representatives of the international community, the Novosti reported.

In the next few days, the U.N. and U.S. representatives will participate in the talks on the Afghan situation.

A Reuters report, quoting Mr. Abdullah, said the Alliance was ready to hold talks outside Afghanistan - a request made by the U.N.

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