Date:02/03/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/03/02/stories/2006030204321500.htm

International

Osama will be brought to justice: Bush

The world is better for it as a result of combating terror, says U.S. President

KABUL: United States President George W. Bush said during his first visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday that he was confident Al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden would be brought to justice.

``I am confident he will be brought to justice,'' he told reporters at a joint press conference with Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai when asked about the hunt for the Al-Qaeda leader. ``We have got U.S. forces on the hunt for not only [Osama] bin Laden but anybody who plots and plans with [Osama] bin Laden,'' he said, adding that Afghan and Pakistani forces were also hunting the Al-Qaeda chief.

Network being dismantled

The Al-Qaeda network, blamed for some of the world's worst terror attacks, was being dismantled, Mr. Bush said. ``We are making progress at dismantling Al-Qaeda. Slowly and surely we are bringing the people to justice and the world is better for it as a result of our steady progress,'' he said.

There was a common alliance against Islamist extremists ``aimed at routing out people who are evil-doers, people who have hijacked a great religion and kill innocent people in the name of that religion,'' he said.

A U.S.-led coalition force of about 20,000 troops is based in southern and eastern Afghanistan to hunt down Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants, including Osama and Taliban leader Mullah Omar.

Earlier, Mr. Bush's entourage flew into the city from Bagram air base in a flotilla of heavily armed helicopters.

Two door gunners on a press helicopter fired off a short burst of machine gun fire at unknown targets as the aircraft flew low and fast over barren countryside.

— AP