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The Taleban on Thursday said that there is no shift in their policy on Saudi exile and terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden and reports that it is ready to hand him over to a third country for trial are absolutely 'baseless and false'.
"This is just a propaganda campaign unleashed by the Western media against the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan as we have never offered the trial of Osama bin Laden in a third country without any proof and evidence," Taleban deputy envoy in Islamabad Sohail Shaheen told IANS.
London's The Guardian newspaper had reported that the Taleban had agreed to hand over Osama to a third country for trial without any proof and evidence against him.
Shaheen said no such announcement has ever been made in Kabul or Kandahar. He said it is strange that the international media is attributing 'baseless statements' to the Taleban.
"Some papers and magazines have (even) printed fabricated interviews of Taleban leaders," he said.
"Vested interests are propagating (lies) about Afghan Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil as well at a time when he is in Afghanistan."
He reiterated the Taleban were united and that there were no defections. He said Muttawakil was fully behind the Taleban movement and was an important part of the government.
He said 'innocent people are falling prey' to the United States-led military attacks in Afghanistan and deplored the death of four United Nations workers in a missile attack at an UN office in Kabul.
Shaheen said an International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) building was also targeted and added that 15 people were killed in bombings on Kandahar on Thursday morning.
He pointed out that while innocent and defenceless women and children were being killed, the champions of human rights and justice have been keeping mum.
Shaheen again turned down the US demand for handing over Osama and said since no 'evidence' has been provided against him, he could not be handed over to anyone.
He said if evidence were provided, Osama could be tried in an Islamic court in Afghanistan.
Indo-Asian News Service
The War on Terrorism: The Complete Coverage
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External Link: For further coverage, please visit www.saja.org/roundupsept11.html
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