News

DATE=8/20/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-237369 TITLE=AFGHAN BIN LADEN (L-UPDATE) BYLINE=DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AFGHANISTAN'S TALEBAN FACTION SAYS IT COULD BE OPEN TO NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT SAUDI MILITANT OSAMA BIN LADEN WHO IS SUSPECTED IN THE BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA. CORRESPONDENT DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN HAS THE STORY FROM ISLAMABAD. TEXT: SENIOR TALEBAN OFFICIAL WAKHEEL AHMED TOLD THE AFGHAN ISLAMIC PRESS, THERE ARE GOOD COURTS IN AFGHANISTAN TO PROSECUTE PEOPLE WHO HAVE COMMITTED WRONGFUL ACTS. HE SAYS IF AN INDIVIDUAL IS PROVEN GUILTY THE TALEBAN WILL SIT DOWN AND NEGOTIATE WITH ANY COUNTRY SEEKING HIS EXTRADITION -- INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES. MR. AHMED SAYS AFGHANISTAN HAS NO AGREEMENT WITH ANY COUNTRY TO EXTRADITE CRIMINALS. BUT THE HEAD OF THE TALEBAN MOVEMENT, MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR HAS RULED OUT HANDING OVER SAUDI MILITANT OSAMA BIN LADEN TO THE U-S GOVERNMENT, EVEN IN RETURN FOR POSSIBLE RECOGNITION. HE TOLD THE PAKISTANI NEWSPAPER, "THE NEWS", THAT NO AMOUNT OF TEMPTATION OR COERCION COULD FORCE THE TALEBAN TO HAND OVER MR. BIN LADEN TO THE UNITED STATES OR PAKISTANI GOVERNMENTS. MULLAH OMAR ALSO SAYS THE SAUDI MILITANT WAS NOT INVOLVED IN THE BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN KENYA AND TANZANIA. MR. BIN LADEN HAS BEEN LIVING IN AFGHANISTAN WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE TALEBAN. HE HAS DECLARED A HOLY WAR ON THE UNITED STATES AND IS A KEY SUSPECT IN THE BOMBINGS. SECRETARY OF STATE MADELEINE ALBRIGHT HAS SAID IF THE TALEBAN WANTS TO BE RECOGNIZED IT SHOULD NOT SHELTER KNOWN OR SUSPECTED TERRORISTS. IN ANOTHER DEVELOPMENT, THE URDU LANGUAGE PAKISTAN NEWSPAPER, "THE JANG", SAYS PAKISTAN HAS TURNED DOWN A U-S REQUEST TO COOPERATE IN ARRESTING MR. BIN LADEN. A PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN SAYS HE IS NOT AWARE OF SUCH A REQUEST. A U-S EMBASSY SPOKESMAN SAYS HE HAS NOTHING ON THE STORY. (SIGNED) NEB/RAE 20-Aug-98 10:17 AM EDT (1417 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .