US, Pakistan And Bin Laden: A Chronology (Developments Since September,1998) is an extract from an article by B. Raman, Additional Secretary (Retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and at present Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai (former Madras). He can be reached by e-mail at: corde@vsnl.com. The article extract was dated 10/8/1999 and published at the website of South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG) at: www.saag.org. It was part of the article ‘US Attitude To Pakistan: The Bin Laden Factor’.

US, PAKISTAN AND BIN LADEN: A CHRONOLOGY (DEVELOPMENTS SINCE SEPTEMBER,1998)

B. Raman

 

Mr.Abdul Hai Mutmaen, a Taliban spokesman, announced at Kabul on November 20,1998, that bin Laden had been found innocent of all US charges of terrorism and that he would, therefore, continue to be a welcome guest in Afghanistan. He said that the Afghan Supreme Court had cleared him of the allegation that he was responsible for the bombings of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. He added: " We had set a deadline for evidence to be produced to prove his involvement in the killings. Nobody was able to do so. He has, therefore, been cleared. He can live in Afghanistan as a Muslim guest, but his political and military activities would continue to be banned."

 

Mr.Ejaz Haider, the well-known Pakistani columnist, wrote in the "Friday Times" (week of November 21-26, 1998) as follows: " Whenever the Government cracks down on the Deobandi sectarian parties (Sipah Sahaba Pakistan and its splinter group Lashkar Jhangvi), the sectarian terrorists simply slip away to Afghanistan and find sanctuaries in camps run by the Harkat-ul-Ansar. This is a fact known to Islamabad.But, since these Deobandi militants also fight in Kashmir, Islamabad chooses to look the other way. "

 

He added: "It was no coincidence that the camps struck by US missiles threw up so many corpses of Punjabi Pakistanis. This fact is also known to Riyadh and Washington. Washington remains tight-lipped on this for its own reasons. It was forced to strike the camps in Afghanistan, but its rebuff to New Delhi not to apply that precedent in Kashmir clearly shows that its other pressing concerns would not allow it to take a clear line on this. "

 

He further wrote: " After all, Osama bin Laden is not exactly a stranger to Washington. During the height of the war against the Soviets, he was the blue-eyed boy of the Saudi intelligence and ran his Bayt al-Ansar (House of Auxiliaries) in collaboration with the Jordanian-Palestinian Muslim brother Abdullah Azzam in Peshawar. Their activities were heavily funded by the Saudi intelligence and the CIA knew all about Osama."

 

Before Mr.Nawaz Sharif's visit to Washington in the first week of December,1998, there was intense speculation in the Pakistani press that the bin Laden and terrorism proliferation issues had become as important a benchmark in US-Pakistan relations as the nuclear proliferation one. In a series of three articles in the "Nation" (November 24,25 and 26,1998), Syed Talat Hussain, another well-informed columnist, wrote as follows:

 

"One of the worst apprehensions Washington has is that someone from Osama's group might be able to acquire usable nuclear technology which would give the threat from the holy warriors a whole new and deadlier dimension. Already the West is accusing the supporters of Osama of attempts to gain a nuclear sword. There have been reports of some of those allegedly belonging to Osama's party, who were caught from Europe, were trying to buy nuclear secrets."

 

He added: " Whether true or not, such reports put in perspective the mindset the West and its allies bring to the issue of sensitive technologies export control in South Asia and, particularly Pakistan, an Islamic country going further right and whose establishment, they suspect, has strong links with Kabul and Kandahar.

 

" These fears of the world community have also been fanned to some extent by loose talk of too-clever-for-the-country's-good brand of individuals in the wake of the May nuclear explosions.

 

"In that heady moment, when a lot of trash with nuclear wrappers was sold in the credulous market of public opinion, certain circles in the policy-makers' hierarchy were toying with the idea of "letting the world know" that, if pushed to the wall, and if slapped with unbearable sanctions, Pakistan would begin to sell nuclear technology," he concluded.

 

The entourage of Mr. Sharif, who had accompanied him to Washington in the first week of December,1998, projected his talks with President Clinton and officials of the State Department as successful. According to them, the talks resulted in a solution to the question of the re-payment to Pakistan of part of the amount which it had paid in the 1980s for 28 F-16 aircraft whose delivery was blocked by the then US President, Mr.George Bush, under the Pressler Amendment.

 

They also claimed that the talks were expected to pave the way for the repeal of the Pakistan-specific Pressler Amendment and thereby restore Pakistan's arms purchase relationship with the US.

 

However, this rosy assessment was contradicted by the Pakistani journalists who had accompanied Mr. Sharif. They reported that, in addition to the nuclear and missile issues, the Taliban and bin Laden issues were being used by the Clinton Administration as benchmarks to assess US-Pakistani relations and that Mr.Sharif and his officials were taken aback by the vehemence of the remarks of Mr.Clinton, Mrs.Madeleine Albright, the Secretary of State, and senior officials of the State Department on the bin Laden issue.

 

Even sections of the US press corroborated the assessment of the Pakistani journalists. The "Washington Post" reported on December 3,1998, that Mr.Clinton told Mr.Sharif that Washington wanted further commitments from Pakistan on the nuclear and missile, Taliban and bin Laden issues before it could consider further steps to expand its ties with Pakistan.

 

Syed Talat Hussain wrote in the "Nation" of December 5,1998:" In fact, more than Kashmir and in addition to non-proliferation, the other issue which figured most prominently was that of Osama bin Laden's presence in Afghanistan, which the USA links with the larger concern of terrorism in the region and that of the Taliban movement."

 

He added: "It was not as if this topic turned up during the Washington discussions out of nowhere. Much before Mr.Nawaz went to Washington, when details of the visit were being finalised, US officials had signalled that Osama would be on the agenda of the talks. However, the (Pakistani) Foreign Office's handout contained nothing on the subject except a one-word mention of Afghanistan and that too at the very end of it."

 

The joint statement issued at the end of the visit of Mr.Sharif to Washington on December 4,1998, merely said as follows: " The President and the Prime Minister reaffirmed their strong opposition to terrorism in all its forms and manifestations. They expressed their resolve to work closely to combat international terrorism and emphasised the need for prompt and effective action against international terrorists."

 

However, in a subsequent briefing for pressmen, Mr. Karl Inderfurth, the Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia, said as follows: " All US participants at the Oval Office meeting on December 2 made it clear that of primary importance to the US Government was the expulsion of Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan so that he could be brought to justice. And our view was made very clear to our Pakistani guests. Pakistan is well aware of our views on this. Pakistan is well aware of the impact of Osama bin Laden on the region. We have asked Pakistan for assistance and I think that the message came through loud and clear to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif."

 

When asked by a journalist why the Saudis were not in the loop to influence bin Laden since he was a Saudi citizen and his father still had business in Saudi Arabia, Mr. Inderfurth said Saudi assistance was also being sought.. He, however, denied that during the meeting with Mr.Clinton it was suggested that Pakistan should break off its diplomatic ties with the Taliban.

 

However, the "News" of Islamabad (December 4) claimed that the US wanted a clean break in Pakistan's ties with the Taliban, at least until it stopped harbouring Osama.The paper said that Mr.Sharif told Mr.Clinton that Pakistan "cannot order a sovereign state like Afghanistan and force the Taliban to do its bidding."

 

According to the paper, Mr. Sharif told Mr.Clinton that Pakistan was the most affected by the Afghan conflict and had been burdened by refugees and narcotics as a spillover effect. He then added: "Pakistan will be very happy to extend all help and assistance, especially on the issue of terrorism."

 

The correspondent of the "News" (December 4) quoted Mr.Inderfurth as having stated as follows:" Secretary Albright said we have very serious problems with the Taliban, including their treatment of women and girls.All made it clear that of primary importance to the US Government is the expulsion of Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan so that he can be brought to justice."

 

According to the "News", Mr.Inderfurth further said: " While I don't intend to go into details of what was said about Osama bin Laden in the meeting, I think it is fair to say that there was no love lost, nor any sympathies expressed for Osama in that meeting. In our view about Osama, it is very simple---he is a terrorist, he is a murderer, he plans to kill again and we want him brought to justice. And that view was made very clear to our Pakistani guests. "

 

Asked how the US intended to move in the matter, Mr.Inderfurth replied:" The means to accomplish that are several in terms of working with other governments, in terms of doing things that the National Security Council has been responsible for and in terms of the financial assets of Osama. This is an effort that is being undertaken by all responsible agencies and departments of the Government and we hope that it will be successful."

 

An American correspondent then asked Mr.Inderfurth to comment on reports of Osama's involvement in terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. He replied as follows: "I think that the question of the training of terrorists that may operate in Kashmir is a serious question. It is one that we are also concerned about. It, therefore, underscores the importance of getting Osama out of Afghanistan and brought to justice. And a full-court review is underway to do precisely that."

 

Commenting on reports of the Sharif-Clinton meeting, Mr.Amir Khan Muttaqi, the acting Taliban Minister for Information, said in Kabul on December 3:" Osama is an excuse for the US to harass Afghanistan and maintain its presence in the region. He is harmless. Anybody saying anything against the US is dubbed a terrorist."

 

The correspondent of the "Nation" (December 7) reported that Mr.Sharif pointed out to Mr.Clinton that Pakistan had a good track record in counter-terrorism and had in the past handed over to the US some terrorists wanted by it. He also reportedly described the US bombing of terrorists' training camps in Afghanistan in August last year as counter-productive. He felt that other means should have been used to capture bin Laden.

 

The correspondent also claimed that Mr.Sharif also informed Mr.Clinton that according to the Pakistani intelligence agencies, Osama was gravely ill and might not live for long.

 

In an editorial on the Washington talks, the "News" of December 9 referred to the intensity of the US pressure on Pakistan on the nuclear non-proliferation and bin Laden issues and said: "The US demand (on Osama) is obviously not acceptable to many political and religious circles in Pakistan and pursuing it will only make the Government unpopular and create political instability."

 

Syed Talat Hussain wrote in the "Nation" (December 12) as follows: "Informed Pakistani observers say that through the meetings with American officials and also through the talks between President Bill Clinton and Mr.Nawaz, Washington made it clear that it would pursue Osama with or without Pakistani assistance, but better with than without."

 

Speaking during a debate on Afghanistan in the UN Security Council in the first week of December, Ms.Nancy Soderberg, a member of the US delegation, said: "Afghanistan-based terrorism has become a plague. Terrorists trained or based in Afghanistan have been responsible for incidents in all corners of the globe. "

 

Commenting on her speech and on Mr.Sharif's talks in Washington, Mr.Nasim Zehra, another well-known Pakistani columnist, wrote in the "Nation" of December 18 as follows: " For Pakistan, jihadi Islam has become a double-edged sword. While, for example, the Kashmir jihad gains sustenance from it, Pakistan's own internal security and social peace are adversely affected by this jihadi Islam. Beyond Kashmir, some of the battle-cries of this jihadi Islam against the selective morality of the West do strike a resonance in Pakistani hearts. Caught in this paradoxical bind, the Nawaz Sharif Government will extend Washington no support to extradite Osama."

 

It added: " There appears to be a total unanimity among the Pakistanis that as a moderate state having links with all brands of Muslim states and Islamic movements, no institution---including the Foreign Office, the political leadership and the military---wants to have anything to do with Washington's anti-Osama crusade."

 

In an interview given on December 23 at Kandahar to a correspondent of the "News," Osama accused the Riyadh Governor, Prince Salman bin Abdul Aziz, who is a brother of King Fahd, of having sent three hired Saudi mercenaries to Afghanistan to have him assassinated. Osama claimed that the plan was foiled by the Taliban.

 

Osama further said: "I know that the Pakistan Government is under pressure from the Christian-Jewish coalition to prevail upon the Taliban to expel me from Afghanistan. The pressure is part of a conspiracy against the Muslim Ummah. …I am aware that there are two groups of people now ruling Pakistan. There are some honest people who espouse Islamic causes and have sympathies for the suffering and struggling Muslims. There are others who co-operate with the enemy. I pray to Allah to guide them. "

 

He added: " It is wrong to believe that some country or power would sustain a state facing political or economic problems. We ought to put our faith in Allah instead of in some transient power."

 

In a statement issued on December 24, Mr.Amir Khan Muttaqi dismissed as baseless media reports that Osama had set up new training camps to replace those destroyed by the US bombing of August.

 

The "Frontier Post" of Peshawar (December 28) reported as follows: The Taliban has allowed Osama to start large-scale businesses He has taken on lease agricultural land in Jalalabad and adjacent areas. The farms set up by him produce olive, lemon, orange and pomegranate and he has been allowed by the Taliban and the Pakistani authorities to export the fruits to the Gulf and other West Asian countries through Peshawar. Osama has been running his businesses through many frontmen, some of whom operate from Peshawar. He has set up a business office at Amariat Char near Jalalabad, which is being run by a Canadian national of Arab origin. Osama has also been financing many development projects in the Jalalabad area and has become a major financier of the Taliban.

 

In a statement issued on December 28, Mr.Ahmad Shah Masood, the leader of the anti-Taliban forces loyal to Mr.Burhanuddin Rabbani, denied a report carried earlier by "Hewad", the Taliban journal, that Mr. Mohammad Yonus Qanooni, one of Mr.Masood's senior aides, had secretly visited Washington at US invitation to discuss a joint operation to capture Osama and that, subsequently, some US officials had met Mr.Masood in Tajikistan and handed over US $ 5 million for being spent on this operation,

 

The "Frontier Post" ( January 2,1999) reported that officials of an Osama desk, which had been set up at the US Embassy at Islamabad, had alerted the Pakistani authorities about the possible arrival in Pakistan from Yemen via Dubai of the younger son of Osama, who, according to the US officials, was travelling under the name Mohammad Ali and requested for his arrest and deportation to the US. However, the Pakistani authorities could not confirm the arrival of his son in Pakistani territory.

 

The "Nation" (January 8) quoted Western (apparently US) diplomatic sources in Islamabad as saying as follows: " The world continues to believe that Pakistan is backing the Taliban hook, line and sinker and some of its institutions have also links with Osama. The support continues through linkages established over the years. We believe that this support is much more than moral and diplomatic. It is also material and financial."

 

The "Nation's" sources added: "While we believe the Nawaz Government's assurances that it has nothing to do with Osama, we suspect that part of the Pakistani establishment is involved with the man. The Prime Minister and his confidants have done much to clear suspicions that they are backing Osama. Many responsible Federal Ministers have assured us in private that Pakistan will never be a party to his activities and that it condemns terrorism.

 

"But, at the same time, they also tell us that there are wheels within wheels which they cannot stop and which continue to have truck with Osama besides rendering valuable material support to the Taliban.

 

"There is a vast network in your (Pakistani) intelligence community which does not listen to any Government and which operates on its own. It is definitely happening in the case of the Taliban and Osama as well. We know it.

 

"Unconfirmed reports suggest that the Government is planning to streamline the operations of the establishment dealing with Afghanistan. There is some truth in them. We hope there is, because in these circumstances when Pakistan needs the support and the backing of the world on major diplomatic and economic issues, Islamabad cannot afford to run counter to world public opinion about the Taliban and Osama. If there are elements in the policy implementation process which work independent of official policy, then it is dangerous for your country. The Nawaz Government is on the right track, but it should match its claim of dissociating itself from Osama and the Taliban with more substantive action," the Western diplomatic sources concluded in their interview to the "Nation".

 

There was renewed concern in the US and the UK following fresh interviews given by Osama in December condemning the US-UK bombing of Iraq. In his interviews, he appealed to the Muslims of the world to kill the Americans and the British and said hostility towards the US amounted to a religious duty for him. He warned that the Americans should expect reaction from an angry Islamic world proportionate to the injustice inflicted by them on the Muslims. There was also media speculation linking him to the kidnapping incident in Yemen in which three British and an Australian tourists were killed.

 

In an interview to the "Asharq al-Awsat", an Arabic newspaper published from London (December 25), Osama called on Muslims to kill Americans and the British to avenge the two countries' attacks on Iraq. He said: "The British and the American people loudly declared their support for their leaders' decision to attack Iraq. This meant, it is the duty of Muslims to confront, fight and kill Britons and Americans. And anything that can be taken from them by force is the rightful prize of Muslims."

 

In an interview to Mr. Jamal Ismail, a Palestinian journalist of the "Newsweek" (January 11), Osama said as follows:

 

"I did not order them (the East Africa bombings), but was very glad for what happened to the Americans there."

 

" If the Israelis are killing the small children in Palestine and the Americans are killing the innocent people in Iraq and, if the majority of the American people support their dissolute President, this means the American people are fighting us and we have the right to target them."

 

"Muslim scholars have issued a fatwa against any American who pays taxes to his Government. He is our target, because he is helping the American war machine against the Muslim nation."

 

"If America has all the mass destruction weapons, that is nothing. If the Jewish state has the same weapons, it is OK. But if a Muslim state like Pakistan tries to defend itself against the Hindu hegemony in South Asia, everything should be done to prevent it from doing so. We don't consider it a crime if we tried to have nuclear, chemical, biological weapons. Our Holy Land is occupied by Israeli and American forces. We have the right to defend ourselves and to liberate our Holy Land."

 

"We support the Taliban and we consider ourselves part of them. Our blood is mixed with the blood of our Afghan brothers. For us, there is only one government in Afghanistan.It is the Taliban government. We obey all its orders. Afghanistan was the place where we buried the Soviet Union and it will be the place to bury the Americans for their designs on the Muslims."

 

In another interview to Mr.Rahimullah Yusufzai of the "News", who also reports for the "Time" magazine (January 11) of the US, Osama said:

 

"The International Islamic Front For Jihad Against the US and Israel has issued a crystal-clear fatwa calling on the Islamic nation to carry on jihad aimed at liberating holy sites. The nation of Muhammad has responded to this appeal. If the instigation for jihad against the Jews and the Americans in order to liberate the Al-Aksa mosque and the Holy Ka'aba is considered a crime, then let history be a witness that I am a criminal. Our job is to instigate and, by the grace of God, we did that---and certain people responded to this instigation." (This was in response to a question whether he was responsible for the East Africa bombings)

 

"This question pre-supposes that it is me who carried out these explosions. My answer is that I understand the motives of the brothers who act against the enemies of the nation. When it becomes apparent that it would be impossible to repel these Americans without assaulting them, even if this involved the killing of Muslims, this is permissible under Islam." (This was in response to a question as to how he would justify the deaths of Africans in the East Africa explosions)

 

"Now infidels walk everywhere on the land where Muhammad was born and where the Koran was revealed to him. The situation is serious. The rulers have become powerless. Muslims should carry out their obligations, since the rulers of the region have accepted the invasion of their countries. These countries belong to Islam and not to the rulers."

 

"Muslims are angry. The Americans should expect reactions from the Muslim world that are proportionate to the injustice they inflict."

 

"Acquiring weapons for the defence of Muslims is a religious duty. If I have indeed acquired these (chemical and nuclear) weapons, then I thank God for enabling me to do so. And if I seek to acquire these weapons, I am carrying out a duty. It would be a sin for Muslims not to try to possess the weapons that would prevent the infidels from inflicting harm on Muslims."

 

"We do not expect to be driven out of this land. We pray to God to make our migration a migration in His cause. Any foreign attack on Afghanistan would not target an individual. It would not target Osama bin Laden personally. The fact is that Afghanistan, having raised the banner of Islam, has become a target for the crusader-Jewish alliance."

 

"Hostility towards America is a religious duty, and we hope to be rewarded for it by God. Osama bin Laden is confident that the Islamic nation will carry out its duty. I am confident that Muslims will be able to end the legend of the so-called superpower that is America."

 

On January 28, the "Frontier Post" of Peshawar reported that one Algerian and two Libyans belonging to an organisation called Takfiri attacked the shop of a Saudi national. This group, whose origin and background are not clear, had in the past attacked business establishments in Peshawar belonging to pro-Osama Arabs. The Arab residents of Peshawar used to speculate that this organisation had been floated by the intelligence agencies of some West Asian countries to monitor the activities of pro-Osama groups and teach a lesson to those Arabs supporting them. This speculation has not been confirmed and the individuals behind this organisation have not so far been identified.

 

In an investigative article in the "News" of January 26, Mr.Rahimullah Yusufzai, the Peshawar-based Pakistani journalist who specialises in covering the activities of Osama and is among those favoured by Osama for giving interviews, reported as follows on Osama's entourage in Afghanistan:

 

The most wanted man after Osama is Sheikh Taseer Abdullah, who is also known as Abu Hafs al-Misri, after the name of his first son. He is most probably the same person whom the FBI describes as Mohammed Atef, the military commander of Osama. Washington has charged Atef with involvement in the Kenya and Tanzania bombings and announced a reward of US $ 5 million for information leading to his capture. It is the same amount as announced for Osama too, which showed how dangerous Atef is in the eyes of the FBI. However, Sheikh Taseer evaded answering a question whether he was identical with Atef.

 

During Mr.Yusufzai's interview with Osama on December 22, Sheikh Taseer figured prominently at every step. He drove Mr.Yusufzai to Osama's encampment from the Kandahar City and was responsible for Osama's security. It was he who decided when and where the interview would take place. Osama sought his opinion while answering certain questions.

 

Sheikh Taseer has been constantly at Osama's side ---whether it was in Peshawar and Afghanistan in the 1980s, in the Sudan subsequently and again Afghanistan after Osama's return from Sudan in May, 1996. Sheikh Taseer, who dresses in the Afghan salwar-kameez like Osama and was bearded and turbaned, was described by Osama as his right-hand man during the press conference of February,1998, at which he announced the formation of his International Islamic Front For Jihad Against the US and Israel.

 

Sheikh Taseer is a former Egyptian police officer. He came to Peshawar in 1983 and started participating in the Afghan jihad. He was amongst the first Arabs to have responded to the call of the Afghan Mujahideen for foreign volunteers and was instrumental in persuading many other Arabs to join the jihad in Afghanistan. He is said to have joined the Afghan jihad even before Osama, the late Sheikh Abdullah Azzam and Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman.

 

Sheikh Taseer is also credited with persuading Sheikh Abdullah Azzam to resign his job as a lecturer in the Islamabad Islamic University and join the jihad. Azzam shifted to Peshawar and built up a vast network to help the Afghan refugees and arrange for the training of the Arab mercenaries and their subsequent induction into the jihad.

 

Like Osama, Sheikh Taseer also vehemently denies involvement in the bombings of Kenya and Tanzania and accuses the CIA of falsely implicating them.

 

Dr.Ayman al-Zawahiri, of Egypt's Al Jihad, whose grandfather, Mr.Abdul Wahab, used to be Egypt's Ambassador to Pakistan, is another close associate of Osama. The bespectacled al-Zawahiri is a very learned man and is well-informed on international developments. He and his family have been living in Afghanistan for the last 15 to 17 years.

 

Amongst others assisting Osama are the two younger sons of Sheikh Omar---Mohammad,27, and Abu Asim. Their real names are not known. It was Mohammad who took Pakistani journalists to one of the damaged Al Badr camps in the Khost area after the US bombings of August last year. He warned of retaliation against the US for imprisoning his father.

 

Another follower of Sheikh Omar, who has been assisting Osama, is Abu Yasir Rifai Ahmed Taha (real name not known), another Egyptian.His name was mentioned as one of the authors of the fatwa issued by Osama last year against the US and Israel.

 

Amongst others whose presence in Afghanistan is mentioned, but not confirmed is Shawki al-Islambouli, brother of Khalid Islambouli, who killed President Anwar Sadat.

 

While Osama's organisation in Afghanistan is dominated by Saudis and Egyptians, there are also Algerians, Tunisians, Libyans, Yemenis, Syrians, Jordanians, Palestinians and Iraqis.

 

Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee on February 2, Mr.George Tenet, Director, CIA, stated as follows:

 

"There is not the slightest doubt that Osama bin Laden, his worldwide allies and his sympathisers are planning further attacks on us."

 

"bin Laden's overreaching aim is to force a US military withdrawal from the Gulf. However, he will strike anywhere in the world where he thinks we are vulnerable."

 

"Attacks using conventional weapons are most likely, but kidnappings and assassinations are also possible. US officials are concerned that bin Laden or other terrorist groups might obtain and use chemical or biological weapons."

 

"bin Laden's group is just one of a dozen terrorist groups that have expressed an interest in or have sought chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear weapons."

 

Mr.Strobe Talbott, US Deputy Secretary of State, Mr.Karl Inderfurth and Gen Joseph Ralston, Vice-Chairman, US Joint Chiefs of Staff, accompanied by other US officials visited Pakistan in the first week of February. While the main purpose of the visit was to discuss nuclear non-proliferation issues, the bin Laden case also figured in the discussions. Gen. Ralston called on Gen. Pervez Musharraf, Pakistan's Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), on February 2 and raised this issue.

 

After the departure of Mr.Talbott for Washington on February 3, Mr.Inderfurth stayed behind to continue the discussions on the Osama issue.Mr.Jalil Akhund, the Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister, was specially flown to Islamabad in an aircraft of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) on February 1. He initially met Mr. Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistani Foreign Minister, Mr.Sartaj Aziz, who was reported to have assured him that Pakistan's support for the Taliban would not change under US pressure. Mr.Indefurth then met Mr.Akhund in the house of Aziz. Mr.Inderfurth also went to Peshawar and met local officials and moderate, anti-Taliban Afghan leaders and sought their co-operation in bringing Osama to justice.

 

The Afghan Islamic Press reported that Mr.Inderfurth handed over to Mr.Akhund a note demanding that the Taliban should either arrest and deport Osama to the US or Saudi Arabia or expel him from its territory. Commenting on this demand, Mr.Abdul Mutmaeen, a Taliban spokesman, said at Kandahar, that while the Taliban would not arrest, deport or expel Osama, he was free to leave the country on his own.

 

The discussions on the Osama issue during the visit of Mr.Talbott's delegation caused some panic in Islamabad. Mr.Talbott was reported to have expressed the US determination to capture Osama with Pakistani co-operation, if possible, and without it, if necessary.

 

This panic was aggravated by reported remarks of Mr. Richard Clarke, the US Counter-Terrorism Adviser, in an interview to the Associated Press. Talking about the possibility of another US raid on Afghanistan, he was quoted as saying: " (This time), we may not just go for a strike against a terrorist facility; we may choose to retaliate against the facilities of the host country, if that host country is a knowing, cooperative sanctuary." This statement was interpreted in Pakistan as meaning that the next time, US Cruise missiles might strike at the infrastructure of the Taliban Government itself in order to force it to deport or expel Osama.

 

After the departure of the US officials, Mr.Sharif went to the headquarters of the ISI and discussed with Gen. Musharraf and Lt.Gen. Ziauddin the ISI Director-General, about the action to be taken by Pakistan in response to the mounting US pressure on the Osama issue. No announcement was made as to the decisions taken,

 

Mr.Derek Fetchett, the British Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, who was on a bilateral visit to Pakistan in the second week of February, met at Islamabad on February 9 Mr.Abdul Rahman Zahid, another Taliban Deputy Foreign Minister, and strongly conveyed the British concerns over the threats uttered by Osama against the UK after the US-UK military strikes against Iraq in December and demanded the immediate arrest and deportation of bin Laden.

 

In a statement issued on February 10, Mulla Omar, the Taliban Amir, said that the Taliban had banned all international contacts of Osama and withdrawn all his communication equipment, including his telephone and radio. He said that an observer group had also been set up to monitor the activities of Osama and warned that if Osama did not comply with the Taliban's decision, further action against him might be taken. He, however, ruled out handing him over to the US.

 

The strong stand taken by Mr.Talbott, Mr.Inderfurth, Gen. Ralston and Mr.Fetchett gave rise to speculation in the Pakistani media that the US and the UK were planning joint strikes against the infrastructure of the Taliban and Osama in Afghanistan.Quoting diplomatic sources in Islamabad, the "Frontier Post" of Peshawar (February 12) reported as follows:

 

"There now exists joint co-ordination between the USA and Britain to attack the camps of Osama deep inside Afghanistan."

 

"London alleges that Osama has put high-profile British targets on his hit list, including the British Embassies in Brussels and Paris."

 

"Mr.Talbott asked the Pakistani Government for facilities to strike at terrorist camps in Afghanistan. However, the Government refused on the ground that it would lead to the destabilisation of Pakistan and its political system as well."

 

"The Anglo-American attack might come from a Central Asian Republic, most of which are maintaining excellent relations with (the anti-Taliban) Northern Alliance."

 

"There are other reports which confirm that the US did send troops and warplanes to Tajikistan during the last few months with 25 trained commandos. Their mission might be confined to arresting Osama and sending him to Washington for trial. It should be noted that the US has not denied that it is maintaining a military presence in Tajikistan.Furthermore, Russia is expected to side with the USA."

 

According to the Pakistani analysts, while Russia and China vigorously condemned the Anglo-US air strikes on Iraq in December, they may not protest against strikes on the Taliban and Osama's camps from any of the Central Asian Republics. They were so fed up with the instigation by the Taliban and Osama of Islamic extremist elements in Chechnya, Dagestan and Xinjiang that they would be happy if the US and UK put an end to their destabilising activities.

 

Mr.Mohammad Tayyab, a Taliban spokesman, announced at Kandahar on February 13 as follows: "Osama has disappeared. We did not ask him to leave. We don't know where he is. He has just disappeared."

 

He said that Osama had left the following statement before disappearing: "I want to avoid any further casualties of Afghans due to my presence in Afghanistan."

 

The Taliban announced at Kandahar on February 19 that Mullah Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, its representative at New York, had met Mr. Inderfurth at Washington the previous day and informed him of the departure of Osama from the Taliban-controlled territory.

 

Commenting on the communication of the Taliban, a spokesman of the State Department said: "We cannot confirm this independently at present, but we will continue our efforts to locate him and see that he is brought to justice."

 

The "al-Hayat", the Arabic daily newspaper of London, reported on February 24 that Osama was still in Taliban-controlled territory and that he had merely shifted from Kandahar, where he was moved by the Taliban after it captured power in Kabul in September,1996, to his hide-out in the Jalalabad area where he was living in 1996.

 

The daily added that the Taliban had sent a special delegation to Jalalabad to persuade Osama to return to Kandahar. According to the daily, while Osama felt that his movements could be freer in Jalalabad, the Taliban felt it could keep a stricter watch on him at Kandahar.

 

On February 26, the "Frontier Post" of Peshawar quoted a spokesman of the US Embassy in Islamabad as saying that the US believed that Osama was still in Afghanistan.It also said that the US was again pressing Islamabad to help it in his capture.

 

In the meanwhile, there was speculation in sections of the Pakistani media that about 1,000 members of the Lashkar-e-Toiba, the militant wing of the Markaz Dawa Al Irshad, the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen and the Al Badr, who were based in camps in the Jalalabad-Khost area, had suddenly disappeared from their camps and that the US authorities were trying to locate them.

 

Addressing a press conference at Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), on March 2, Mr.Zafar Iqbal, a spokesman of the Lashkar, said that his organisation had invited Osama to join the "Kashmiri freedom struggle" in the Valley. He added: "Osama is our erstwhile colleague and we had fought jointly against the Soviet troops in Afghanistan."

 

Mr.Siddiqui Kanju, Pakistan's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, told pressmen on March 2 as follows: "The USA should talk to the Taliban directly about Osama, instead of making pleas to Islamabad about him. We have told the USA that Afghanistan is an independent and sovereign country. I think the USA is in touch with the Taliban. Whether one likes it or not, it is a hard fact that the Taliban are ruling the areas under their control according to the will of the people and have established a multi-ethnic set-up. It is not important what the Americans believe about it."

 

Quoting Pakistani Foreign Office sources, the "Nation" (March 5) reported that the US has issued an advisory to all non-governmental organisations against resuming their activities in Afghanistan.

 

It quoted the advisory as stating as follows: " Washington warns those foreigners planning to go back to Afghanistan that, according to the available information, Osama is still in Afghanistan and is active. This, in Washington's view, could pose a danger to the lives of those foreigners who want to re-start their work in Afghanistan. Washington reserves the right to strike in any part of Afghanistan, which, it believes, is the hideout of terrorists. Washington forewarns UN and foreigners wanting to return to Afghanistan that it will not be possible for it to give them enough warning time for a quick withdrawal."

 

Quoting unidentified Pakistani security officials, the "News" (March 7) reported as follows:

 

"Intelligence agencies have information that some Pakistani militant groups are receiving military training in camps that originally belonged to Osama or his Arab associates from Egypt."

 

"Whether Pakistanis or Arabs, they consider themselves as jihadi brothers, whose main aim now is to take revenge on the Americans."

 

"Harkat and Lashkar members admit that most of their senior members had the privilege of working closely with Osama."

 

"Audio-taped Arabic speeches of Osama, with Urdu and Pashtu translation, were being distributed in mosques in all major Pakistani cities."

 

"In the shape of the Harkat and other militant religious groups, Osama has a formidable human asset in Pakistan. These militant groups, by openly vowing to settle scores with Washington, posed a serious threat to Pakistan's interests."

 

In a testimony before the US Senate Appropriations Committee on Foreign Operations on March 10, Mr.Inderfurth stated as follows: "We have urged all the Afghan factions to stop sheltering terrorists and their training facilities and to expel terrorists from parts of the country under their control. We have stressed to the Taliban and those with influence over them the need to expel Osama to a location where he can be brought to justice. The USA will strike if Osama is traced in Afghanistan."

 

He added: "We have told them he is still plotting acts of terrorism against us. Because the Taliban have provided him safe haven, we will hold them responsible for his actions. Despite hollow protestations that he was missing, there is no evidence he has left Afghanistan. Our experts and other informed observers believe he remains in Taliban-controlled territory. The Taliban are playing a risky and unwise game in attempting to convince us otherwise. We do believe he remains in Afghanistan itself. We have seen no effort by the Taliban to expel him."

 

In a statement circulated in Peshawar on March 10, the Takfiri , an anti-Osama Arab organisation suspected to have been floated by some West Asian intelligence agencies, stated as follows: " Osama is a non-Muslim and an agent of the US. He is staying in Afghanistan to further his master's interests. We will unmask the true face of Osama before the Afghan and Pakistani masses. He has been causing embarrassment to the Afghans by staying in their war-ravaged country. He has secret relations with the USA and is deceiving the Afghans with his Islamic rhetoric. The Osama case is not a religious issue, It is a purely political issue which needs serious consideration. We appeal to Pakistani and Afghan scholars to objectively analyse the Osama affair in its political context without religious considerations."

 

The "Frontier Post" reported that pro-Osama Arabs living in Peshawar have become targets of harassment and intimidation by the Takfiris.

 

Quoting diplomatic sources close to senior US Embassy officials in Islamabad, the "News" (March 24) reported as follows:

 

"US surveillance and intelligence teams have spotted Osama commuting between various camps near the Jalalabad border (with Pakistan)."

 

"Earlier reports of his sudden disappearance were merely a ruse to ease off US pressure. "

 

"After leaving his Kandahar headquarters, Osama spent a few weeks at the Taliban's Melawa camp and then moved to a safer hide-out near the Pakistan-Afghan border."

 

"Osama's family of two wives and several children is said to have been dispersed in several safe houses in Kandahar, Jalalabad and Logar, near Kabul,"

 

"US intelligence operatives are still trying to establish the whereabouts of Sheikh Taseer Abdullah and al-Zawahiri."

 

" When Mr.Shabaz Sharif, brother of Mr.Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister of Punjab, visited Washington recently US officials again demanded that Pakistan must act to make the Taliban hand over or expel Osama. "

 

A delegation of US counter-terrorism experts led by Mr. Gilbson Lampher, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, and including Mr.Michael A. Sheehan, Counter-Terrorism Co-ordinator in the State Department, was reported to have visited Pakistan in the first week of April and discussed counter-terrorism co-operation with their Pakistani counterparts. They also met Mr.Shabaz Sharif who, according to the Pakistani press, had been designated by Mr.Nawaz Sharif to liaise with US officials on the Osama issue.

 

Quoting Pakistani Government officials, the "Nation" (April 9) reported on the visit as follows:

 

" US officials describe the visit as part of the periodic consultations with Pakistani officials. Pakistani sources, however, confirm that the discussions focussed on specific US concerns over terrorism emanating from what Washington perceives as the vast network of terrorism across the borders of Afghanistan and Pakistan with international connections."

 

" A highly-placed Pakistani official said: " This visit was not about Osama only. The man is still a major worry for Washington, but he is not the only worry. This part of the world (Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Central Asian Republics) has become, in US point of view, both safe havens and transit points for terrorists of all types and kinds. The USA wants to monitor this arc of crisis more closely and wants our help in this regard."

 

" By co-operation, the Americans mean sharing information with Washington on a regular basis about the movement of marked men and preventing local groups, essentially religious and sectarian parties, from becoming a smoke-screen for internationally-wanted terrorists to carry out their operations."

 

"Washington wants Pakistan to exercise tighter control over those areas of its territory which, in the US assessment, are being used to impart training to militants."

 

" Washington does not buy the Taliban's claim that Osama has left Afghanistan and insists that it has credible evidence that he continues to plot to kill US citizens."

 

"Washington also believes that Pakistan does have considerable clout with the Taliban which it has not used to help them deal with Osama. "

 

"A more broad terrorism concern which the US officials express revolves around the Taliban itself. The mere fact that there is a regime like the Taliban in Afghanistan which can defend the man they want most desperately is a big policy fright for them."

 

"They have been trying to convince Pakistan that its closeness to the Taliban has no pluses, but only negatives. "

 

"Another US worry centres on smaller religious and militant groups which are the blow-back of the Afghan jihad against the Soviets. Already, outfits like the Harkat-ul-Ansar and the Jammat-ul-Furqa are found on the US list of terrorist outfits. Increasingly, however, other sectarian groups too are beginning to catch US attention because of their militancy and the fear that some of them might hide in their ranks terrorists the USA is trying to track down. "

 

Testifying before a Senate Sub-committee on April 14, Mr.Inderfurth said: " If the Taliban does not expel Osama from Afghanistan, it could face US military action again. We feel very confident of the charges we have made about bin Laden's active role in the bombings that took place in East Africa and we believe he is planning further such terrorist action."

 

Gen. Anthony Zinni, Commanding Officer of the US Central Command, visited Islamabad on April 20 and 21. He met the COAS and again demanded Pakistani co-operation in the arrest and deportation of Osama.

 

In a travel advisory issued on April 21 to its nationals intending to visit Pakistan, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office stated as follows: "We believe that there is an increased threat to British interests in Pakistan from global terrorism. British nationals and their families in Pakistan should adopt a low profile and avoid travels to the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), sensitive border areas near Afghanistan and the Line of Control (LOC) in Kashmir."

 

Speaking at a seminar on Afghanistan organised on April 24 by the Central Asian Institute of Washington, Mr.Inderfurth said that terrorists based in Afghanistan were posing a serious threat to the American people and interests and warned the Taliban of serious consequences if it did not expel Osama.

 

The Pakistani media has been reporting since the middle of April that Mrs.Benazir Bhutto, former Prime Minister, has been telling US and other Western leaders and officials that Mr.Nawaz Sharif has a long history of nexus with Osama and that so long as he was the Prime Minister, Pakistan would not help the US capture Osama.

 

In an interview to the "al-Hayat" of April 30, Mrs. Bhutto alleged that Osama had financed a plot drawn up by Mr. Nawaz Sharif and the Pakistani intelligence services to have her removed from power in 1996.

 

The US State Department's annual report on "Patterns of Global Terrorism" for 1998 released to the press in the last week of April said that " the Harkat-ul-Mujahideen leader Fazlur Rehman Khalil had been linked to bin Laden and signed his fatwa in February 1998 calling for attacks on US and Western interests."

 

Quoting senior officials of the Pakistan Government, the "Frontier Post" (May 2) claimed that the CIA and the FBI had come into possession of a photograph of Mr.Nawaz Sharif with Osama taken in Lahore when Osama had met Mr.Sharif at the instance of Squadron-Leader (retd) Khalid Khwaja. According to the paper, the Air Force officer had served in the Afghan cell of the ISI in the 1980s and, after leaving service, had joined Osama's outfit in Afghanistan. The report, however, did not say when this photograph was taken. Some other Pakistani papers speculated that, if such a photo existed, Mrs. Bhutto might have given it to the Americans.

 

The "Pakistan Observer" (May 12) reported as follows: "Washington believes that in violation of its firm commitment the Government of Mr.Nawaz Sharif has been quietly helping Osama. In fact, the Americans have accused the ISI of helping and funding Osama. They feel that Pakistan has not only facilitated Osama's safe transfer to a new hide-out, its top intelligence agency is also providing him the required security cover."

 

Quoting Western intelligence sources, Mr. Julian West of the "Telegraph" of London reported as follows (May 30) on the fighting in Kargil: " Western intelligence believes that many (of the invaders) are Afghan, Pakistani and even international Muslim militants backed by Pakistan's ISI. Principal among these is Al Badr, a terrorist group linked to Osama bin Laden."

 

Mr. Shujjat Bukhari, the well-informed Srinagar correspondent of the "Hindu" of Chennai, India, reported on June 4 from Kargil: " In Batalik, 80 per cent of the intruders are stated to be Afghan and Taliban militiamen, with a significant number from the Osama bin Laden camp."

 

The "Far Eastern Economic Review" (June 10) reported as follows: "Pakistan's (diplomatic) isolation is not just the result of Kashmir. Sharif has been defying the West and his neighbours for several months now. He has stalled on his commitment to sign the CTBT and refused to help arrest the Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden, who is based in Afghanistan. This has infuriated the Clinton Administration, Western diplomats say… While Washington has urged Pakistan to bring the Taliban to the negotiating table, Islamabad has gone the other way. It has stepped up military supplies to the Afghan militia, including rockets and bombs for its summer offensive."

 

The "News" (June 12) reported that the US had drawn the attention of the Pakistan Government to a testimony given on May 1 by Mr.John Lauder, Special Assistant on Non-Proliferation to the Director, CIA, before a Special US Commission to combat the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction.

 

In his testimony, Mr.Lauder had stated as follows: " The Osama organisation is just one of about a dozen terrorist groups that have expressed an interest or have sought chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear agents. One of our greatest concerns is the serious prospect that Osama or another terrorist group might use chemical or biological weapons. We have evidence that Osama and others were seeking to acquire chemical and biological weapons to prosecute the kind of campaign that we know that they are involved in. Osama had called for the acquisition of these weapons as a religious duty and had said:"How we use them is up to the USA."

 

In an interview over the "Al Jazeera" TV channel of Qatar telecast on June 12, Osama renewed terrorist threats against the US. He said: "Every American man is our enemy. The Americans are a vile people who understand no meaning for values." The channel said that he was interviewed somewhere in Afghanistan where he was kept incommunicado by the Taliban.

 

"Die Welt", the German newspaper, reported on June 16 that the German intelligence has informed the Government that Osama had at least nine hideouts or training camps in Afghanistan.

 

By an executive order effective from July 6, President Clinton imposed economic sanctions against the Taliban because of its support to Osama. The order said that the Taliban "allowed territory under its control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Osama bin Laden and the Al-Qaida organisation which have committed and threatened to continue to commit acts of violence against the USA and its nationals."

 

In a statement on July 7, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban Amir, condemned the US economic sanctions as unjust and malicious. He said: "The US has taken a vindictive action because of mutual differences and its malicious designs against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.The US action smacks of arrogance of a power-intoxicated country."

 

He pointed out that Washington had never taken notice of Osama when he was living in Afghanistan when Mr.Burhanuddin Rabbani was in power in Kabul and added: "I do not know where Osama is. We have neither asked him to leave nor to live in Afghanistan. "

 

Following the publication of a report by the "Observer" of London that bin Laden was living in an old collective farm in the village of Farmihadda, a few miles south of Jalalabad near the Pakistan border, the Taliban spokesman, Mr. Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil, admitted on July 9 that Osama continued to live in Afghanistan "under the protection of a special security commission."He added: "We are ready to hold talks with the US on Osama. We want to resolve this issue, but nobody is willing to listen to us."

 

A report of the "New York Times Service" published by the "International Herald Tribune" on July 9, stated as follows:

 

The CIA has obtained evidence that Osama has been allowed to funnel money through the Dubai Islamic Bank, which the United Arab Emirates Government effectively controls.

 

Some American officials allege that the Foreign Minister of Qatar had tipped off Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, when the latter was in Qatar, that an FBI team was on its way to Qatar to arrest him.

 

Analysts say that some members of the elite even in moderate Arab states apparently feel a need to hedge their bets against critics of their pro-Western policies and to insure against becoming targets of terrorist attacks themselves.

 

The allegations that the Dubai Islamic Bank is dealing with Osama seem to underscore that Osama retains some support among the elite of the Arab world.

 

American officials believe that wealthy Sunni Arabs in the Gulf quietly share Osama's anti-Western fundamentalist beliefs, even though they run counter to other moderate Arab interests.

 

US intelligence officials say they had evidence that Osama had a relationship with the Dubai bank, which, they believe, had been arranged with the approval of the officials who control the bank.

 

A senior US official who went to the Emirates in the beginning of July said that UAE officials were responsive to US concerns over the links of this bank with Osama.

 

Estimates of Osama's wealth vary widely. The CIA estimates it at US $ 250 million, including assets in legitimate businesses, but others say they are convinced that Osama has just a few million dollars left from his vast inheritance.

 

Mr.James Foley, a spokesman of the US State Department, told a press conference on July 9: "The UAE Government has told us that the Dubai Emirate Government has taken steps to clean up the Dubai Islamic Bank and to restore its reputation."

 

Addressing a press conference at Lahore on July 12, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Secretary-General of the Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI), described the USA as a terrorist country and alleged that it was planning to attack Afghanistan in collusion with the forces of Ahmed Shah Masood. He said that the US considered the "Mujahideen" forces, which fought against the Indian army in the Kargil area, as posing a threat to its own security and that was why it exercised pressure on Pakistan to have them withdrawn.

 

During a visit to Abu Dhabi on July 15, Mr. Muttawakil told the newspaper "Asharq al-Awsat" as follows:

 

" The Taliban does not oppose the trial of Osama being held in a neutral country, but only if he agrees to it."

 

"We will neither hand over bin Laden to any country nor force him to leave Afghanistan unless he seeks or accepts a proposal to move to a third country."

 

"He moved from where he was living. Nobody knows his new base except intelligence officials."

 

"We did not ask for UAE mediation and the UAE did not offer it. I do not believe we need third-party mediation for we have contacts through direct meetings and on the telephone."

 

"If any country has any proof against Osama bin Laden, then we are ready to inspect this evidence. In the light of that evidence, he would be tried at the higher Islamic court in Kabul."

 

Earlier, he had told other correspondents that since the Taliban did not have extradition treaties with other countries, the question of his extradition to the US would not arise.

 

In a statement published by the "Shariat" weekly on July 18, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taliban Amir, said that the US had no right to demand the expulsion of Osama from Afghanistan.He called upon the Muslims of the world to express their solidarity with Osama against the US.

 

On July 20, Mr.Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League denied as baseless an allegation made by Lt.Gen. (retd) Hamid Gul, former ISI Director-General, that during his talks with President Clinton at Washington on July 4, Mr.Sharif had secretly agreed to assist the US in its operations against the Taliban and Osama.

 

Mr.Shujjat Hussain, Pakistan's Interior Minister, told pressmen on July 23 that Pakistan would not allow any country to use its land for action against Afghanistan. He described as baseless media reports that US warships had reached the vicinity of the Balochi coast for another Cruise missile strike on Afghanistan.He added: "We are not extending any landing or anchoring facility to the Americans because we do not want our land to be used for any action against Afghanistan." He described the Osama issue as a matter between the US and Afghanistan in which Pakistan had no role to play.

 

On his return from a Six-plus-Two meeting on Afghanistan at Tashkent, Mr.Inderfurth told pressmen at Washington on July 29 as follows:

 

The US preferred co-operation and continued to hold discussions with the Taliban in the hope of finding a solution to the Osama issue. However, it was ready for confrontation as well.

 

The Taliban continued to provide a safe haven to Osama. The US had taken some steps and other steps would be taken that would be not only confrontational, but would further isolate the Taliban in the international community.

 

Osama had to be expelled from Afghanistan and brought to justice. While the US would prefer to bring him to the US for trial, it was not excluding other countries as venues for trial.

 

Osama was not under control. His network of supporters was actively plotting against American interests and that of others.

 

Washington had been in touch with Pakistan and Saudi Arabia on the issue. They understood the American views and the hope was that very soon countries such as Pakistan and Saudi Arabia would move in a direction that would achieve the desired objectives.

 

Afghanistan had been destroyed economically and physically. It was now a safe haven for terrorism, drug trafficking and arms smuggling.

 

The Peshawar-based Afghan Islamic Press, a private news agency, reported on July 30 that Osama has decided to leave Afghanistan following an agreement with the Taliban and that he was looking for asylum in some other country. It said: " Osama has taken the decision in view of the possibility of an attack by the US against Afghanistan and to ease difficulties being faced by the host country because of his presence." The Taliban, however, said it was not aware of Osama's move.

 

Addressing a public rally at Islamabad on August 1 to protest against Mr.Nawaz Sharif 's succumbing to the US pressure and ordering the withdrawal of the "Mujahideen" from the Kargil area, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Secretary-General of the JUI, alleged that American naval ships were stationed off the port of Gwadar on the Balochistan coast to launch Cruise missile attacks against Afghanistan and that special CIA teams had also come to Pakistan to capture Osama.

 

He warned that any US attack on Afghanistan would mean war. He added: "The war will not be against America, but against Americans. If there is a war, the US Ambassador cannot remain safe. I want to tell this to the American Ambassador today. If you attack Afghans, then Americans will not be safe from our bullets."

 

A diplomat of the US Embassy at Islamabad called on the Maulana on August 3 to protest against his threats against Americans. After the meeting, the Maulana told local journalists: " I told the American diplomat that, if because of you people, we are not safe in our land, then you too should not feel safe in our territory. The diplomat said that the US was willing to open a dialogue with the Taliban about Osama, but to no avail. I replied, what is the use of a dialogue that takes place under the shadow of Cruise missiles? If you people want a political settlement on the issue, we are ready for it. If you want to use diplomacy, we are with you. But if you want to shed blood, our reply will also be with blood."

 

The "Washington Post" reported on August 4 that US law enforcement agencies have identified Jammu and Kashmir in India as a target area of Osama's operatives as well as of allied outfits across the globe.

 

The "Wall Street Journal" reported the same day as follows:

 

US intelligence and law enforcement agencies were working closely with their counterparts in India, Egypt, the Philippines, Albania, Uruguay, Germany and the UK, among others, to clamp down on Osama's operatives.

 

Many Governments are co-operating with the US because countries as far flung as Uzbekistan and Argentina have found Osama and his loose band of operatives a shared threat that was never the case with old-time terrorists such as Abu Nidal or Carlos.

 

"Many leaders see bin Laden as the core of an impassioned Islamic insurgency that threatens their own status quo."

 

Mr.Ahmed Rashid, the well-informed Pakistani columnist, reported in the "Far Eastern Economic Review" of August 5 that 400 Arab Islamic militants from a dozen Middle East and African countries belonging to Osama's 055 Brigade are participating in the latest Taliban fighting against Mr.Masood's Northern Alliance forces. According to him, it was this Brigade which helped the Taliban last year in the capture of Mazar-e-Sharif. Mr.Rashid also claimed that Mr.Tahir Yoldasev, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, who was wanted by the Uzbek authorities in connection with the explosions in Tashkent in February last, has also been given shelter by the Taliban and helped in setting-up his own training camp in Mazar-e-Sharif.

 

Earlier, the Pakistani press had reported that the "Mujahideen" withdrawn from the Kargil area in response to US pressure had gone back to Afghanistan to join in the new fighting against the Northern Alliance.

 

In a statement issued at Washington on August 7 on the eve of the first anniversary of the East Africa bombings, President Clinton said: "We will not rest until justice is done…We have intensified the struggle against terrorist violence. We have increased the pressure on the Taliban in Afghanistan to deliver suspects in the Embassy bombings."

 

In another statement, Mrs. Albright said: "Today we vow that America will not be intimidated. We will not retreat from the world. We will not rest until every one of those responsible for the Embassy bombings has been brought to justice."

 

On the first anniversary of the East Africa bombings, posters purported to have been signed by Osama were found pasted in many places in the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) and the Federally-Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) of Pakistan.The posters, which appealed to Pakistani youth to join Osama's organisation, quoted Osama as saying as follows: " I am not afraid of the Americans. I have a right to remain in Afghanistan. I do not believe in national boundaries since the earth belongs to Allah."

B.RAMAN (10-8-99)

 

(The writer is Additional Secretary (retd),Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, New Delhi and, presently, Director, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai. E-mail: corde@vsnl.com ).