The World Tribune


Taliban issues first threat to U.S. over Bin Laden

Special to World Tribune.com
MIDDLE EAST NEWSLINE

Thursday, November 11, 1999

NICOSIA [MENL] -- With five days left until it faces international sanctions, Afghanistan's ruling Taliban army on Tuesday threatened to retaliate against United States if economic sanctions are imposed for its refusal to hand over Saudi fugitive Osama Bin Laden.

Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, in a letter to the "people of the United States," did not elaborate on the type of action Afghanistan would take. "If you do not take a step in this direction then you will be surprised about what is coming to you and you will not be able to do anything about it,'' Omar said in the letter.

The letter was the Taliban's first threat of anti-American action since coming to power in 1996.

Unless Taliban hands over Bin Laden by Sunday, the United Nations will impose economic sanctions. Omar said this Americans risk the consequences of such a move.

Bin Laden has offered to leave Afghanistan to a secret destination but the United States and United Nations has rejected this. U.S. officials said Taliban must surrender Bin Laden.

"We have shown readiness for negotiations but the U.S. government seems to be bent on force and looks down on us," Omar said in his letter. "This attitude will not help the United States because the Russians were thinking along the same line and look what happened to them. In addition, on Sept. 6, 1999, we [sent] a letter to the White House. In it, we pointed out to them that those who are not on the just side, may God face them with earthquake and storm. You are all witness to the fact that since the date of that letter, one strong earthquake and two devastating storms have taken their [toll] in the United States."

In an unrelated development, Pakistan said it will not sign the nuclear test ban treaty unless economic sanctions are lifted. Still, Foreign Minister Abdul Sattar said Pakistan will not be the first in the region to conduct nuclear tests.

"We have no intentions of taking any provocative steps," Sattar said.

Thursday, November 11, 1999


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