USA: Taliban: Unable to resolve Osama bin Laden with the U-S.

Описание: (21 Mar 2001) English/Nat

An official of the Afghanistan's Taliban government says it has been unable to resolve the matter of Osama bin Laden with the U-S.

Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi said efforts in recent years, including requests for evidence and an offer to have bin Laden tried in an Afghan court, have been turned down by U-S officials.

Rahmatullah is in Washington D-C this week representing Afghanistan's Taliban regime.

The 24-year old said he was a former English teacher before getting involved with the Taliban, or student, movement in Afghanistan in 1995.

He blames years of war and civil strife largely on struggles between the former Soviet Union and the U-S.

The two waged a superpower proxy war that left Afghanistan a legacy of millions of land mines, thousands of arms and thousands more refugees.

Rahmatullah on Tuesday presented a letter from the Taliban leadership to U-S officials in Washington.

The letter, addressed to U-S President George W. Bush, called for improved relations and dialogue with the U-S.

But U-S officials stressed the importance of handing over indicted Saudi terrorist Osama bin Laden to a country where he can be brought to justice.

Speaking on Tuesday to an audience of policy makers and diplomats, Rahmatullah said the Taliban have sought to resolve the matter of bin Laden with U-S officials, to no avail.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"(Osama) bin Laden existed in Afghanistan exactly 17 years before our government existed. We inherited him. And the fact is that such people were instigated by the CIA and by the government of America at that time to go and fight the Soviets. And such people were called the heros of independence. And all of the sudden they have changed now to terrorists. We don't say that we are defending terrorism, but we need whether they are really terrorists or not."
SUPER CAPTION: Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, Advisor, Taliban Foreign Ministry.

He said despite efforts to open ties with the U-S, there appeared to be no formal effort to negotiate on the matter of Osama bin Laden, one of the U-S' most wanted men.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"So we don't know as to what to do now. We have been given no counter proposals. And now the perception in Afghanistan is that maybe the United States is always looking for a bogey man. Because so many people have their jobs following bin Laden now. If bin Laden were not there they would lose their jobs."
SUPER CAPTION: Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, Advisor, Taliban Foreign Ministry.

He was also asked about the recent destruction of Buddha statues in Afghanistan on orders from the Taliban leadership.

The ancient and unique structures were destroyed despite international pleas.

But Rahmatullah explained that senior Taliban officials told him that pleas by his government for the international community to help Afghan children in turn had been denied.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
"But I asked him as to what is the reason behind blowing (up) that. He said that if they don't care about our children then he said the following thing. He said if the world is destroying our present and future with economic sanctions, then who gives them the right to talk about our past, our heritage."
SUPER CAPTION: Sayed Rahmatullah Hashemi, Advisor, Taliban Foreign Ministry.

There was some dissent during the conference.

One Afghan woman, Hassina Sherjan, accused the Taliban regime of denying people, including women, basic human rights.

SOUNDBITE: (English)
SUPER CAPTION: Hassina Sherjan, Afghan Information Center.


SOUNDBITE: (English)



Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter:   / ap_archive  
Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​
Instagram:   / apnews  


You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...