Kabul has three days to hand over Osama
straitstimes.asia1.com.sg
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan is sending a delegation to Afghanistan today to ask the ruling Taleban militia to hand over accused terrorist Osama bin Laden to the United States within three days and avert US military action against Afghanistan.
Major-General Rashid Qureshi, spokesman for Pakistan's military government, confirmed the delegation will travel to the Taleban's headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar.
A source close to the Islamabad government said yesterday: 'Senior Pakistani officials are going to try to knock some sense into the Taleban. We will make every effort to avoid any major catastrophe.'
Separately, a top Pakistani government official said the delegation would issue an ultimatum to the religious militia: Deliver Osama within three days, or risk a massive retaliatory assault.
The official said that the Taleban will be told that the international community has been mobilised to attack Afghanistan if it refuses to turn over Osama, the prime suspect in last Tuesday's terrorist attacks on New York and Washington.
Osama yesterday issued his first direct denial of any involvement in the US attacks.
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf will also visit his country's two closest allies, China and Saudi Arabia, for talks on the crisis and could leave for Beijing as early as today, said a foreign office official.
US Secretary of State Colin Powell praised Pakistan for its backing yesterday and said the US would send a team of officials to Pakistan 'in the next several days' to discuss options.
But the Taleban warned yesterdaythat it would attack Pakistan if it helped the US. Taleban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar urged religious scholars to wage a jihad, (holy war) against the US.
Later, Taleban militia stepped up its military presence along its long and porous border with Pakistan. A similar military build-up was reported on the Pakistani side.
The decision to send a Pakistani team to Afghanistan came amid countrywide demonstrations by hardline Islamists who oppose Pakistan's decision to give the US 'full support' in a retaliatory attack against the Taleban for harbouring Osama.
Demonstrators burned US flags, shouted slogans in support of Osama and the Taleban and warned the Pakistani government that they would fight on the side of Afghanistan's Islamic militia.
The Taleban have steadfastly refused to hand him over despite two rounds of UN sanctions.
The Pakistani cabinet on Saturday decided to extend unstinting support to a US-led campaign against international terrorism, which could include the deployment of international troops in Pakistan and the use of its airspace. -- AFP, AP |
