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Politics : Foreign Affairs Discussion Group -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Scoobah who wrote (585)	9/20/2001 7:16:35 PM
From: Scoobah	Respond to of 281500

Taliban Seeks to Disrupt Coalition 2220 GMT, 010920 Summary Despite its refusal to hand over accused terrorist Osama bin Laden to the United States, Afghanistan's Taliban leadership has taken a moderate tone with the outside world. This strategy is meant to buy time and divide Washington from its allies. Analysis Islamic clerics on Sept. 20 urged the United States' "prime suspect," Osama bin Laden, to leave Afghanistan voluntarily but set no deadline for the alleged terrorist mastermind to decide. According to the Associated Press, the Taliban regime's deputy ambassador in Pakistan repeated the group's standard message: that bin Laden is ready to stand trial for attacks against the United States if Washington provides sufficient evidence. Afghanistan's Taliban leadership is following a careful strategy of public diplomacy. The group is taking pains to appear as cooperative as possible while stopping short of actually expelling bin Laden. This strategy is meant to stall for time and to exploit potential doubts within the coalition of nations Washington is attempting to put together. Washington desperately needs the support of foreign allies to wage war against terrorism. The Taliban -- which is likely the first target in this war -- is attempting to break up any coalition before it forms. The United States needs from potential coalition partners logistical assistance, basing agreements, overflight rights and most of all, intelligence on Islamic fundamentalist movements.