M A I N   N E W S

Manhunt for Laden begins
Taliban accepts Jesse Jackson’s offer to mediate

Islamabad, September 27
A massive manhunt for Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the terrorist strikes on the USA, was launched today by a joint team of top intelligence personnel from Pakistan, USA, Russia and Tajikistan in anticipation of attacks on his hideouts in Afghanistan.

Osama bin Laden, on whose head the USA had announced a reward of $ 25 million, has left for an undisclosed destination.

The News quoting government sources reported today that an unusual joint intelligence team, the first of its kind in Pakistan’s intelligence agencies history, would also finalise a strategy to attack Afghanistan.

The sources said the joint team would particularly indicate those areas where Bin Laden could possibly be hiding in Afghanistan.

The US intelligence brains would guide the members of this intelligence network comprising dozens of officers from intelligence agencies of the countries which share their borders with Afghanistan, the newspaper said.

The sources said the USA and its allies were not ready to accept the Taliban’s claim that the Saudi fugitive had suddenly disappeared from the scene without informing them.

The newspaper said the US delegation was also expected to discuss the issue of formation of this network with the Russian intelligence agency-the KGB as well in the few days.

Preliminary talks on this subject with the Tajikistan authorities have already been held, The News said.

The sources said the help of Northern Alliance was also being sought to locate Osama as the Americans were of the view that being natives they could be more helpful.

The news of setting up of a joint intelligence team followed attempts by CIA officials to get dozens of Stringer missiles which were supplied to Afghan militia to shoot down Soviet aircraft in Afghanistan in 1980s.

Meanwhile, Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban, has accepted what he called an offer to mediate from US civil rights leader Jesse Jackson, the Afghan Islamic Press quoted the Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan as saying today.

The civil rights activist said yesterday he was open to making a trip to Afghanistan if his involvement could prevent the deaths of innocent Afghan civilians. Mr Jackson said he had spoken with Secretary of State Colin Powell in this regard. UNI, PTI

Edict handed over to Laden

Islamabad, September 27
Taliban Information Minister Qudrutullah Jamal said today that he believed an edict from clerics asking Osama bin Laden to leave Afghanistan had been delivered to him in person.

“The edict had to be delivered by a messenger,” Mr Jamal told Reuters on the telephone from Kabul.

“It’s not like we can pick up the phone and talk to Osama or fax a message to him. He has no such facilities. So the message had to be sent through a messenger who probably took some time to find him,” Mr Jamal said.

“We believe that by now he has found Osama and delivered the fatwa (edict) to him,” he said, adding that Bin Laden was still in Afghanistan.

“I have no reason to believe that Osama has left Afghanistan. He is still here,” he said.

Taliban’s Ambassador to Pakistan Mullah Abdul Saleem Zaeef when asked if the Taliban was willing to enter into a compromise on Laden to avert war, said: “No. It has not been a tradition with Muslims to compromise.”

The Clerics Council had proposed to the Taliban leadership to convince Bin Laden to voluntarily leave Afghanistan and choose another place to live.

Meanwhile, fearing an impending onslaught by the USA and the allied forces on Afghanistan, an increasing number of the Taliban militia have defected to the Northern Alliance, a spokesman for the Alliance said today. Combat initiative in Afghanistan has been completely seized by the anti-Taliban coalition recently, reports Novosti.

The spokesman also said the Alliance’s recent combat success did not directly depend on the US plans to conduct an anti-terrorist operation in Afghanistan.

He said the isolation in which the Taliban regime had found itself after becoming a haven for international terrorism only proved its weakness.

While the Northern Alliance forces had been operating in five directions the Taliban resistance was most violent in the Mazar-i-Sharif direction. “They are completely aware of the fact that as soon as they lose these areas, the anti-Taliban forces will launch an overall offensive,” the spokesman said. Reuters

Taliban fighters defecting

Dushanbe, September 27
Fearing an impending onslaught by the USA and the allied forces on Afghanistan, an increasing number of the Taliban militia have defected to the Northern Alliance, a spokesman for the Alliance said today. Combat initiative in Afghanistan has been completely seized by the anti-Taliban coalition recently, reports Novosti.

Meanwhile, Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar today warned the USA would suffer the same fate as the Soviet Union if it waged war in Afghanistan, the Afghan Islamic Press reported. “In the event of intervention in Afghanistan, there will be no difference between Russia and the USA,” he said. UNI, AFP

Pak sends team to persuade Mullah Omar

Islamabad, September 27
Pakistan has sent a delegation of pro-Taliban Islamic leaders to prevail on the ruling militia in Afghanistan for a peaceful solution as a military confrontation with the USA appeared increasingly inevitable after the regime refused to extradite Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden.

The team comprises Pakistan’s Islamic parties’ leaders, including Jamat-e-Islami chief Qazi Hussain, Jamat-e-Ulema chief Sammi ul Haq and Jamat-e-Islam leader Moulana Fazlur Rehman, would meet Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar tomorrow in yet another last ditch effort to prevent a war between the USA and the militia, media reports here said today. (According to a DPI report, intelligence and Foreign Ministry officials are also in the team). PTI