Taliban Dismisses U.S. Warnings

By Amir Shah
Associated Press Writer
Tuesday, Dec. 14, 1999; 3:13 p.m. EST

KABUL, Afghanistan –– U.S. warnings that terrorists plan to attack Americans are nothing but propaganda aimed at justifying sanctions against Afghanistan, the ruling Taliban militia said Tuesday.

Last weekend, the U.S. State Department said it had "credible evidence" that terrorists may strike at large holiday gatherings. Americans around the world were warned to use caution and keep a low profile.

Arrests of a dozen individuals who allegedly were planning an anti-American terrorist attack to coincide with New Year's celebrations prompted the warning, U.S. officials say. At least some of those detained have links with suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, U.S. officials said late Monday.

Washington believes bin Laden, who has been living in Afghanistan, masterminded last year's bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. His Taliban militia hosts have refused to hand him over to the United States or a third country for trial on charges of terrorism.

In Washington, White House press secretary Joe Lockhart said the head of the counter-terrorism unit at the State Department, Michael Sheehan, met with the Taliban on Monday.

"We just wanted to make sure they understood that their support in harboring the bin Laden organization was noted here in the United States, and that any activity that would move forward, we would hold them responsible for," Lockhart said.

But Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Muttawakil called the U.S. warning "propaganda."

"We informed the U.S. then and we say again today that Osama is not doing anything and it is not possible for him to do anything to another country from Afghanistan," Muttawakil said in a telephone interview from southern Kandahar, the Taliban's headquarters.

Muttawakil said the warning was a thinly veiled attempt by the United States to justify U.N. sanctions, which were imposed on the Taliban on Nov. 14. The sanctions do not affect food or humanitarian aid to Afghanistan. But they require U.N. member states to freeze the assets of the Taliban and they ban international flights of the national airline, Ariana.

"Our people are hurting because of the sanctions and the United States wants to make an excuse by using Osama," he said.

The U.N. imposed the sanctions after the Taliban refused to turn bin Laden over for trial, saying Afghan tradition forbids handing over a guest to his enemy.

The Taliban rule about 90 percent of Afghanistan. They believe in a rigid interpretation of Islam that bans women from working and forces them to wear the all-enveloping burqa.