Taliban to be responsible if Americans attacked: US

WASHIGNTON (NNI): The United States has seen link between Osama bin Laden and those arrested in a Middle East recently, says a report published in Washington Times Thursday.

The report appeared after the fresh warnings of the United States about possible attacks by supporters of Osama bin Laden. The United States has warned Taliban that they would be held responsible if supporters of the Arab dissident launched any attacks against Americans.

The paper says these people intended to make attacks against Americans. It quoted the head of the Anti-Terrorism wing of the State Department, Micheal Schion as saying that Washington wanted to give a message to Taliban that they would be responsible for actions of Osama bin Laden as they have given shelter to him.

It said Taliban have rejected this claim and their Foreign Minister, Wakil Ahmed Mutawakkil has said that they have repeatedly told Washington that Osama bin Laden was not carrying out any operations. He said Osama was not capable either to act against any other country from inside Afghanistan.

Mutawakkil said the US was making such claims to justify the sanctions imposed on Afghanistan. The State Department spokesman as saying that all the persons arrested in the Middle East were members of the terrorist outfit, Al-Quaida.

The "New York Times" writes that the difference between the present and that previous warnings is that this time the United States has asked its citizens to be cautious on the occasion of the month of Ramazan and on the eve of the new year. It said that it had received tips that the terrorists would launch attacks against Americans all over the world.

The paper quoted a money changer in Kabul as saying that very few people were not travelling abroad as foreign trips had become too costlier after ban on Aryana flights. It quoted another Afghan as saying that it was a law of the nature that another door is opened when one door is closed to some one. He said it was a good omen that Iran has opened its border.

In another report, the daily has quoted an Afghan as saying that even if the government bans opium cultivation the people will be forced to go ahead with the cultivation as they have no substitute for their earning.

The paper says bin Laden was considered as a hero. Quoting Afghan and Western sources, the report says that the US attempt to nab Osama was futile and it was further fanning public sentiments against the West and United States. It said the UN sanctions have blocked solution to the Osama issue.

It quoted the Taliban Foreign Minister as saying that the sanctions would not force Taliban to surrender Osama. He said the Americans have magnified the personality of Osama bin Laden. The dailys correspondent said that he talked about Osama bin Laden with several people in Kabul and it seemed all the Afghans well knew him and did not fear for him. A boy who had worked in the house of a man of Osama, said they were good people.

The daily also quoted a Western man as saying that Osama has been made a wizard like James Bond or a hero who can appear at many places at one times and do whatever he wants. It quoted a UN official as saying that the bomb blasts at US embassies in Africa was a tragic incident and it was carried out by a powerful man.