Kabul hits back on warning

Dawn
ISLAMABAD, Dec 16: The Taliban on Thursday slammed the United State's warning that it would hold them responsible for any anti-American attacks by Osama bin Laden.

"We have received the American message which is nothing but a ruse to cover up its hostile acts against Afghanistan," the Afghan Islamic Press quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel as saying.

Speaking to the Pakistan-based news agency from Kandahar, Mutawakel said the United States stand was "strange and unreasonable" and said they had never provided any evidence to support their allegations against bin Laden.

Mutawakel said it was illogical to pin the blame on bin Laden, who is living in Afghanistan, for any anti-American activity anywhere in the world.

"They (US) are after Osama while they have no proof with them against him," he said.

Mutawakel also expressed displeasure over an official statement in Amman on the arrest of 13 Arabs, mostly Jordanians, who Jordan said had received training in Afghanistan and were plotting terrorist attacks.

The detainees may have got training during the anti-Soviet resistance war in Afghanistan, he said.-AFP