Osama wants to leave Afghanistan
By Abdul Sattar Khan - The News Int. (Pak.) 1/09/01

LAHORE: Saudi millionaire Osama bin Laden has sought permission of Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar to allow him and his associates to leave Afghanistan and shift their operational headquarter somewhere else, sources told The News.

The request was made a few days ago after which Mullah Omar started consultations with his cabinet to reach a consensus on whether to allow Osama to migrate or ask him to stay in Afghanistan. The sources said that Mullah Omar had initially requested Osama to continue his Afghan stay and assured him of the approval of Afghan people and the Taliban cabinet.

Omar believes Osama's departure would demoralise Afghans and the Jehadi forces active in Afghanistan for whom Osama's presence is a source of inspiration. In this backdrop, the sources said, Omar after obtaining the approval was expected to address the nation to make a unanimous appeal to Osama to continue his stay in Afghanistan.

Osama, on the other hand, believes his presence in Afghanistan would multiply Afghans' miseries besides impeding Jehad against the adversaries of Islam. The United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on the war-torn country to pressure Afghanistan to expel Osama bin Laden.

Osama is also convinced that this is high time he entered anti-Israel war and his migration would enhance his operational capability. Through migration, he feels, he would be able to consolidate the Jehadi forces active against America and its allies. Osama has also recorded a message for the Palestinian forces active against Israeli.

Though next destination of Osama and his thousands of Mujahideen is yet to be known, sources indicate Yemen might be his next station. Yemen has also gained significance as Osama's next possible station since Osama has recently married in an influential Yemeni Syed family.

Moreover, Osama's family has also acquired a few islands near Yemen where some of his elder family members had once offered Osama to keep his family members (wives and children) in one of these islands. Previously, Osama's war was primarily aimed at US installations, particularly in Islamic countries, but now he also added US citizens to his hit-list. Washington blames him for two bomb blasts in Saudi Arabia that left 26 US soldiers dead. Osama denies the charge. The blasts killed seven in mid-1995 in Riyadh and 19 on June 25, 1996 in Bahrain.