Bin Laden's issue creates rift in Taliban

NEW DELHI: The issue of handing over Saudi billionaire turned militant Osama Bin Laden to the United States has created a rift in Afghanistan's Taliban militia as one section says Laden should be deported from the country while another opposes it.

Sources quoting confessions of some foreign mercenaries and certain wireless intercepts said Mullah Omar had adopted a hard line attitude over the issue and was not prepared for deporting Laden.

But Omar was facing tough time from his close supporters who were "pragmatic" in their approach and asked for handing over Bin Laden to the United States or deporting him at least from the country, the sources said.

Besides, this opposition group, which is headed by Mullah Rabbani, Mullah Sharaf (intelligence head of Taliban in Kabul), Mullah Shehzada and Maulvi Kandhari, believe that Laden only brought miseries to Afghanistan after his role in bombing of the US embassies was exposed.

There were reports of armed clashes between the two groups and on February two, the oust Laden group had killed one of his supporters and injured 13 others.

The rival groups also detained three Arab nationals in Kabul and deported them back to Pakistan for being handed over to the US, the sources said.

Taliban has come in for a severe criticism for demolition of Buddha statues in Afghanistan and it is also said that some rival groups of Taliban regime have started distancing themselves from the decision. (PTI)