Afghan Taliban not Responsible for U.S. Security: FM
KABUL, July 3 (News Agencies) - The Taliban is in no way responsible for ensuring the security of U.S. interests anywhere outside Afghanistan, its Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel said Tuesday.
"We are bound to ensure security within our own country, we are not responsible to protect U.S. security outside Afghanistan," Mutawakel told a press conference at the foreign ministry here.
"The United States has so many enemies worldwide especially in the Middle East because of its despotic behavior," he said.
Mutawakel said it would be "absolutely illogical" to make a connection to Afghanistan or "some body residing in Afghanistan" if U.S. interests were targeted abroad.
"We can say that nobody has the permission to use our soil against any country but giving guarantees of protection of U.S. interests is not our job," he added.
The statement followed a warning by the U.S. ambassador in Islamabad on Friday that the Taliban regime would be blamed if Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden attacked U.S. interests.
Ambassador William B. Milam met with Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban envoy in Islamabad, to convey U.S. concerns over reports that bin Laden supporters were planning terrorist strikes on U.S. interests worldwide.
"The ambassador said the U.S. will hold the Taliban regime responsible if Osama launched attacks against the United States," Zaeef was quoted as telling the Pakistan based Afghan Islamic Press.
Zaeef reportedly told Milam, "We do not consider the U.S. as our enemy, therefore, we cannot allow its opponents to use our territory against the United States."
Bin Laden lives in Afghanistan as a "guest" of Taliban rulers, who despite tough UN sanctions, have refused to extradite him to stand trial in the U.S. on terrorism charges.
The United States holds the wealthy Saudi dissident responsible for the 1998 bombings of its embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed more than 200 people.
The U.S. envoy's meeting followed a report by Dubai-based Middle East Broadcasting Center (MBC) late last month that bin Laden's supporters were planning attacks on U.S. and Israeli targets.
The United States warned Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement on June 29 that they would bear responsibility for any attack on U.S. interests by bin Laden, Taliban Ambassador Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef said after an hour-long meeting with U.S. Ambassador William Milam at the Taliban embassy in Islamabad.
