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Taliban Propose Bin Laden Trial in Neutral Country; Bush Rejects Offer
By Misbah Abdulbaqi, IOL Correspondent in Afghanistan
JALALABAD, Oct 15 (IslamOnline) - The ruling Taliban said Sunday they might be willing to extradite Osama bin Laden to stand trial in a neutral country outside the U.S. or Taliban influence. But U.S. President George W. Bush rejected their offer and said there would be no negotiations with the Taliban.
Maulana Abdul Kabir, governor of Jalalabad, told a group of visiting international journalists that the United States must first provide concrete evidence of bin Laden's involvement in last month's attacks in New York and Washington.
"If proof is provided, a third country could be chosen, which is neither under the influence of the United States, nor the Taliban," Kabir said.
It was the first time the Taliban had opened the door to the possibility of bin Laden being tried by a non-Islamic court. In the past, the Taliban had insisted that bin Laden could only be tried in Afghanistan or "in an Islamic way" elsewhere.
The issue of "Taliban influence" is limited by the fact that Pakistan is the only country in the world that still recognizes the regime in Kabul.
Kabir's offer came one week after a U.S.-led military campaign was unleashed against bin Laden's al-Qa'eda network and the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The governor also insisted that Washington should negotiate with the Taliban directly, rather than through Islamabad.
Despite a relentless bombing campaign that has severely damaged the Taliban's military capability, Kabir insisted that the people of Afghanistan remained loyal to them.
Kabir urged the United States to halt the air campaign and open negotiations. "If America were to step back from the current policy, then we could negotiate," he said.
Even though Kabir's statement did not mark a breakthrough, the fact that the Taliban were showing some flexibility at this time was significant in the wake of a week of air strikes.
Meanwhile, Bush said Sunday there would be no negotiation with the Taliban, rejecting the regime's offer to send bin Laden for trial in a neutral country.
A U.S. official said Bush, despite his opposition to "nation-building", has begun to plan for a future Afghanistan government if the Taliban regime should fall due to U.S.-led attacks.
"It would be a useful function for the United Nations to take over the so-called nation building - I would call it the stabilization of a future government - after our military mission is complete," Bush said.
"We'll participate. Other countries will participate." Bush said "all interested parties" in Afghanistan should have a role in a new government and that future stability would guard against a resurgence of terrorism, and that eradicating drug trafficking should also be a priority.
The official confirmed Bush was taking part in National Security Council meetings that discussed early planning of a successor to the Taliban and dealt with issues such as creating a coalition government, economic reconstruction and security.
Asked whether Bush was participating in such meetings, first reported by the New York Times Sunday, the official said, "Yes, I know about them."
Experts have said the United States must play a role in shaping a government in Afghanistan in order to avoid a dangerous power vacuum in the country and Central Asia if the Taliban are overthrown.
Bush's attention to a post-Taliban government comes despite his long-held opposition to "nation-building", especially in establishing a civil administration in a politically unstable country.
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