PAKISTAN: TALEBAN SAYS IT WILL NOT BOW TO US LED INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TO EXPEL SAUDI BORN TERRORIST SUSPECT OSAMA BIN LADEN

Record ID: 565976

  • Title: PAKISTAN: TALEBAN SAYS IT WILL NOT BOW TO US LED INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE TO EXPEL SAUDI BORN TERRORIST SUSPECT OSAMA BIN LADEN
  • Date: 24th January 2000
  • Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (JANUARY 24, 2000) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 1. SV: AFGHANISTAN'S TALEBAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WAKIL AHMAD MUTTAWAKIL AND HIS AIDES WALKING ALONG A CORRIDOR TO MEETING 0.06 2. SV: PAKISTAN'S FOREIGN MINISTER, ABDUS SATTAR, SEATED AT TABLE, TALKING 0.11 3. SV: VARIOUS OF MUTTAWAKIL AND HIS AIDES AT MEETING WITH SATTAR (3 SHOTS) 0.29 4. TV: SATTAR 0.34 5. SV/CUTAWAY: NEWS CONFERENCE ADDRESSED BY MUTTAWAKIL; MEDIA (2 SHOTS) 0.43 6. SV: SOUNDBITE (Pushto) TALEBAN FOREIGN MINISTER, WAKIL AHMAD MUTTAWAKIL REFERRING TO RECENT HIJACKING OF INDIAN PLANE TO AFGHANISTAN: "All unwanted actions are condemned by every normal man. Such acts are intolerable and inhuman. Keeping innocent hostages is amongst those acts, which are unwanted." 0.56 7. CUTAWAY: REPORTERS 1.02 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 8th February 2000 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Reuters ID: LVA492JZQF6AO5XDID3EYDK366U3
  • Story Text: Afghanistan's governing Taleban movement has said it
    will not bow to growing U.S.-led international pressure to
    expel Saudi-born terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden.

    The announcement was made on Monday (January 24)
    during the first visit to Pakistan by Taleban foreign minister
    Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil since last month's hijacking of an
    Indian Airlines plane to Afghanistan.

    Wakil met Pakistan's Foreign Minister, Abdus Sattar, in
    Islamabad for talks which a Pakistani statement said covered
    "the entire range of bilateral matters including the situation
    in Afghanistan, as well as other regional issues".

    Wakil later told a news conference that the Taleban would
    never expel bin Laden, who is believed by Washington to be
    behind several acts of international terrorism, but it could
    provide "technical assistance" if the dissident himself wanted
    to go.

    Wakil added that Pakistan had no influence in the matter
    of bin Laden.

    The Taleban government is suffering U.S.-sponsored United
    Nations aviation and financial sanctions over the affair.

    Wakil's two-day visit to Pakistan came after a trip last
    week to Islamabad by U.S.Assistant Secretary of State for
    South Asian Affairs, Karl Inderfurth.The envoy pressed
    Pakistan to use its influence with Kabul to have bin Laden
    expelled to face charges of masterminding the August 1998
    bombing of two U.S.embassies in East Africa that killed more
    than 200 people.

    Bin Laden has denied involvement in the bombings.

    At a news conference in Islamabad on Monday, Wakil also
    condemned the hijacking in December of an Indian Airlines
    plane, saying that his government considered it to be an
    "intolerable and inhuman" act.

    Responding to a question about the stand of the Taleban
    government on the recent hijack, Wakil said: "All unwanted
    actions are condemned by every normal man.Such acts are
    intolerable and inhuman.Keeping innocent hostage is amongst
    those acts which are unwanted".

    India says the hijacking was masterminded by Pakistan,
    which denies this.The incident provoked renewed tension
    between the neighbours.

    The hijackers escaped after freeing 155 hostages in
    southern Afghanistan in exchange for three Kashmiri militants
    who were in Indian jails.


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