So now what? Interesting, but not happening

[Kymberley]

Is this a trick? Are they tired of the backlash from their own people? Do they believe that we will let them stay in power if they hand him over now?


Interesting

http://www.dallasnews.com/attack_on_america/response/stories/STORY.e98c510c06.b0.af.0.a4.594f0.html

Senior official says Taliban ready to discuss handing over bin Laden to third country if bombing stops
10/14/2001

Associated Press


JALALABAD, Afghanistan – A top Taliban leader said Sunday that the Islamic militia would be ready to discuss handing over Osama bin Laden to a third country if the United States halts the bombing of Afghanistan.

Washington has rejected previous offers by the Taliban to negotiate, saying they must surrender him and his lieutenants in the al-Qaida terror network without conditions. In the past, the United States has refused any handover of bin Laden to a third party.


Deputy Prime Minister Haji Abdul Kabir, the third most powerful figure in the Taliban regime that rules the country, told reporters that the Taliban would require evidence that bin Laden was behind the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

If evidence of bin Laden's involvement was given and the bombing campaign is stopped, Kabir said, "we would be ready to hand him over to a third country," he added, one that would never "come under pressure from the United States."

Kabir urged the United States to halt the air campaign, now in its eighth day, and open negotiations.

"If America were to step back from the current policy, then we could negotiate," he said. "Then we could discuss which third country."

Before the start of the air campaign, the Taliban had demanded evidence of bin Laden's involvement in the attack and had offered to try him before an Islamic court inside Afghanistan – proposals which the United States promptly rejected.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

It isn't serious. It's just a proganda tactic "See world! The Americans refuse to negotiate! They're barbarians. See? See?"

They aren't able to hand over bin Laden. I'm convinced that bin Laden funds and controls the Taliban military. We should be asking bin Laden to hand over the Taliban.

 

[MissTaken]

Exactly.

Who owns whom in Afghanistan? The Taliban, it doesn't appear to me, have the "control" or authority to hand over anything but a bunch of rubish and propaganda.

Hmmmm I am not really fond of regurgitating someone else's post (DCL), but there really isn't any argument, as far as I am concerned.

 

[morninggirl5]

DCL is right to an extent. I've been searching and can't find it again, but I read an article recently that said Bin Ladin was the main source of funding for the Taliban.

The Taliban came out of religious schools in Pakistan and if you want a clear picture read this article by the BBC. It echoes the things I heard recently on NPR from an author who had visited Pakistan recently.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/from_our_own_correspondent/newsid_1595000/1595806.stm

 

[shadowsource]

They're seriously worried -

That someone's going to break ranks and start grabbing these guys to hand over. All that reward money, as opposed to getting totally shafted for a foreign fanatic who really didn't need to make so much trouble. Imagine how attractive a grab starts to look to a local general or mullah....

 

[Adoratrice]

JALALABAD, Afghanistan




SEE! I told you so Cheffie.