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Tuesday, 18 September, 2001, 23:05 GMT 00:05 UK
US aims beyond Bin Laden
Many Pakistanis oppose US involvement in Afghanistan
The United States has indicated that the surrender of Osama Bin Laden would not be enough to avert a military strike against terrorism.
The US Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said that while Bin Laden's capture would be welcome, it would not deal with those who shelter terrorists or the organisation which he belonged to. He said: "Clearly you begin on a journey with one step, and he would be one step."
His remarks on US television came as Washington waited for the Taleban authorities in Afghanistan to decide whether to extradite Bin Laden, who is the prime suspect for the suicide plane attacks last week on New York and the Pentagon. Later the United Nations Security Council urged the Taleban to hand over Bin Laden "immediately and unconditionally" in accordance with a UN resolution passed in December last year. Dead or alive Taleban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar said the decision on Saudi-born dissident Bin Laden would be made by religious leaders from all over the country, who have been gathering in Kabul. President Bush has said the United States wants Bin Laden dead or alive for his alleged role in organising the attacks. In other developments:
A Pakistan Government official told the AP news agency on Tuesday that the Taleban had in talks with their envoys discussed conditions for extraditing Bin Laden, including international recognition of the Taleban government and lifting of UN sanctions. But these demands have been made before, and at the moment Taleban leaders are talking more about a possible holy war against the US if attacked. Bin Laden and the Taleban have denied any involvement in the US attacks on New York and the Pentagon a week ago. Coalition-building US Secretary of State Colin Powell said that the international coalition to fight terrorism was coming together.
French President Jacques Chirac said as he met Mr Bush for talks in Washington that his country was determined to support the war on what he called the absolute evil of terrorism.
President Megawati Sukarnoputri of Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation will see him on Wednesday. Ms Megawati has already pledged to join the battle against terrorism. And British Prime Minister Tony Blair, who says that the United Kingdom stands "shoulder to shoulder" with America following the attacks, visits on Thursday. High-level meetings are also planned with German, Italian, EU, South Korean, Chinese, Russian and Saudi Arabian officials. Pakistan warning The Taleban move to consider Bin Laden's extradition was announced after talks between Pakistani officials and Mullah Omar in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar.
The Pakistan delegation is understood to have warned that Bin Laden will have to be handed over within three days if US military strikes are to be averted.
Pakistan has already pledged to provide the US with support and, although the government will not spell out exactly what this means, Mr Sattar said he could not rule out the idea of basing foreign troops in Pakistan if the delegation failed.
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