- ISLAMABAD - Afghanistan has
agreed to extradite Osama bin Laden to his home country Saudi Arabia for
trial on charges of terrorism, Dawn learnt from authoritative sources here
on Sunday.
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- The offer to shift the Saudi dissident, who has been
stripped of his citizenship, was made by Afghan supreme ruler Mulla Mohammad
Omar to Interior Minister Moinuddin Haider during his recent visit to Afghanistan.
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- Mr Haider had met the Afghan ruler in Kandahar to request
the Taliban government to hand over those Pakistani nationals who had taken
refuge in the war-torn country to escape justice.
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- A high-level source said that the issue of Osama's extradition
to a third country for trial was not raised by Pakistan.
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- "We never raised the Osama issue; it was raised
by no less a person than Mulla Omar during the talks," the source
added. "Mulla Omar had proposed handing over of Osama to Saudi Arabia
for trial."
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- The source said Mulla Omar had told the Pakistan side
that if Saudi Arabia was not willing to accept Osama, because of political
repercussion in the country, Kabul was ready to shift the Saudi dissident
to "another Muslim country".
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- "The Amir-ul-Momineen ( Mulla Omar) did not disclose
the name of the third country," the source added. Washington had earlier
asked Pakistan to use its influence with the Taliban regime and convince
them to extradite Osama either to the US or to another country where justice
can be done. He is accused of masterminding twin US embassy bombing in
Africa in 1998 and is among the 10 most wanted men in the US.
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- Although Pakistan apparently refuses to mediate between
the Taliban and the US, some concrete evidence suggests that Pakistan is
actively involved in mediation to settle the Osama issue, which has brought
a lot of miseries to both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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- The source said Mr Haider was surprised when Mulla Omar
offered to extradite Osama to Saudi Arabia.
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- The UN slapped sanctions last month to force the Taliban
to hand over Osama.
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- Diplomatic sources believe that the UN sanctions have
started taking their toll and it was for this reason that Mulla Omar had
offered to hand over Osama to Saudi Arabia for trial.
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- A Muslim diplomat toldDawnthat the third Muslim country,
referred to by Mulla Omar, could be the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
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- He said that the unscheduled visit of UAE Crown Prince
Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan to Pakistan on Friday should be seen
in the background of Mulla Omar's offer.
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- UAE is the only third country after Islamabad and Riyadh,
which recognises the Taliban regime.
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- The diplomat said Pakistan, the UAE and Saudi Arabia
were jointly discussing the pros and cons of trying Osama in Saudi Arabia
or in a third Muslim country ( which could be the UAE)."They are likely
to request Washington to accept the new offer made by Mulla Omar,"
the diplomat added.
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- He , however, feared that Saudi Arabia or the UAE could
ill-afford to hold Osama's trial as it could spark violence and destabilise
monarchies in these countries.
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- " There is a strong possibility that these countries
would jointly approach the Taliban to hand over the 58-year-old Osama directly
to some neutral western country like Switzerland to hold the trial of the
Saudi dissident on the pattern of Lockerbie trial of two Libyans.
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- The source termed Mulla Omar's offer a significant shift
in the policy of Taliban, who had been refusing to extradite Osama, saying
that there was no evidence available against him.
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- The Afghan government had also announced that it would
face the UN sanctions, saying that such curbs could not force it to change
its policy.
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- The Taliban claim that Osama is being closely watched
and is not allowed to launch any operation from Afghanistan.
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- The trial of four associates of Osama, who have pleaded
not guilty, has already begun in a New York court. Of 18 others, who have
been indicted, one has pleaded guilty.
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