News

DATE=2/11/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245393 TITLE=AFGHAN BIN LADEN (L-ONLY) BYLINE=SARAH HORNER DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: AFGHANISTAN'S TALEBAN MOVEMENT HAS REPORTEDLY WARNED THE U-S GOVERNMENT AGAINST FURTHER MISSILE STRIKES ON AFGHANISTAN. LAST AUGUST THE U-S STRUCK ALLEGED TERRORIST CAMPS RUN IN AFGHANISTAN BY SAUDI MILITANT OSAMA BIN LADEN. SARAH HORNER HAS THE DETAILS. TEXT: REUTERS NEWS AGENCY QUOTES THE TALEBAN AS SAYING ANY FRESH U-S STRIKES AGAINST OSAMA BIN LADEN WOULD DEMONSTRATE AMERICAN DICTATORSHIP AND WOULD BE AN UNFORGETTABLE MISTAKE. IN AN INTERVIEW WITH REUTERS, TALEBAN CHIEF SPOKESMAN WAKIL AHMAD DISMISSED REPORTS THAT MR BIN LADEN IS PLANNING ATTACKS ON WESTERN TARGETS. MR AHMAD SAYS THESE HOLLOW RUMOURS ARE JUST TO PROVIDE WASHINGTON WITH AN EXCUSE TO LAUNCH ANOTHER ASSAULT ON AFGHANISTAN. THE U-S AND THE TALEBAN HAVE BEEN HAVING A WAR OF WORDS ABOUT OSAMA BIN LADEN FOR MANY MONTHS AND THE EXCHANGES HAVE RECENTLY BECOME MORE FREQUENT. LAST WEEK, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE, KARL INDERFURTH, GAVE A LETTER TO THE TALEBAN REITERATING WASHINGTON'S DEMAND THAT MR BIN LADEN BE EXTRADITED FROM AFGHANISTAN. ON WEDNESDAY TALEBAN OFFICIALS RULED OUT EXTRADITING MR BIN LADEN, SAYING THE MOVEMENT NEEDS PROOF MR BIN LADEN IS GUILTY OF TERRORISM. THEY SAID IF EVIDENCE IS OFFERED THEN HE WILL BE TRIED IN A TALEBAN ISLAMIC COURT. TALEBAN OFFICIALS DID ANNOUNCE, HOWEVER, THAT THEY WERE PLACING FRESH RESTRICTIONS ON MR BIN LADEN'S ACTIVITIES, INCLUDING TAKING AWAY HIS COMMUNICATIONS EQUIPMENT. BUT, WASHINGTON HAS REJECTED THE NEW CURBS SAYING THEY FALL FAR SHORT OF AMERICAN DEMANDS. THE U-S HAS INDICTED MR BIN LADEN FOR MASTERMINDING THE BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA LAST AUGUST -- WHICH KILLED MORE THAN 260-PEOPLE. WASHINGTON HAS ALSO OFFERED A FIVE-MILLION-DOLLAR REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO THE ARREST AND CONVICTION OF MR BIN LADEN. TWO WEEKS, AFTER THE AFRICA BOMBINGS THE U-S CARRIED OUT A MISSILE STRIKE ON ALLEGED TERRORIST CAMPS RUN BY MR BIN LADEN IN AFGHANISTAN. NEWS AGENCIES IN WASHINGTON REPORTED WEDNESDAY THE U-S REMAINS READY TO TAKE MILITARY ACTION AGAIN IF NECESSARY AGAINST SUSPECTED BIN LADEN BASES IN AFGHANISTAN. THE TALEBAN, WHICH CONTROLS MOST OF AFGHANISTAN, HAS OFTEN SAID IT WOULD NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO CONDUCT TERRORIST ACTIVITIES FROM ITS TERRITORY. IN DECEMBER, OSAMA BIN LADEN DENIED INVOLVEMENT IN THE AFRICAN BOMBINGS, BUT RENEWED HIS CALL FOR ATTACKS ON ISRAELI AND AMERICAN TARGETS. (SIGNED) NEB/SH/PLM 11-Feb-99 7:27 AM EST (1227 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .