News and Document archive source
copyrighted material disclaimer at bottom of page

NewsMine9-11binladenafter-death-in-dec-2001 — Viewing Item


Taliban chief hasnt seen bin laden since 2001

Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
   http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP137015.htm

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/SP137015.htm

Mullah Omar says hasn't seen bin Laden for years
04 Jan 2007 13:35:22 GMT
Source: Reuters

(Adds analyst's quote)

PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Jan 4 (Reuters) - Taliban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar has added to the mystery over Osama bin Laden, saying he hasn't seen his ally and fellow fugitive since U.S.-backed forces ousted the Taliban from Afghanistan in 2001.

"No, I have neither seen him, nor have I made any effort to do so, but I pray for his health and safety," Omar said in an e-mailed response to questions sent by Reuters.

The questions were relayed to Omar through his spokesman, Mohammad Hanif, and a reply was received late on Wednesday.

A half-dozen audio tapes of bin Laden were circulated during the first half of 2006, but the al Qaeda leader last appeared on video tape in late 2004, while tapes of his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri, have been issued regularly.

A video tape of bin Laden was released late last year, but it was identified as old footage, and the fifth anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States passed without word from the al Qaeda leader.

Speculation over the whereabouts and health of bin Laden boiled over in September when a French provincial newspaper reported that he had died of typhoid in late August.

Although several governments and intelligence agencies rebutted that report, saying they had no evidence to suggest bin Laden had died, they acknowledged they had no clue to where he was.

The wealthy Saudi-born bin Laden helped bankroll the Taliban after moving to Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, and he was reported to have married one of Omar's daughters to cement their alliance.

The United States has offered a $25 million reward for the capture of bin Laden and $10 million for Omar.

The best guess to bin Laden's whereabouts remains somewhere on the rugged border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, in the ethnic tribal lands where Omar's Taliban counts on support to fight an insurgency against U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and the government of President Hamid Karzai.

STILL IN CONTACT?

Analysts say that while there was no apparent evidence for any meeting between bin Laden and Omar after the Sept. 11 attacks, the two fugitive militants are believed to have remained in contact in recent years.

"According to my information and the interviews which I conducted in the last two years in different provinces of the eastern and southern Afghanistan, Mullah Omar and Osama bin Laden are in touch, at least (for the) last two years," said Hamid Mir, a prominent Pakistani journalist who interviewed bin Laden shortly after the Sept. 11 attacks.

Relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, both major U.S. allies in the war on terrorism, have deteriorated sharply over the past year in the wake of the bloodiest campaign mounted by the Taliban since it was ousted from power.

Omar said people from the Pashtun tribal belt straddling the border were rallying to the Taliban's cause. "The people themselves have risen up to fight the Americans," he said.

Although the Taliban and al Qaeda are seen as allies, Omar said his sole focus was Afghanistan while bin Laden's movement was engaged in a global jihad, or holy war.

DIFFERENT GOALS

"They have set jihad as their goal, whereas we have set the expulsion of American troops from Afghanistan as our target," he said.

To start a political process to end the militancy, Pakistan and Afghanistan plan to organise tribal councils -- known as jirgas -- on both sides of the border. No dates have been fixed.

A Taliban spokesman said last month that the group might join the jirgas if asked, but Omar rejected the proposal.

"The only people who would participate are those who have sold out to foreign powers. Our participation is absolutely out of the question," the fugitive militant leader said.

He reiterated his call for the withdrawal of foreign troops to end the conflict in Afghanistan. "Unless that happens, the war will heat further up," Omar said.

Afghanistan says Omar is based in or around the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta, but Omar said he is in Afghanistan.

AlertNet news is provided by Reuters


jan-2006-audio
nov02-voicetape
october-surprise-2004
release-video
sept-03-video
sept02-voicetape
support-iraq-tape-feb03
5 years later binladen trail stone cold { September 10 2006 }
Albright thinks bush is hiding binladen { December 17 2003 }
Alive in pakistan
Alleged dec 2004 tape criticizes saudis
Aug02 attacks
Bin laden asked zarqawi to attack on american soil { March 1 2005 }
Bin laden asks US to fund hamas { March 2006 }
Bin laden calls war crusader zionist alliance
Bin laden compares barbaric US with saddam
Bin laden escaped
Bin laden nukes [gif]
Bin laden refers to unaccurate 19 hijackers number
Bin laden says US plans crusade in somalia
Bin laden tape a fake { November 29 2002 }
Bin laden tape authentic says cia
Bin laden trail is completely cold { December 5 2004 }
Bin laden vows never to be captured alive { January 2006 }
Bin laden works with taliban says uk tv { February 2007 }
Binladen audio tape for europeans { October 2007 }
Binladen demands zarqawi body returned to jordan
Binladen funded bali
Binladen illness is rumor by taliban enemies says spokesman { June 16 2005 }
Binladen is organizing attack on US for summer 04 { July 9 2004 }
Binladen offers gold for killing US officials { May 6 2004 }
Binladen suicide trojan threatens web { July 24 2004 }
Binladen surrounded by special forces { February 22 2004 }
Binladen threatens political assasination while dead
Binladen triggers morocco bombings { May 18 2003 }
Binladen voice tape april 03
Binlanden back
Bl alive more attacks
Bl email bbc { March 28 2002 }
Bl emails { March 28 2002 }
Bounty for binladen doubled from 25m to 50m
British search yemen
Bro confirms tapes
Bush says oct tape proves war goes on { October 19 2003 }
Cant find binladen
Cia confused on bin laden dying claims { May 2008 }
Cia disbands bin laden unit { July 4 2006 }
Cia not hunting for binladen
Cia says bin laden will be caught { July 23 2004 }
Cia says iraq tape probably bin laden
Cia says saddam capture tape from dead binladen { January 6 2004 }
Cia thinks bl runs al qaeda
Cia thinks tape binladen { April 11 2003 }
Democrats warn terror { November 15 2002 }
Documents say bin laden escaped US grasp { November 2001 }
Elite unites hunt { September 3 2002 }
Escaped { January 15 2002 }
Faked satellite to escape { January 21 2003 }
Fled to tora bora
French say bin laden dies august of 2006 { September 24 2006 }
Hails anti west attacks { October 14 2002 }
High tech hunt for binladen 24 hours day
Hunting for binladen
In good health
Intelligence narrowing binladens whereabouts
Intercepted paper note
Islamic web site stirs confusion about bin laden death { April 29 2005 }
Laden arrest claims false says pentagon { February 29 2004 }
Linked to bali { October 20 2002 }
Made stocks fall
May 2005 pakistan foreign minister said binladen alive { September 11 2001 }
Musharraf almost caught binladen he says
New bin laden tape like political leader
New bin laden tape supports pakestinians { May 16 2008 }
New fake bin laden tape has fake beard
New fake bin laden tape praises noam chomsky
New urgency binladen hunt { March 11 2003 }
New videos
No air pretend video
No fake bin laden messages for 10 months
Now thought alive { November 14 2002 }
Nytimes mystery { September 30 2002 }
Obama says osama should be brought to trial { June 18 2008 }
Oct 2003 new audio tape { October 19 2003 }
Officials frustrated in 911 hunt { July 12 2007 }
On border
Osama tape rips saddam after capture
Pakistan denies bin laden deal
Pakistan denies progress osama hunt
Pakistani troops pull back from binladen hunt { December 5 2004 }
Praises bali attack { October 14 2002 }
Purported bin laden iraq tape blames companies
Reward for binladen doubles { March 19 2004 }
Search for binladen intensifies
Search for binladen { March 7 2003 }
Spy satellite call { October 6 2002 }
Swiss binladen tape faked { November 29 2002 }
Taliban chief hasnt seen bin laden since 2001
Tape to come
Top deputy tape
Uk italy reject purported binladen truce
Urges suicide attacks { February 11 2003 }
Voice threats { October 6 2002 }
Weak attempt in bin laden hunt

Files Listed: 97



Correction/submissions

CIA FOIA Archive

National Security
Archives
Support one-state solution for Israel and Palestine Tea Party bumper stickers JFK for Dummies, The Assassination made simple