Osama again denies role in attacks

[Guest guest]

Osama again denies role in attacks

 

 

 

By B. Muralidhar Reddy

 

ISLAMABAD, SEPT. 16. The Saudi dissident, Osama bin Laden,

wanted by the United States in connection with the terrorist

attacks, has once again ``categorically denied'' his involvement

even as the Taliban chief, Mullah Omar, ruled out handing him

over.

 

``I categorically say that I did not do it,'' Osama said in a

statement faxed to a Peshawar-based news agency, Afghan

Islamic Press (AIP). It is for the second time in the last five days

that he has denied involvement in the terrorist strikes.

 

The agency claimed that the hand-written statement in Arabic

was faxed to it in the morning by one Mr. Abdul Samad, who

claimed to be an aide in Osama's political office.

 

In his statement, Osama, who is in Afghanistan as the ``official

guest'' of the Taliban regime, said, ``I live in Afghanistan and

have vowed (obedience) to the Amir-ul-Momineen, (official title of

Mullah Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban regime) who

does not allow such activities.''

 

It is a mystery as to how Osama could have faxed the message

given the Taliban claim that he had been stripped of his fax,

mobile phone and other communication gadgets after he was

blamed for the bombings of U.S. missions in 1998.

 

Two days after the attacks in New York and Washington, a

section of the Pakistani media carried a statement of the Saudi

billionaire. One Urdu newspaper, Ausaf, claimed it received the

statement through one of Osama's aides who travelled by road

from Kandahar.

 

A Pakistan news agency, PPP, reported that FBI officials were

investigating about who delivered the letter to newspapers. The

report triggered a row here and questions are being asked as to

how a foreign agency could question the sources of journalists

in another country.