Kabul/Islamabad, October 6
Afghans worried today about the rising price of pomegranates, almost oblivious to the US military and diplomatic net closing ever more tightly about their Taliban rulers and their guest, Osama bin Laden.

Underscoring the crisis that they face, the Taliban issued a flurry of conciliatory statements, saying their spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, had given orders to set free a British journalist who entered Afghanistan illegally — and possibly even eight aid workers accused of spreading Christianity.

Omar now leads the most isolated country in the world and has given every sign that his puritanical Taliban movement is ready to face the world’s most modern army with fighters armed with only a small, antiquated armoury rather than surrender the world’s most wanted man, the Saudi-born millionaire Bin laden.

“A few days ago, US demanded that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban) ban the Al Qaida organisation, extradite Osama bin Laden and close down his camps,’’ the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

“The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not received any evidence against Sheikh Osama bin Laden for it to examine,’’ it said, adding that a retraction of the US threats could prompt the Taliban to release the detained Christians.

“If the USA mitigates the sufferings of the common people of Afghanistan and gives up its dire threats, then the Afghan government will also take steps to release the eight detained foreigners,’’ it said.

To their north, US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld had won permission from Uzbekistan to use an airbase for troops and aircraft, although not for military strikes, and Georgia promised its bases for air strikes if the Taliban does not give in.