M A I N   N E W S

Osama is dead, says Taliban leader

Islamabad, December 25
International terrorist Osama bin Laden — whom the USA holds responsible for the September 11 kamikaze-style assaults on New York and Washington, has died a natural death in the Tora Bora mountains, a Taliban leader has claimed.

In an interview yesterday with the Pakistan Observer, the Taliban leader said that the Al-Qaida leader was suffering from serious lung complications and succumbed to the disease for lack of adequate treatment.

Bin Laden was buried in his last abode and his grave was levelled as per his “Wahhabi belief”, said the Taliban leader who had attended the funeral. About 30 close associates of Bin Laden, including his trusted and personal guards and his family members, attended the last rites. A fusillade of shots echoed in final tribute to the man who was inarguably the most wanted person in the world.

The Taliban leader, who saw Osama’s face before burial, said it seemed pale but calm, relaxed and confident.

On any feelings of remorse before his death, the leader said, “No, instead Osama was proud that he succeeded in his mission of igniting awareness in Muslims about hegemonistic designs and conspiracies of ‘pagans’ against Islam.” UNI

Bombing resumes in Tora Bora

Kabul, December 25
US warplanes resumed bombing in the Tora Bora region after a pause of a few days and the American and the Afghan forces continued to scour the caves and tunnels for any sign of Osama bin Laden amid fresh reports that the terrorist mastermind might have died natural death in his mountain hide-out.

In signs of resistance by some wounded Al-Qaida fighters, 10 of them refused to give up after a shoot-out with anti-Taliban forces at a hospital in Kandahar but a few others surrendered.

There were no reports of deaths or injuries in the skirmish at Mirwaiz Hospital amid conflicting reports over whether the American troops got involved.

A fresh group of 1,000 multinational peacekeepers landed at the Kandahar airport which was on a heightened state of alert after officials said they had information about a possible threat during the Christmas holiday. The day appeared to be incident free with no signs of any attack reported.

Despite the heightened state of alert, the US forces tried to recreate in Kandahar some semblance of home — and the celebrations that they were missing. In the bombed out capital, signs of Christmas made a slight reappearance with fir trees, decorated with coloured ribbon and paper chains sold in the streets in the Capital.

“Ther are a number of factors that led to this heightened state of alert, one of which is the holiday season, “ said Maj Chris Hughes, a marine spokesman.

Meanwhile, the four-day old Hamid Karzai government laid the foundation for the creation of a new volunteer army, ending the long practice of forcing men and boys to arms during the nation’s decades of war.

According to top Afghan commander Atta Mohammad, the new national army will comprise troops would be volunteers.

“After the establishment of the interim administration a new chapter has been opened in our history. So we must have a new army as well,” said Mr Atta.

Meanwhile, US President George W. Bush telephoned the troops today and he told families of the more than 3,000 persons killed on September 11: “America grieves with you’’.

The threat Al-Qaida network may still be operational has the world on edge, with holiday travellers having to get used to having even their footwear screened at airports after a man tried to blow up an American Airlines flight with explosives hidden in his shoes.

Investigators in the USA and Europe were checking his identity and whether he had links to Laden as well as reviewing how he managed to board Saturday’s Miami flight in Paris with wires sticking out of his shoes.

Meanwhile, Mr Karzai, sworn in on Saturday under the terms of a UN peace deal, met tribal elders in Kabul in an effort to overcome ethnic tensions. PTI, Reuters