Thursday September 20 4:13 AM ET Bin Laden Urged to Leave Afghanistan

Security Council Says Surrender Bin Laden (Reuters)

KABUL, Afghanistan (news - web sites) (AP) - Islamic clerics urged terrorist suspect Osama bin Laden (news - web sites) on Thursday to leave Afghanistan voluntarily, the Taliban news agency said.

``The Ulema wants the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan to encourage Osama to leave Afghanistan, but of his own free will,'' the Bakhtar news agency said, referring to the council of hundreds of clerics which has been meeting for two days.

Afghanistan's Taliban rulers, who called the meeting of the clerics, are likely to follow its direction. But it was uncertain whether bin Laden, the key suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, would be prepared to leave Afghanistan, where he has had sanctuary since 1996.

The council also urged Muslims worldwide to declare a jihad, or holy war, against the United States if its forces attack Afghanistan, the news agency said.

``If a powerful country attacks a weak country, it is a jihad for all Muslims. When a non-Muslim country attacks a Muslim country, it also is a jihad,'' the clerics said in a statement at the close of the meeting in the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul, according to Bakhtar.

However, the clerics also urged the United States, ``please don't attack and use patience.''

On Wednesday, Mullah Mohammed Omar, the leader of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement, said it was willing to meet with U.S. officials but also accused Washington of unfairly vilifying bin Laden.

The council of clerics, which began meeting Wednesday in the Presidential Palace, moved to the hotel, another heavily damaged building in the war-shattered capital, to continue its talks Thursday.

In a speech read at the opening of the gathering on Wednesday, Omar denounced Washington's portrayal of bin Laden's alleged role in the suicide attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon (news - web sites), and its refusal to produce evidence. He called the U.S. actions an effort to harm the Taliban, according to the Afghan Islamic Press, a Pakistan-based Afghan news agency with close ties to the Taliban.

``Osama has denied his involvement. It is unfortunate that America does not listen to us and levels all sorts of charges and threatens military action,'' Omar said in the speech. ``We have held talks in ... the past with U.S. governments several times, and we are ready for more talks.''

But he said: ``If America still wants to attack us ... and to destroy the Islamic government of Afghanistan, we want to get the religious decision from you, our respected religious scholars.''

The Bush administration rejected the Taliban offer for talks.

``The president has made it clear it's time for actions, not negotiations with the Taliban,'' said White House press secretary Ari Fleischer (news - web sites).

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

Answers

4:17 AM Central time

Listening to CNN, waiting for a press conferance in about 20 minutes and thinking the 72 hours the U.S. gave to Afghanistan is almost up. The news today, should give us an idea of future events to come.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

In the dim recesses of my tattered memory, I seem to recall reading something about how the Koran says you must treat guests. I clearly remember that if a guest admires something, you must give it to him. Whether that includes daughters and wives, I don't know. Don't think so. Anyway, the other thing I remember is that while the person is under your protection as a host, you must treat him as a guest. Hence, I have a feeling the Taliban is going to say, "Hey, we asked him to leave but he won't and the Koran says we have to treat him as a guest, so there ain't nuthin' we can do. Sorry." I may, of course, be wrong.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

but we admire all that he has. will he give it to us? and how?

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

I went back to sleep and then had some things to do outside the house. I will now get caught up on the news.

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001

LOL, Mags, that's impossible! There have been so many press conferences today, the anchors were having trouble deciding who took precedence over who! Whom? Whamever!

-- Anonymous, September 20, 2001