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Osama bin Laden still in Afghanistan: Taliban

* Spokesman of the ousted regime says Al Qaeda leader is planning to launch vigorous attacks against US-led coalition in Spring

KABUL: Osama bin Laden is still in Afghanistan and is planning further attacks on American interests, a spokesman from Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime said Monday.

A man identifying himself as Taliban spokesman Mohammed Saiful Adel said Bin Laden’s presence in Afghanistan was confirmed in a leaflet distributed to Taliban leaders in the south of the country.

The statement, read to AFP by Adel via satellite phone from the south of the country, rubbishes claims by the US military that they are confident of capturing the Al Qaeda leader by the end of the year.

“The untrue and false propaganda that the Americans have spread about our leaders and authorities — that they will arrest them by the end of the year — is all nonsense,” it says. “It is part of (US President George W) Bush’s electoral game so he can win the elections that he has spread these rumours all over the world. “The leaders of the Islamic movement (Taliban) and the military commanders — and of course our special guest Osama bin Laden and (Egyptian Al Qaeda leader) Ayman al-Zawahiri — are in Afghanistan and are alive, busy planning anti-American operation plans.” The announcement did not say whether the anti-American attacks bin Laden is planning will take place on Afghan or foreign soil.

“We give you this special message from our leaders and elders to make sure you are not worried about the false propaganda and to inform you they are safe and sound and busy making plans for attacking Americans, their puppets and slaves,” it says.

Taliban forces will also launch more vigorous attacks against the 12,000-strong US-led coalition in the country in the Spring, it says. “We inform Taliban, mujahideen (holy warriors) and sympathisers of the Taliban in Afghanistan that ‘inshallah’ (god willing) in the coming Spring of 2004 attacks will be strengthened and accelerated against the Americans and the Christians and Jews in coalition with the Americans.”

The Taliban, which still has support in the Pashtun tribal areas of southern and south-eastern Afghanistan, was ousted from power in late 2001 by an American-led attack after the administration failed to surrender bin Laden in the wake of the terror attacks in the United States. Remnants of the regime launch regular attacks against US and international troops in the country as well as soft targets such as aid and reconstruction workers. —AFP

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