Afghan Clerics' Decisions Delivered to Osama: Taliban EnvoyThe decision of the Afghan Ulema (clerics) to convince Osama bin Laden to voluntarily leave Afghanistan and choose another place to live has been delivered to him, according to a report of the local News Network International (NNI) on Thursday.NNI quoted Taliban envoy in Islamabad Mulla Abdul Salam Zaeef as saying on Thursday that Taliban supreme leader Mulla Mohammad Omar had approved the Ulema Council's decision and it was delivered to Osama bin Laden himself. The Ulema Council after a two-day meeting passed a decision on September 20 to suggest that Omar convinced Osama bin Laden to voluntarily leave Afghanistan and choose another place to live. The Taliban envoy in his press conference a few days ago said Osama had been missing and the decision could not be communicated to him. The United States was quick to describe the Taliban claim as laughable. Osama had received the U1ema Council's recommendation and its endorsement by Omar, Zaeef told NNI in an exclusive interview. When asked about his earlier statement that Osama had been missing, he said, "we have not lost Osama but he is out of sight of the people." Questioned if Taliban were willing to enter into some sort of compromise on Osama to avert war, the Taliban envoy said, "'no, it has not been tradition of Muslims to compromise." |
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