Taliban officials greet U.N. sanctions with deance

KABUL, Afghanistan - In the chilly corridors of power, Taliban officials huddled around space heaters are as defiant as ever about the cause of Osama bin Laden, the wealthy Saudi fugitive whose alleged terrorist attacks and continued sanctuary in Afghanistan have led to new U.N. economic sanctions against the impoverished nation.

"The United States wants us to tie Osama bin Laden's hands and send him to them as a gift," said Wakil Ahmad Muttawakil, the new foreign minister of the Taliban regime. "We are ready to talk on all issues. We have offered to have him tried here, or to have other Muslim countries judge him. But how can we give them a human being as a gift, especially if his crime has not been proven?"

Muttawakil said Saturday in an interview that he expects only minor long-term impact from the U.N. sanctions, which have grounded all foreign flights by Afghanistan's only airline and frozen Taliban assets abroad since they took effect Nov. 14. He declared that Allah will protect the Afghan people from hardship at foreign hands.

"Every few years the United States looks for someone new to hate. Before it was Libya and Iraq, now it is Afghanistan's turn," he said. "But if they try to harm us, they will gain nothing. Almighty God always accepts the prayers of the innocent and defends those who are trampled upon."

But on the frozen streets of the capital, where families shiver in bread lines or spend the days collecting firewood to burn for warmth, the traditional Afghan welcome for bin Laden, a once-revered Muslim guest, seems to be wearing thin.

"It is our custom to be hospitable to guests, but we would also like Osama to leave because of all the innocent people," said Mohammad Taj, 45, a laborer waiting in line for his daily bread ration. "The people with power will support themselves, and the sanctions will only hurt the poor. America should have more mercy, but the mullahs must solve this problem with the United Nations, too."

Many Afghan people blame the United States and its allies for imposing new economic hardships on them. A week ago, buildings occupied by U.N. employees in six Afghan cities were stoned or burned by mobs, even though they provide the bulk of food and medical aid to the country.

"We are a weak country now, and America is trying to keep us that way," said Abdul Razaq, 30, a father of five who earns $4 per month as a night watchman. "This is the time they should be helping us, but instead they are aiming these cruel actions against us because of one man."

11-29-99