White House says 'no' to Taliban demand for proof
The call to arms came Thursday night and by Friday morning the frenzy of military activity was obvious.
B-1 bombers and AWAC surveillance planes flying out, ships setting sail, special forces training, soldiers packing, leaving for the Persian Gulf.
In his speech U.S. President George W. Bush demanded Afghanistan's Taliban regime turn over Osama bin Laden and "close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist."
Instead Afghanistan is asking for proof that bin Laden was behind last week's attacks on the U.S.
At a news conference in Pakistan Friday, Afghanistan's ambassador said the United States must provide evidence linking bin Laden to the attacks on New York and the Pentagon.
Abdul Salam Zaeef added that he is sorry people died but appealed to the U.S. not to go after innocent people.
On Thursday, an influential group of Islamic clerics asked bin Laden to leave Afghanistan voluntarily, and spare the country a U.S. assault.
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Addressing a joint session of the U.S. Congress Thursday night, Bush said he holds Afghanistan's Taliban rulers responsible for harbouring bin Laden and his network.
"Deliver to United States authorities, all the leaders of al-Qaeda who hide in your land. Close immediately and permanently every terrorist training camp in Afghanistan and hand over every terrorist and every person in their support structure to appropriate authorities," Bush said.
"These demands are not open to negotiation or discussion," he added.
"The challenge the government always faces when you ask a question like that - 'Provide the proof' - is that the means of providing the proof provides valuable information to those who are the objects of any potential action," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
The questions being asked in Congress were equally tough, as it seeks to find out why there was no advance warning of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Sen. Joseph Lieberman asked the rhetorical question "Did our government do enough to protect its citizens?" The answer he said "must sadly be 'No.'"
In fact, the U.S. is now taking a new approach to intelligence gathering. It now has an agreement from China's foreign minister to share information in the fight against terrorism. Though there was clearly little agreement about the United States' use of force in China's backyard, i.e. Afghanistan.
"We did not get into any details of the military component, nor did I ask the Chinese government what their reaction might be. Nor did they suggest to me any participation," said U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell.
Canada's Foreign Minister John Manley also made the diplomatic rounds in Washington. He joined his Mexican counterpart in asking the U.S. to start relaxing border controls again.
Manley made that same point on American television, and in a meeting with Powell. Part of his message here is that Canada is ready to do whatever is necessary to help the U.S. in its war on terrorism.
So far though, Washington hasn't requested Ottawa's diplomatic or military help.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/white-house-says-no-to-taliban-demand-for-proof-1.257637
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