[Because private property engenders classified information to defeat economic competitors through secrecy and because capitalist governments pick up on the bad habits of capitalist business, the CIA and National Security Agency, the Israeli Mossad etc. operate in secret. In addition, ordinary bourgeois diplomats work in secret. For this reason, until the day of communism, all people must harbor some distrust of government and MIM continues to have doubts about whether the public really knows who organized the September 11th events and why. The following article is not by MIM, but again, it raises considerable doubts about basic factual points in a world of lying politicians, diplomats and spies. Politicians need to give the public simple and seemingly innocent explanations, but what is happening behind-the- scenes, we don't know--International Minister, MIM.] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- The Taliban Agreed To Extradite Osama Bin Laden To Another Country ARROW Anti-War Briefing 5 (8 October 2001) In the aftermath of 11 September, we now have a 'smoking gun'. But it is not evidence of Osama bin Laden's guilt in relation to the atrocities of 11 September. It is evidence of Government lies about the basis for the current war against Afghanistan. This is an unnecessary war. According to the Prime Minister, it is impossible by any nonviolent means to secure the extradition from Afghanistan of the terrorist leader Osama bin Laden who the British Government holds responsible for the 11 September atrocities. This is why force has to be used to destroy bin Laden's infrastructure in Afghanistan, and to retaliate against the Taliban regime which harbours him. But this argument is completely undermined by a report in the Daily Telegraph, which appeared on the day Tony Blair set out the Government's 'evidence' in Parliament. There are three main questions in this war: What is the evidence against bin Laden? If he is guilty, are there nonviolent methods of securing him for trial? Is the force being used by the Government legal? On the first point, the 70 point dossier produced by the Government has been described by the Independent on Sunday as little more than 'conjecture, supposition and assertions of fact' (7 Oct., p. 7; see briefing 6 for more details). On the third point, it is clear this is neither a war of self-defence nor an authorised use of force. On the matter of extradition, the subject of this briefing, the Daily Telegraph has reported that not only is bin Laden's extradition from Afghanistan possible in theory, an agreement to extradite has actually been reached in fact. THE TALIBAN - AND BIN LADEN - AGREE EXTRADITION This new evidence came to light on Thurs. 4 Oct., just as the Prime Minister was setting out his case in Parliament. The Daily Telegraph reported an extraordinary story under the heading 'Pakistan halts secret plan for bin Laden trial'. (p. 9) According to this report, leaders of two Pakistani Islamic parties, the Jamaat-i-Islami and the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam, negotiated bin Laden's extradition to Pakistan to stand trial for the 11 September attacks. Bin Laden would be held under house arrest in Peshawar. The first stage of the negotiations was carried out in Islamabad on Sat. 29 Sept., in Pakistan, when Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, the Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan, met with Qazi Hussain Ahmad, leader of the Jamaat-i- Islami, and Hamid Gul, former director of Pakistan's inter-service intelligence agency. The final stage of the negotiations was in Kandahar, on Mon. 1 Oct., when Qazi, and Maaulana Fazlur Rahman, head of the Jamaat Ulema-e-Islam, met Taliban supreme leader Mullah Omar. 'The proposal, which had bin Laden's approval, was that within the framework of Islamic shar'ia law evidence of his alleged involvement in the New York and Washington attacks would be placed before an international tribunal. The court would decide whether to try him on the spot or hand him over to America.' (Telegraph, 4 Oct., p. 9) The British Government says that there is no nonviolent way to secure the capture or extradition of Osama bin Laden. But the Taliban have agreed an extradition deal. Amazingly, this extradition deal is reported to have had 'bin Laden's approval'. Admittedly, the deal only guaranteed extradition to Pakistan, but given Pakistan's new role as a US ally in the so-called "war on terrorism", the transfer from Afghanistan to Pakistan should have been a welcome step in bringing bin Laden to trial. Furthermore, the report clearly states that extradition to the United States would be a real possibility under this deal. THE DEAL FAILS Why did the deal not go ahead? Despite being agreed by Mullah Omar, head of the Taliban, the extradition was vetoed by Pakistan's President Musharraf. The ostensible stumbling block 'was that he [Musharraf] could not guarantee bin Laden's safety'. (Telegraph, 4 Oct., p. 9) This is implausible. It is intriguing that, according to the Telegraph, the US Ambassador to Pakistan, Wendy Chamberlain, was notified in advance of the mission to meet Mullah Omar. A US official has been quoted as saying that 'casting the objectives too narrowly would risk a premature collapse of the international effort if by some lucky chance Mr bin Laden were captured'. (FT, 20 Sept., p. 7) Perhaps a US veto killed the deal. NO JUSTIFICATION FOR WAR This story blows an enormous hole in the Government's rationale for war. We are being told that we must go to war because the Taliban have refused point-blank to hand over bin Laden. Now we know that in fact the Taliban, far from refusing to contemplate extradition, have agreed in principle to 'hand over' bin Laden for trial in Pakistan and possibly the US. Whether or not the evidence against bin Laden is 'incontrovertible' and 'compelling', the fact of the matter is that there is a nonviolent alternative to war - and it is being rejected not by the Taliban regime, but by the British and US governments. The nonviolent alternative is to negotiate extradition. Negotiation of international conflicts is a solemn duty under Article 33 of the United Nations Charter. PREVIOUS OFFERS The Taliban's agreement on extradition is of a piece with its position all the way through this crisis. The Taliban Information Minister, Qudrutullah Jamal, said early on, 'Anyone who is responsible for this act, Osama or not, we will not side with him. We told [the Pakistan delegation] to give us proof that he did it, because without that how can we give him up?' (Independent, 19 Sept., p. 1) Three days later, Taliban Ambassador Zaeef said, 'We are not ready to hand over Osama bin Laden WITHOUT EVIDENCE' (emphasis added, Times, 22 Sept., p. 1). When US Secretary of State Colin Powell promised to publish a US dossier of evidence against bin Laden (an offer subsequently withdrawn), Ambassador Zaeef responded positively. 'The ambassador said it was "good news" that the US intended to produce its evidence against Mr bin Laden. This could help to solve the issue "otherwise than fighting".' (Independent, 25 Sept., p. 3) On Sun. 30 Sept, the Taliban made another offer which was completely distorted and misrepresented by the Government and the media. The Taliban Ambassador to Pakistan said - in a quotation that appeared only in one newspaper, the Independent, and incompletely even there - 'We say if they change and talk to us, and if they present evidence, we will respect their negotiations and that might change things.' ('Bin Laden "hidden by Taleban", BBC News Online, 30 Sept.) The Independent's front-page opened with the statement that the Taliban 'gave no indication they were prepared to hand him over.' This was flatly contradicted by the quotation eight paragraphs later of Mullah Zaeef, Taliban Ambassador: 'We are thinking of negotiation. [If direct evidence of bin Laden's involvement were produced] it might change things.' (Independent, 1 Oct., p.1) Daniel Lak of the BBC commented that it was 'unlikely' that Mullah Zaeef was simply saying that bin Laden was under Taliban protection and 'the Americans can do their worst': 'The ambassador did ask the Americans, and it almost seems in a pleading tone, to start talks with the Taleban "because this might produce a good result"' ('Analysis: Decoding Taleban's message', BBC News Online, 30 Sept., 15:52 GMT) MEDIA DISTORTION The most recent reported Taliban offer was noted in the Observer, but in a typically distorted fashion: 'Although most recent statements by Mullah Omar have been stridently defiant, there have been hints in recent days that the relentless diplomatic and military pressure on the Taliban is beginning to tell. On Friday [5 Oct.], senior [Taliban] officials offered to put Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect for the 11 September attacks in America, on trial in an Islamic court if given sufficient evidence.' (Observer, 7 Oct., p. 2) In fact, of course, such offers have been made throughout. In the same issue, it is claimed that whenever Mullah Omar 'detected any possible weakness in the statements of his envoys in Pakistan or elsewhere he was swift to countermand them. There would be no surrender'. (p. 17) In the real world, Mullah Omar had made his position clear earlier (in the Guardian - the Observer's stable mate): 'We have told America that if it has any evidence, give it to the Afghan supreme court, or let the clerics from any three Islamic countries decide his case, or he could be placed under the observation of the organisation of the Islamic conference [representing 52 countries]. But these offers have all been rejected.' (21 Sept., p. 4) The Taliban regime has not 'refused to hand over bin Laden'. Up until 1 Oct., the Taliban refused to to 'hand over Osama bin Laden WITHOUT EVIDENCE' (Mullah Zaeef, Times, 22 Sept., p. 1, emphasis added). On 1 Oct., they agreed to bin Laden's extradition to Pakistan without evidence of his guilt. The US has consistently brushed aside such diplomatic feelers. Ari Fleischer, White House spokesperson has said repeatedly, that there will be 'no negotiations, no discussions' with the Taliban. (Telegraph, 22 Sept, p. 1) MEDIA PROPAGANDA President Bush says 'I gave them a fair chance'. (Times, 8 Oct., p. 2) The reality is that he has rejected negotiations and nonviolent alternatives to war. Extradition from Afghanistan was possible, and may still be possible if the war is ended. The media have effectively suppressed evidence of the Taliban's offers, and have distorted the Taliban's position - thereby making war seem natural and inevitable. It is neither. Public pressure can help to force the media into more honest reporting, and help end this illegal and unnecessary war. RESTRAINT 'What we need less of is war rhetoric and war against Afghanistan in particular, and to explore the possibility of a judicial solution. In the short term, the first priority should be to hunt down and arrest the criminals with the goal of achieving justice, not revenge. This is a task left not to the military but to investigative police forces, who can prepare for a trial.' 'The last thing I wanted was for more widows and fatherless children to be created in my name. It would only produce a backlash. As the victim of violence, I'd never want this to happen to another woman again.' Professor Robin Therkauf is a lecturer in the political science department at Yale University. She lost her husband Tom in the World Trade Centre on 11 September. (Quotes taken from Radio 4, 2 Oct., and the Friend, 28 Sept.) Incontrovertible? The "Evidence" Against Bin Laden ARROW Anti-War Briefing 6 (8 October 2001) War has started against Afghanistan - against terrorist camps, and against the Taliban regime. The British and US Governments proceeded after convincing key allies that (1) they possessed 'incontrovertible' proof that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden was responsible for the 11 September atrocities (no such proof exists, as we shall see), and (2) persuading them also that there was no nonviolent method of securing him for trial for these crimes. Despite Government/media propaganda that the Taliban 'refused to hand over bin Laden', the truth is that the Taliban have refused to 'hand over Osama bin Laden WITHOUT EVIDENCE' (Mullah Abdul Salaam Zaeef, Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Times, 22 Sept., p. 1, emphasis added). According to a report in the Telegraph, the Taliban actually agreed to extradite bin Laden to Pakistan on 1 Oct.: 'The proposal, which had bin Laden's approval, was that within the framework of Islamic shar'ia law evidence of his alleged involvement in the New York and Washington attacks would be placed before an international tribunal. The court would decide whether to try him on the spot or hand him over to America.' The deal was vetoed by President Musharraf of Pakistan. (Telegraph, 4 Oct., p. 9, see ARROW anti-war briefing 5 for more details.) This agreement makes it clear that earlier offers by the Taliban were genuine: extradition might really have been possible if credible evidence against bin Laden had been provided earlier to the Taliban regime. But President Bush 'peremptorily dismissed a request from the Taliban for proof that Mr bin Laden was behind the outrages on 11 September.' (Independent, 22 Sept., p. 1) This was the consistent US/UK position. THE DOSSIER The British and US Governments have provided an openly published dossier of 'evidence' from the British Government; a confidential briefing to NATO ambassadors (which won their support); and a confidential briefing of President Musharraf of Pakistan (which appeared to win his support). First, the famous 70 point dossier published by Tony Blair - savaged by the British broadsheet press. Bronwen Maddox, Foreign Editor of the Times, describes it as 'a puzzling and worrying piece of work' with 'so many puzzling omissions that the document begins to undermine itself.' She feels it was 'more significant for what it leaves out than for what it leaves in', with 'few clues even to the form of evidence for September 11: almost nothing on money or phone records'. It 'seems lame - to the point of advertising a deficiency - to say that a signature of an al- Qaeda attack is the absence of a warning'. (Al- Qaeda being bin Laden's 'network'.) 'There is nothing hard enough in it to convince sceptics in either London or Washington, let alone Kabul.' It is 'a political dance, not a serious attempt to preach to the unconverted', a 'paper shield' for President Musharraf of Pakistan, and the rulers of Saudi Arabia. (Times, 5 Oct., p. 8) The dossier is described by the Independent on Sunday as 'conjecture, supposition and assertions of fact', a work that 'uses every trick in the Whitehall drafter's arsenal to make the reader believe they are reading something they are not: a damning indictment of Mr bin Laden for the events of 11 September.' (7 Oct., p. 7). The dossier is 'almost worthless from a legal point of view'. (Guardian editorial, 5 Oct., p. 23) The document 'took us no further than the information already in the public domain.' (Independent, 5 Oct., Review p. 3) The Telegraph suggests there is 'powerful evidence' against bin Laden - but not in the dossier. Still-secret intelligence evidence convinces those who have seen it: 'We are happy to take it on trust'. (5 Oct., p. 29) The Telegraph does not refer to the dossier at all, a telling sign of its weakness. NINE POINTS Most of the material in the dossier does not deal with 11 September. 'Only nine of the 70 points in the document relate to the attacks on the World Trade Centre and the Pentagon'. (Robert Fisk, Independent, 5 Oct., p. 5) For Bronwen Maddox, it is 'striking', given the dossier's purpose, 'that apparently the most solid evidence refers to the 1998 attacks [on US Embassies]. There is comparatively little on September 11.' (Times, 5 Oct., p. 8) One claim is that Osama bin Laden warned his closest associates to return to Afghanistan by 10 Sept. (para 62) The Guardian pointed out that 'Dozens of men suspected of having links to bin Laden's al-Qaida network have been detained in Britain, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, and the Netherlands' and US reports say 'that four or five al-Qaida cells remain in the US and have either been detained or are under surveillance'. There have been 'no confirmed cases so far of known al- Qaida members being ordered back to Afghanistan on the eve of the attack.' (5 Oct., p. 5) The Independent on Sunday concluded that 'if there was advice to go to Afghanistan, presumably [these agents] ignored it or did not receive it.' (7 Oct., p. 7, emph. added) The evidence indicates no such recall was issued. ASSOCIATES AND RIVAL GROUPS The dossier alleges that three of the hijackers were 'associates of al- Qaeda'. (para 61) Senior British lawyer Anthony Scrivener QC is troubled by the word "associate": it 'gives the impression that they are not members of that organisation and I would certainly wish to examine the evidence to see what associates really means.' (Times, 5 Oct., p. 7) The Independent on Sunday comments that the word "associate" 'suggests the authorities lack intelligence on al-Qa'ida: they think they know who may be involved but they are not sure, and they are not certain where they come in the pecking order - hence the catch-all "associate".' (7 Oct., p. 7) Anthony Scrivener QC also seized on another crucial weakness of the dossier: the claim that 'No other organisation has both the motivation and the capability to carry out attacks like those of September 11'. (para 69) For Scrivener, 'the main problem' with the dossier is the fact that 'there are other terrorist groups who share the same hatred of the Americans who might have carried out this atrocity. (Times, 5 Oct., p. 7) The Times pointed out that the dossier did not mention the 1994 attempt by the 'Armed Islamic Group' of Algeria 'to crash a hijacked plane into the Eiffel Tower': 'Intelligence experts are sceptical' about the claim that no other group has the motivation and capability to carry out such attacks. (Times, 5 Oct., p. 4) LEGAL OPINIONS Richard Gordon QC said that bin Laden's alleged prior record (as set out in the dossier) 'shows, in the language of the lawyers, propensity, but it proves little.' (Independent on Sunday, 7 Oct., p. 7) Nick Blake QC, of human rights lawyers Matrix Chambers, said the evidence in the dossier could feasibly support charges of incitement to murder; there were 'debatable' grounds for a a charge of conspiracy to murder; but it would need 'more concrete evidence to obtain an indictment for murder against bin Laden': 'Nothing in the disclosed material shows actual participation in the murders as opposed to giving approval to terrorist attacks.' (Telegraph, 5 Oct., p. 6) Anthony Scrivener QC said, 'it is a sobering thought that better evidence is required to prosecute a shoplifter than is needed to commence a world war'. (Times, 5 Oct., p. 7) NATO NATO ambassadors were subjected to a 40 minute oral presentation by US State Department counter- terrorism envoy Frank Taylor, which led Lord Robertson to declare the evidence against bin Laden 'incontrovertible.' However, the secretary- general of the alliance was contradicted by NATO diplomats who said (anonymously) 'that the US presentations could not show, beyond doubt, real factual hard evidence, apart from the names of several of the hijackers, details of where they had studied, and their backgrounds.' (FT, 5 Oct., p. 6) Not much incontrovertible secret intelligence material there. PAKISTAN For the Times, 'Nothing could more powerfully validate the proof' that Osama bin Laden is guilty 'than the acceptance by Pakistan that there were sufficient grounds for indictment in a court of law'. '[N]o country has greater reason for wanting to claim that the evidence is still ambiguous.' (5 Oct., p. 23) Unfortunately for the Times, this is precisely the Pakistani position: President Musharraf has said, 'I personally and my government feel that there is evidence which is leading to an association between the terror acts and Osama bin Laden.' (FT, 6 Oct., p. 7) Merely 'leading to an association'! Earlier a Pakistani Foreign Ministry official had indeed said that there were grounds for an indictment, but Mohammed Riaz Khan pointed out that information provided to Pakistan 'related to both pre-September 11 incidents and also to the September 11 events'. 'Mr Khan side-stepped reporters' questions as to whether the evidence pertaining to the September 11 attacks provided clear grounds for a court indictment on their own.' (FT, 5 Oct., p. 6) UNCONVINCED The secret intelligence shown to the Pakistanis did not convince them. 'There is no evidence presented [in the dossier] that directly links bin Laden to September 11.' (Bronwen Maddox, Times, 5 Oct., p. 8) Given the distortions and omissions in the Government's dossier, there are no grounds for believing 'incontrovertible evidence' exists to support the Government's bold assertions. The British Government has launched a war which may cost tens of thousands of lives through famine with less "evidence" on display than is needed to prosecute a shoplifter. PLEASE SUPPORT ARROW (Active Resistance to the Roots of War) We are trying to make and distribute as many briefings as we can. Please help with the cost of printing and distributing these briefings by sending cheques made out to 'ARROW' (marked 'briefings') to ARROW, c/o NVRN, 162 Holloway Rd, London N7 8DQ. More copies also available from this address or from the email list. EMAIL LIST To subscribe to the ARROW anti-war email list, please email: =================== QUORL quorl@nym.alias.net Finger address for PGP Public Key -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.3i Charset: cp850 iQEVAwUBO8OBYLlZU3IS3BDlAQGSFwgArO1aInUfV8dvV8Oal4 Fc9/ueTepc3EXo M7TIBKLnV9aIBDmx8OIIrLGlpTKH8S4VfK9+L4T9B9AbwyTiCV 3m+KQV4Iiec8P3 HP743OA+NK1JPv1KxJ3VdpQBSoRRcf6zTOYVsQUkgjY3QQjQfm iY2Zxb/ErUUG2q NV4CGX8Kvxi0z7SoaYkzVN1EqLLWjuZESElDQPnxS7LVS3OUa+ ZBnFY1tg1IqXZ+ kduNcttvuBnlqA631spS+zAIsxjkh7j9i8REiynFFe3mCp9i8E kEbkd2f8KG7r6e qlW8qwweo0kyqb9OfENcktrSss9ltb6VczWe2qusAcsh+g6HEm wkNg== =ED8Y -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----