The Saudi government on Saturday denied reports that it has offered political asylum to Afghanistan's fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar.
"No, no! You mistunderstood! I said 'Mullah Aymar!"
A foreign ministry spokesman "denies totally the report ... according to which Saudi Arabia has offered political asylum to the Taliban leader," the state news agency SPA reported.
The German news magazine Der Spiegel, in its edition due to appear on Monday, said Saudi King Abdullah had offered asylum to Mullah Omar, quoting sources close to the Kabul government. The sources said U.S. President George W. Bush and Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai pushed for the offer as part of efforts to seal a reconciliation. It did not give further details.
Saudi Arabia hosted a meeting between pro-government Afghan officials and former Taliban officials in September and on Wednesday an Afghan government official said government representatives and former members of the Taliban were expected to meet in Saudi Arabia soon for a second round of talks.
Karzai said earlier this month that he would go to "any length" to protect Omar, who has a $10 million bounty on his head, if the Taliban leader agreed to peace talks. The Afghan president has for years pushed for peace talks with the Taliban which ruled the country before a 2001 U.S.-led invasion, as a way out of a deadly insurgency involving foreign militants, including al-Qaeda.
The Bush administration has expressed skepticism at the idea that the Taliban are ready to "renounce violence and to be productive members of the Afghanistan society," according to press secretary Dana Perino, who said last Monday that "we just don't think that that's in the cards."
The Taliban, driven from government for sheltering al-Qaeda after the September 2001 terror attacks, have said they would only agree to negotiations if international troops leave Afghanistan. |