Afghanistan snubs Bush

Associated Press

WASHINGTON — The Pentagon committed more aircraft to the Persian Gulf and the gathering war on terrorism Friday as Afghanistan snubbed a demand from President Bush to turn over Osama bin Laden and others blamed for last week’s death and awesome destruction.

"This is not the time for negotiations or discussions," warned a Bush spokesman.

One day after Bush delivered a nationally televised message of reassurance and resolve came a freshly sobering warning about more terrorist attacks.

"Everybody knows that if you take a look at this group and Osama bin Laden, that there will be a next attack. … It’s not a matter of if, but when," said Sen. Pat Roberts, R-Kan., emerging from an FBI briefing in a secure room of the Capitol.

There were determined expressions of optimism as the nation sought to rally from 10 days of anxiety and sadness.

"We will rebuild New York. It’s our nature. It’s our spirit," said Attorney General John Ashcroft, touring the still-smoking ruins of the World Trade Center. Members of the New York Mets baseball team and their manager and coaches all agreed to donate their wages for the day to the relief effort, $450,000 in all. And a long roster of stars volunteered for a morale-boosting nationally broadcast entertainment program.

For the first time since the attacks, Bush did not speak in public, working instead in private meetings with his national security advisers, representatives of the insurance industry and others. Dozens of flag-waving White House aides sent the president off to Camp David as he boarded his helicopter at midafternoon. First lady Laura Bush gave her husband a peck on the cheek before they boarded Marine One.

Halfway around the world, Pakistan, next door to Afghanistan, stood as a prime example of the complexities behind Bush’s efforts to rally nations to the anti-terrorism banner. The president was burned in effigy during the day as thousands of Muslims protested their government’s decision to cooperate with America.

At the same time, several sources said the administration had notified Congress it was moving to ease Pakistan sanctions that had been in place for several years in an attempt to curtail weapons programs.

Afghanistan’s ambassador to Pakistan responded to Bush’s demand that bin Laden and others be turned over. If America has proof, "we are ready for the trial of Osama bin Laden in light of the evidence," said Abdul Salam Zaeef. Asked if the ruling Taliban were ready to hand him over otherwise, he said, "No," a refusal amended by his translator to say, "No, not without evidence."

To Bush’s demand, the ambassador added a warning of his own: "It has angered Muslims of the world and can plunge the whole region into a crisis."

Fleischer, responding a few hours later from the White House podium, referred reporters to the conditions Bush laid down Thursday night, "to cease their efforts to support and harbor terrorists and to turn terrorists over to the United States or other authorities, and to allow the United States access to the terrorists’ camps," he said.

Asked to detail evidence of bin Laden’s and the al-Qaida network’s alleged involvement, he refused. "They would like nothing better than to be able to hide where they are hiding and have the United States reveal what we know and how we know it," he said.

Copyright ©2001 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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