Qatar TV Station Claims Osama Bin Laden And Mullah Omar Are In Secure Place

Osama bin Laden, head of the al-Qaeda organisation, and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar "are in a secure place under the protection of mujaheddin," while the bulk of the Taliban are retreating to the mountains to start a guerilla war from there, Abdul Aziz Khan Khalaji, a representative of the pro-Taliban association Ulemas of Islam, told the Qatar al-Jazeera TV station in the Pakistani town of Quetta. Acording to him, the decision to withdraw the Taliban forces was adopted by the Taliban leaders "to provide against new victims among civilians and a continuation of US bombings." He added that the Taliban did not need any reinforcements or volunteers since they had all they needed. In the meantime, Muhiddin Mehti, the advisor-envoy of the Afghan embassy in Tajikistan told RIA Novosti on Wednesday that Mullah Omar was not in Afghanistan. "According to the information we have," the Afghan diplomat said, "he and Osama bin Laden are hiding in Pakistan."