AFGHANISTAN: BIN LADEN REPORTEDLY IN JALALABAD

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 008679


DEPT FOR SA/PAB, S/CT, AND EUR/CEN; USIA FOR NEA; LONDON
FOR POL - TUELLER; PARIS FOR POL - RAVELING; ROME FOR
POL - NDEMPSEY

E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/14/96
TAGS: PTER, PGOV, MOPS, KISL, AF
SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: BIN LADEN REPORTEDLY IN JALALABAD

1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY POLITICAL COUNSELOR TOM PRICE.
REASON: 1.5 (D).

2. (C) SUMMARY: AN AFGHAN BUSINESSMAN WITH CLOSE TIES
TO THE TALIBAN TOLD POLOFF AND THE ASSISTANT ARMY
ATTACHE THAT SAUDI FINANCIER BIN LADEN IS "UNDER TALIBAN
CONTROL" IN JALALABAD. THE AFGHAN CHARGE IN ISLAMABAD
SAID THAT BIN LADEN'S WHEREABOUTS ARE UNKNOWN, ALTHOUGH
HE "COULD BE RECEIVING SHELTER SOMEWHERE IN
AFGHANISTAN." END SUMMARY.

3. (C) ABDUL BAQI, AN AFGHAN BUSINESSMAN WITH CLOSE
TIES TO THE TALIBAN, TOLD POLOFF AND THE ASSISTANT ARMY
ATTACHE (AARMA) ON OCTOBER 11 THAT FUGITIVE SAUDI
FINANCIER OSAMA BIN LADEN IS IN JALALABAD "UNDER TALIBAN
CONTROL." BAQI SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD THIS FROM A
TALIBAN SOURCE IN JALALABAD "TEN DAYS AGO" WHO HAD
"PERSONALLY" SEEN BIN LADEN. BAQI ADDED THAT BIN LADEN
IS BEING "SHELTERED" IN COMMANDER YUNIS KHALIS' COMPOUND
IN JALALABAD. KHALIS IS ALSO PROVIDING SHELTER TO A
NUMBER OF OTHER "ARABS," ACCORDING TO BAQI. ASKED IF HE
THOUGHT THAT BIN LADEN WAS STILL IN JALALABAD, BAQI SAID
THAT HE FELT THAT HE STILL IS.

4. (C) BAQI STRESSED THAT THE TALIBAN ARE "NOT AT ALL
FRIENDLY" TOWARD BIN LADEN AND THE OTHER "ARABS." HE
ASSERTED THAT BIN LADEN WAS NOT "FREE TO COME AND GO AS
HE PLEASED" AND THAT THE TALIBAN WOULD NOT "ALLOW HIM TO
PLAN TERRORIST ATTACKS" WHILE HE IS UNDER THEIR
CONTROL. BAQI NOTED THAT THE TALIBAN HAVE NOT DECIDED
WHAT TO DO WITH BIN LADEN AND THE OTHER "ARABS."

5. (C) IN A CONVERSATION WITH POLOFF AND AARMA ON
OCTOBER 13, AFGHAN CHARGE ABDUL WAHAB AVERRED THAT HE IS
"UNAWARE OF THE WHEREABOUTS OF BIN LADEN, ALTHOUGH HE
COULD BE RECEIVING SHELTER SOMEWHERE IN AFGHANISTAN."
WAHAB, WHO IS A MEMBER OF KHALIS' POLITICAL PARTY,
HIZB-I-ISLAMI (KHALIS),ADDED THAT IT IS "PART OF AFGHAN
CUSTOM TO OFFER HOSPITALITY AND REFUGE TO STRANGERS, BUT
TERRORIST ACTIVITIES WOULD NOT BE TOLERATED BY THE
TALIBAN." ASKED ABOUT THE WHEREABOUTS OF YUNIS KHALIS,
WAHAB SAID THAT HE IS AT HIS HOME IN JALALABAD.

6. (C) BOTH POLOFF AND AARMA TOLD WAHAB TO URGE THE
TALIBAN NOT TO PROVIDE ANY FORM OF "SAFE HAVEN" TO
TERRORISTS. IN ADDITION, POLOFF AND AARMA EMPHASIZED
THAT IT IS IMPORTANT THAT THE TALIBAN TELL OSAMA BIN
LADEN THAT HIS PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN IS NOT WANTED.

7. (C) COMMENT: WE CANNOT VERIFY BAQI'S ASSERTION THAT
BIN LADEN IS IN JALALABAD. HOWEVER, IT SEEMS POSSIBLE
THAT BIN LADEN AND OTHER ARABS WERE SWEPT UP IN THE
CONFUSION CAUSED BY THE RAPID TALIBAN ADVANCE LAST
MONTH, AND ARE NOW IN AREAS CONTROLLED BY THE TALIBAN.


SIMONS