AFGHANISTAN: WHEREABOUTS OF EXTREMIST SUPPORTER OSAMA BIN LADEN

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 183372



E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/03/06

TAGS: PTER, PREL, SA, AF

SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: WHEREABOUTS OF EXTREMIST SUPPORTER

OSAMA BIN LADEN



ROME FOR STORELLA, LONDON FOR TUELLER, PARIS FOR RAVELING,

NAIROBI FOR AMB. CARNEY



1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY LEE 0. COLDREN, DIRECTOR, SA/PAB,

DEPARTMENT OF STATE. REASON: 1.5(D).



2. (C) SUMMARY: OSAMA BIN LADEN ASKED THE NANGARHAR SHURA

FOR PERMISSION TO REMAIN IN THE EASTERN PROVINCES OF

AFGHANISTAN, ACCORDING TO AN EASTERN SHURA OFFICIAL

VISITING THE U.S. AFTER DELIBERATIONS IN LATE JULY-EARLY

AUGUST, THE SHURA DECIDED THAT BIN LADEN WOULD NOT BE

ALLOWED TO LIVE IN OR WORK IN TERRITORY UNDER ITS CONTROL.

BIN LADEN THEN LEFT FOR KABUL WHERE HE REPORTEDLY STILL

REMAINS. END SUMMARY.



3. (C) NANGARHAR PROVINCIAL MINISTER OF DISABLED PERSONS

AND ORPHANS COMMANDER ABDUL SADAQAT TOLD AFGHAN DESKOFF

CHEW ON AUGUST 26 IN SAN FRANCISCO THAT OFFICIALS IN THE

NANGARHAR SHURA OPPOSED TERRORISM AND THE USE OF AFGHAN

TERRITORY FOR PURPOSES OF TERRORISM. AS AN ILLUSTRATION,

HE SAID, AN ARAB HAD CAME TO NANGARHAR IN LATE JULY WITH

EXPLOSIVES. HE SAID THAT THE ARAB WAS LOOKING FOR SUPPORT

AMONG AFGHANS FOR HIS INTENDED TERRORIST ACTIVITIES.

HOWEVER, HE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY SUPPORT. SUBSEQUENTLY, THE

ARAB WAS KILLED, APPARENTLY BY ONE OF HIS OWN BOMBS.



4. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT REPORTS THAT OSAMA BIN LADEN HAD

MOVED TO AFGHANISTAN, COMMANDER SADAQAT CONFIRMED BIN

LADEN'S PRESENCE. SADAQAT SAID THAT BIN LADEN HAD SENT A

REPRESENTATIVE TO JALALABAD TO ASK THE NANGARHAR SHURA

(COUNCIL) FOR SAFEHAVEN FOR BIN LADEN. THE COUNCIL MET IN

LATE JULY-EARLY AUGUST; IT DECIDED THAT BIN LADEN WOULD NOT

BE ALLOWED TO WORK OR LIVE IN THEIR TERRITORY. SADAQAT

SAID THAT HE HAD HEARD THAT BIN LADEN THEN WENT TO KABUL

WHERE HE REMAINS. (COMMENT: BIN LADEN HAS HAD A LONG

RELATIONSHIP WITH NOW PRIME MINISTER HEKMATYAR. END

COMMENT.)



5. (C) WHEN ASKED ABOUT BIN LADEN'S ARAB FOLLOWERS, SADAQAT

SAID THAT THEY WERE NOT IN NANGARHAR, BUT IN SAROBI

(HEKMATYAR'S STRONGHOLD). HE SAID NANGARHAR OFFICIALS WILL

NOT ALLOW "THESE PEOPLE" TO LIVE IN THE EASTERN PROVINCES.

SADAQAT SAID THAT AFGHANS WERE ALREADY LIVING IN AN

"EMERGENCY SITUATION" AND DID NOT NEED MORE PROBLEMS. HE

RECOUNTED A RUMOR THAT SOME ARABS HAD MOVED TO PAGHMAN IN

ORDER TO BE NEARER THE KABUL AUTHORITIES, HELP THEM WITH

FOOD SUPPLIES, AND OTHERWISE EASE THEIR BURDEN. (COMMENT:

KABUL HAS BEEN UNDER SEIGE BY THE TALL BAN SINCE LAST

OCTOBER. JUST TWO DAYS AGO, THE ROAD TO MAIDAN SHAHR WAS

CUT DUE TO FIGHTING BETWEEN PRO-KABUL TROOPS AND THE

TALIBAN. THE ROAD IS A MAJOR ARTERY FOR FOODSTUFFS, FUEL,

LIVESTOCK AND OTHER NECESSITIES REACHING KABUL. END

COMMENT.)



6. (C) BIO NOTE: COMMANDER SAYED HOSSEINI ABDUL SADAQAT

IS CONFINED TO A WHEELCHAIR, PARALYZED FROM A BULLET WOUND

DURING THE SOVIET OCCUPATION. HE IS A RESPECTED TRIBAL

LEADER AND MEMBER OF THE 18-MAN BLACK MOUNTAIN COUNCIL. HE

IS ALSO A MEMBER OF KHALIS'S HEZB-I-ISLAMI FACTION.

AVOWEDLY PRO-U.S., HE HAS MADE HIS FIRST TRIP TO THE U.S.

TO ACCOMPANY THE AFGHAN AND PAKISTANI PARALYMPICS ATHLETES

TO EVENTS IN ATLANTA AND SAN FRANCISCO. WE BELIEVE HIM TO

BE A CREDIBLE SOURCE. HE DOES NOT SPEAK ENGLISH.





TALBOTT