AFGHANISTAN: SAUDI POLCOUNS SAYS THEY STILL

C O N F I D E N T I A L STATE 083213 LONDON FOR TUELLER, PARIS FOR RAVELING E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/30/07 TAGS: PTER PGOV SA AF SUBJECT: AFGHANISTAN: SAUDI POLCOUNS SAYS THEY STILL WANT BIN LADEN ROME FOR DEMPSEY, MBABANE FOR DCM ¶1. (U) CLASSIFIED BY ROBIN L. RAPHEL, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIAN AFFAIRS, DEPARTMENT OF STATE. REASON 1.5(D). ¶2. (C) DURING THE COURSE OF A 4/29 TELCON, SAUDI POLITICAL COUNSELOR RAHAB MASSOUD AFFIRMED TO SA A/S RAPHEL THAT THE SAG'S FIRST PRIORITY IS TO GET THE TALIBAN TO HAND OVER TO THEM OSAMA BIN LADEN. THEIR SECOND PRIORITY IS TO KEEP BIN LADEN FROM DIRECTING OPERATIONS OR HAVING ACCESS TO THE INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND TO OTHER RADICAL ISLAMISTS. THE SAUDIS WERE GREATLY UPSET BY THE SPATE OF MEDIA INTERVIEWS AND ARTICLES THAT APPEARED WHEN BIN LADEN WAS IN THE JALALABAD AREA. THEY DISCUSSED BIN LADEN'S MEDIA ACCESS WITH THE TALIBAN. THE SAG IS HOPEFUL THAT THE TALIBAN DECISION TO MOVE BIN LADEN CLOSE TO TALIBAN HEADQUARTERS IN KANDAHAR WILL EFFECTIVELY KEEP BIN LADEN ISOLATED, AWAY FROM THE MEDIA AND UNDER TALIBAN CONTROL. ¶3. (C) RAHAB ALSO SAID THEY ARE PRESSING THE TALIBAN ON VARIOUS FRONTS -- POLITICALLY, RELIGIOUSLY AND LEGALLY -- ON THEIR DEALINGS WITH BIN LADEN. FOR EXAMPLE, THE SAUDIS HAVE SENT A DELEGATION OF RELIGIOUS EXPERTS TO DISCUSS ISLAMIC JURISPRUDENCE WITH THE TALIBAN AND, PRESUMABLY, TO OFFER THEM ISLAM-BASED JUSTIFICATIONS FOR TURNING BIN LADEN OVER TO THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT. TALBOTT