Global Policy Forum

By Barbara Crossette

With the Islamic Taliban movement of Afghanistan under a threat of United Nations sanctions if it does not turn over a Saudi-born militant for trial in the United States, a Clinton Administration envoy met with a Taliban representative today in New York to press for action.

The Taliban leadership has been harboring the militant, Osama bin Laden, who is wanted in connection with bombings of United States Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in August 1998. The Taliban have proposed asking an international group of Islamic scholars to look into the case and perhaps find a way to meet the American request. But they have always stopped short of actually agreeing to place Mr. bin Laden in American custody.

The American envoy, Michael A. Sheehan, the State Department's coordinator for counterterrorism, said in an interview after the talks with the Taliban representative, Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, that the United States was "always prepared to talk to them about ways in which the resolution can be implemented." But the bottom line, he said, is that Mr. bin Laden must be surrendered.

Mr. Mujahid represents the Taliban in New York. The movement controls most of Afghanistan, but it does not yet hold the country's United Nations seat because of opposition from the United States and other countries.

On Friday, the Security Council gave unexpectedly strong backing to a resolution to impose sanctions in 30 days that will freeze the Taliban's economic assets abroad and curtail international flights by the national airline, Ariana, if Mr. bin Laden and one of his chief aides are not over. American diplomats were surprised last week when two nations on the Security Council, Bahrain and Malaysia, joined in a unanimous 15-to-0 vote for sanctions.

Mr. Mujahid said in a recent interview, though, that the Taliban leaders do not have cash stored and that the sanctions would hurt only Afghan traders and other middle class citizens who use the airline.

The meeting today was between the United States and the Taliban since the resolution was proposed by the United States. Mr. Sheehan said he described the move in the Security Council as just another step to put pressure on Afghanistan. "We're going to keep putting more bricks on the pile," he said. "I told him we would welcome any way they could find that would bring bin Laden to justice," he added, responding to the Taliban's uncertain overtures.

The United States has been talking with Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, the only three nations that have diplomatic relations with the Taliban Government, a senior State Department official said today, adding that there appeared to have been some progress, including with Pakistan.

United Nations officials say that the Taliban gets their strongest sustained support from Pakistan. Other countries in the region including Iran and Tajikistan aid the remnants of the Government ousted by the Taliban.

That Government, a coalition of factions that often fought one another, came to power with American backing after the fall of the last pro-Soviet Government and continues to fight the Taliban in northeast Afghanistan. In a recent report to the Security Council, Secretary General Kofi Annan said that all outside military aid had to stop or Afghanistan's perpetual civil wars would never end.