Taliban confirms bin Laden is missing

February 14, 1999
Web posted at: 2:51 a.m. EST (0751 GMT)

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (CNN) -- Osama bin Laden, a suspect in the bombing of two U.S. embassies in Africa, has "disappeared" from his base in Afghanistan, a Taliban militia spokesman said Saturday. Other Afghan sources said he left the country.

The Saudi-born dissident, a hero to Muslim extremists from Iraq to Kashmir, was thought to have been living in the Taliban's spiritual capital Qandahar under heavy guard.

"Yes, our guest has gone missing," Taliban spokesman Tayyab Agha said in Qandahar. "We had not told him to leave, and we do not know where he has gone to or whether he has left the country."

The report of bin Laden's departure comes days after the Taliban, which rules most of Afghanistan, took away his cellular telephone and imposed new restrictions on him.

In Washington, National Security Council spokesman P.J. Crowley said Saturday that bin Laden "belongs in custody to face justice for the murder of more than 250 innocent Americans and Africans."

U.S. officials believe bin Laden masterminded the August 1998 bombings of their embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. In two interviews last December, bin Laden urged devout Muslims to attack U.S. and British interests in retaliation for their joint assault on Iraq.

Crowley hinted that U.S. intelligence had an idea where bin Laden was. "I can't comment on what we know about his current whereabouts," he said.

There was diplomatic and media speculation that bin Laden has found sanctuary in Iraq, Sudan, Yemen, Iran or Chechnya, or gone into hiding in Afghanistan. Afghan sources speaking on condition of anonymity said it is unlikely he could remain there without Taliban officials knowing where he went.

Washington has demanded that the Taliban hand over bin Laden, who has been indicted in a U.S. court on murder charges in connection with the bombings. But the Taliban had refused. The United States has offered a $5 million reward for his capture and conviction.

While promising the exiled Saudi millionaire would not be allowed to use Afghanistan as a staging area for terrorist activities, the Taliban called bin Laden an honored guest and a friend who helped the Afghan resistance fight invading Soviet soldiers in the 1980s.

The United States fired cruise missiles at eastern Afghanistan on August 21 in an attempt to knock out suspected terrorist camps believed run by bin Laden, who was unhurt in the attack.

The United States and Britain have recently renewed their efforts to capture bin Laden. Taliban officials met U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South Asian Affairs Rick Inderfurth last week in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad and later met with British officials.

Washington has reserved the right to attack bin Laden. And there was recent speculation in Afghanistan and Pakistan that another U.S. missile attack on Afghanistan was likely.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.