[Banyak agensi berita hari ini memetik kenyataan Sunday Telegraph UK bahawa Osama mengaku bertanggungjawab dalam tragedi WTC 911 'secara tidak langsung'.

Tetapi jika kita membaca temubual Sahad-Mir ini dan temubual Osama bersama majalah Ummat (KM2 6156) Osama menafikan beliau terlibat. Dalam temubual ini pula Mir menyebut serangan secara membunuh diri adalah bercanggah dengan pegangan ideologi Osama dan dia tidak berminat dengan taktik ini. Temubual ini juga mendedahkan Osama tidak mempunyai kemudahan perhubungan yang canggih untuk mengatur serangan yang rumit seperti WTC 911.

'Sebagaimana yang saya telah beritahu kepada anda, dia (Osama) telah mengirim satu kenyataan melalui seorang pengirim kepada saya menafikan beliau terlibat. Pengirim itu terpaksa mengharungi perjalanan selama 7 jam untuk tiba dari Afghanistan ke Pakistan. Ini menunjukkan dia tidak memiliki kemudahan komunikasi atau faks. Dia adalah insan yang kekeringan wang. Dia juga ketandusan sumber tenaga manusia (manpower). Saya tidak fikir dia mampu mengatur serangan WTC yang amat besar itu.' - Mir - Editor]

http://www.thenewspapertoday.com/interview/ index.phtml?INTERVIEW=INT_HAMID

The Hamid Mir Interview:

'Bin Laden's Next Target Is Not India. It's Israel'

Even as the world attention is focused on exiled Saudi billionaire Osama bin Laden, prime suspect in the devastating September 11, 2001 terror attacks on the US, TheNewspaperToday caught up with Hamid Mir, the official biographer of the elusive terrorist mastermind.

In an exclusive interview to Principal Correspondent Sahad P.V. from Islamabad, Mir, editor of the daily Ausaf, said Osama bin Laden has no grand plans for India. His next target is Israel, said Mir, drawing a fine distinction between suicide attacks by Palestinian militants and the fidayeen attacks witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir. Mir said the first time (1997) when he went to meet Laden, the latter had entertained him with many things to eat, including roasted sheep. "But when I met him last time, he could offer me only bread and tea. That shows that his position is not good. If he was not able to entertain his guests, so how could he manage a big army of volunteers in Afghanistan? I don't think he has many people. Actually the Western media and governments are projecting him as a King Kong," the Ausaf editor said, and added that bin Laden is not capable of doing what has happened in the US.

Excerpts:

Q: How closely do you know Osama Bin Laden?

A: I met Osama Bin Laden for my first interview with him in March 1997. It was published in the Islamabad and Lahore editions of Daily Ausaf. That was the first time the people of Pakistan came to know that the Taliban were resisting US efforts for the extradition of Osama bin Laden from Afghanistan. That was my first interview. My second interview with him was in May 1998. In that interview I put difficult questions to Osama bin Laden. Realising that I was a man of credibility, Laden said I should write his biography. So I signed a written agreement with him. According to that agreement, I am bound to publish the biography only after final clearance from Osama bin Laden.

After the bombing of US embassies in August 1998, my direct contact with him was discontinued because there were restrictions imposed by the Taliban. After that we did not have any contact. When the terrorist attacks took place in New York and Washington on September 11, I received a message from him through a messenger. It was his denial statement.

Q: Do you think that Osama bin Laden was involved in the recent attacks against the US?

A: As I told you, he sent a statement through a messenger denying his role. That messenger took seven hours to come from Afghanistan to Pakistan. That shows that he doesn't have communication or fax facilities. He is a person running short of money. He is also short of manpower. I think he cannot organise such a massive attack.

Q: Why do you think the Taliban are refusing to hand bin Laden over to the US, despite a lot of pressure? Why is Taliban protecting him?

A: They are protecting him, because it is a tradition of Afghanistan to protect their guests. They will not hand over their guests. If Americans give them credible evidence, then they might hand him over. But Americans haven't been able to produce credible evidence against Osama.

Pakistan may adopt a soft line, but I don't think the Taliban would budge from their stand. They would choose to die rather than hand bin Laden over to the Americans.

Q: Why do you think Pakistan is adopting a soft line towards the US?

A: Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia are silent. China is neutral. Iran is a supporter of the anti-Taliban alliance. But they (Americans) are pointing fingers at the Taliban and propagating that Pakistan is a major supporter of Taliban. In this situation, Pakistan has no other option but engage with the US.

Pakistan has said that if America produces credible evidence against the Taliban and Osama, they will try to create favourable public opinion in Pakistan. Then they will be able to support the US. Otherwise it's difficult. For instance, there was a big procession in Islamabad on Saturday where the representatives of all the parties announced that they would not support any move made against Taliban or Osama bin from the Pakistani soil.

The Taliban have also announced that if Pakistan is going to oblige the US then they have no other option but start a war against Pakistan. The situation is very complicated here. Another important thing is that the public opinion in Pakistan is not totally with the Americans. I think it's with the Taliban. But the people of Pakistan are supporting Taliban by default. It's nothing to do with ideology. You can say that enemy of the enemy is friend.

Q: How many people does bin Laden have now?

A: I do not have an exact idea. When I met him last time (1998) he was not in a good position. He was short of money. He was also short of people. The first time (1997) when I went there, he had entertained me with many things to eat, including roasted sheep. But when I met him last time, he could offer me only simple bread and tea. That shows that his position is not good. If he was not able to entertain his guests, so how could he manage a big army of volunteers in Afghanistan. I don't think he has many people. Actually the Western media and governments are projecting him as a King Kong. I don't think he is capable of doing what has happened in the US.

Q: Then who could have done that?

A: According to my hunch, a conference was held in Teheran this April in the name of Palestine. At that conference, Hizbulla, Hamas, Islamic Jehad and other jehadi groups all over the world had taken a vow to fight against Israel and America. It may be them, with some support from certain governments, who are involved in the recent attacks against America.

Q: Which governments do you think would have involved in these attacks?

A: They may be those governments who support Hamas, Hizballa and Islamic Jehad. Another reason is that suicide attacks or bombings are methods adopted by Palestinians groups. We haven't seen any suicide bombings in Afghanistan or Kashmir. Jehadis in Afghanistan or Kashmir do 'fidayee karvahi', which means they will try to come back after completing the operation. In suicide attacks, they will not come back. In Kashmir, only 'fidayee' missions are used, while suicide missions are carried out by Palestinians in Israel.

Q: You are saying that Osama bin Laden do not use suicide attack methods?

A: His ideology do not support suicide attacks.

Q: What is bin Laden's ideology?

A: It's the ideology of Islamic jehad. Suicide bombing is not to be used according to Islamic jehadi principles. Suicide is not allowed according to Islamic principles.

Q: But the West Asian groups also subscribe to Islamic jehad?

A: Yes. In fact, I had put this question to the Imam of Jerusalem's Al-Aqsa mosque when I met him in Dubai. I asked him if he approved of the suicide bombing methods adopted by Hamas and Hezbollah. He said that if he says yes to suicide attacks, then God would be angry with him. If he says no, then Hamas and Hezbollah would be angry with him.

Q: Bin Laden has said that his next target would be India? How do you think he would act against India?

A: His next target is not India. His next target is Israel. But he has said one thing. He said that he wants the differences between Taliban and the Northern Alliance first to be resolved, then he can help the Muslims in Palestine, Chechnya and Kashmir.

Q: What would be bin Laden's game plan for India?

A: This is an interesting question. When I interviewed him for the first time in 1997, then I had tried my best to get him to speak about India. He had then refused. He said he would not say anything about India as there are million of Muslims living there. His logic is this: Islam is against Jews and Christians. According to the Holy Quran, Jews and Christians cannot become your friend unless you leave your faith. But there are no such instructions against Hindus or Buddhists or other religions. So he said that he does not want to open a front against India.

However, when I met him in 1998, he said that Pakistan should not hesitate to reply to India's nuclear tests. Apart from that, he is generally silent on the issue of India.

Q: But he has grand plans for India as he has definitely been supporting terrorist groups in Kashmir?

A: No, he doesn't have any grand plan for India. He has expressed his interest to help Muslims in Kashmir.

Q: But Kashmir is part of India?

A: No, it's a disputed territory.

Q: But he has been supporting the Lashkar-e-Toiba and Harkat-ul Ansar?

A: No, he doesn't support Lashkar-e-Toiba. He has been supporting only Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (Harkat-ul-Ansar adopted this name after a US ban) and Jaish-e-Mohammad.

Q: Have you completed writing the biography of Osama bin Laden?

A: I have almost completed the biography. Now I am waiting for Osama bin Laden's approval. According to the written agreement with him, I am bound to take the final approval of Laden. There is a delay because of some communication problems.

Q: How long is the book?

A: About 300 pages.

Q: When do you expect to get the final approval?