US allegations against UAE, Qatar and Taliban on support of bin Laden
United Arab Emirates-Qatar-USA, Politics, 7/9/1999

The United States is "working with the UAE to continue strengthening our counter-terrorism cooperation in many areas, including terrorist money laundering," US State Department deputy spokesman James Foley said.

Foley was responding to reporters' questions about a July 8 New York Times article that cited "United States officials" as saying that the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have helped terrorists wanted by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Times article said that the United States government "quietly sent senior officials last week to one of the countries, the United Arab Emirates, to lobby for a halt to a suspected financial relationship between a Government-controlled bank and Osama bin Laden," adding that bin Laden was allowed to deal with the Dubai Islamic Bank.

Foley said, "The government of the United Arab Emirates has told us that the Dubai Emirates Government has taken steps to clean up the bank - the Dubai Islamic Bank - and to restore its reputation." Asked if that implied that there had been something "amiss" with the bank in the past, Foley said, "It does imply that, yes." He added that he could not get into the details of the issue.

He said that the UAE cooperation with the US in this area "has been sufficient," adding that the US is "pleased with the responsiveness of the UAE officials."

"We have a strong and cooperative relationship with the United Arab Emirates on a variety of national security issues. As we said at the time of the East Africa bombings, we are working hard to interrupt the flow of money to and from the Bin Laden organization that supports its terrorist network," he said.

The Times said the US is also looking into "allegations by some American officials that the Foreign Minister of Qatar told a suspected lieutenant of Ramzi Ahmed Yousef, a convicted terrorist, that an F.B.I. counterterrorism team was on its way to Qatar to arrest him." The incident happened in 1996.

Foley said, "We don't have any reason to believe that the Foreign Minister of Qatar had anything to do with what was reported in the article."

However, he added that the issue of the warning is "the subject of an ongoing investigation, and I can't comment on it - especially since it does involve intelligence matters." He said, "I believe it was an inter-agency team, recently" conducting the investigation, but did not give further details.

"Both cases highlight the difficulties of managing relations with moderate Arab states long courted by Washington, showered with aid and allowed to buy high-technology military weapons," the Times said.

The US placed economic sanctions on the Taliban this week "for allowing territory under its control in Afghanistan to be used as a safe haven and base of operations for Usama bin Ladin and the Al-Qaida organization who have committed and threaten to continue to commit acts of violence against the United States and its nationals," an Executive Order from US President Bill Clinton said.

"We believe that bin Laden is in Taliban-controlled territory in Afghanistan. Therefore, he enjoys safe haven in Afghanistan," Foley said yesterday.

"I believe the Taliban spokesman today has confirmed the fact that he is in Afghanistan and that some Taliban members know where he is," Foley said.

"We are trying to make it very clear to the Taliban, who have the ability to ensure that bin Laden is brought to justice, that they ought to do just that; to allow him to be removed from the country and placed at the disposition of judicial authorities. I believe that the Taliban has a clear choice in this instance. They can continue to harbor him, but if they do, they forego any kind of international respectability and any chance of achieving their aspirations to international respectability and legitimacy," he added.

Previous Stories:
  Bin Laden calls for killing Americans   (6/12/1999)
  US new plans to support Iraqi opposition   (6/10/1999)
  UAE, US carry out joint military exercises   (4/3/1999)
  US official arrives in Qatar   (3/16/1999)
  Washington holds Taleban responsible for Bin Laden   (3/11/1999)

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