Taliban closing only office in United States

In this story: Pressure on Taliban to hand over bin Laden Taliban orders U.N. office in Kabul closed U.N. asks United States to reconsider order RELATED STORIES, SITES

From Liz Neisloss, Ronni Berke and Elise Labott
CNN Producers

UNITED NATIONS (CNN) -- Afghanistan's Taliban rulers closed their only office in the United States on Wednesday, but may keep workers in the country to work with United Nations officials.

In a retaliatory move the Taliban ordered U.N. political offices in Kabul, the Afghan capital, shut down, an action sharply criticized by the United States as shortsighted.

A spokesman for the Taliban in New York said they received a letter from the State Department on Tuesday requesting the office be closed, in compliance with a U.N. resolution calling for the closing of all Taliban offices abroad.

Abdul Hakeem Mujahid, the Taliban's U.N. representative, was informed of the decision last week during a meeting with U.S. officials, the State Department said.

However, U.N. spokesman Fred Eckhard seemed optimistic that some sort of compromise could be worked out. He told reporters "something is developing... we will let you know." Eckhard was commenting on efforts by senior U.N. officials working on the Taleban office and other Afghanistan issues.

Sanctions against the Taleban have been in place since October 1999. In an effort to force the handover of suspected terrorist Osama bin Laden, who is believed to be living in Afghanistan, the U.N. Security Council tightened sanctions in December and called for the closing of Taleban offices.

Though they control the majority of Afghan territory, the Taleban are not recognized by the United Nations as the official government. The world body does, however, conduct frequent discussions with the Taleban on humanitarian and political issues.

"We said that's fine," said Taliban spokesman Noorullah Zadran. "There's not much to discuss in that."

State Department Spokesman Richard Boucher said the Taliban called Washington on Tuesday to inform U.S. officials about the closure of the office.

"We'll be following up on this to confirm it and make sure that the office remains closed," Boucher said.

Pressure on Taliban to hand over bin Laden

The Taliban is not recognized by the United Nations or most nations as the government of Afghanistan, although it occupies most of the country. Recognition is still given to the former government of President Burhanuddin Rabbani, which controls a swath of territory in the north and represents the Northern Alliance.

The United Nations does, however, conduct frequent discussions with the Taliban on humanitarian and political issues.

In an effort to force the handover of Osama bin Laden, the U.N. Security Council tightened sanctions in December and called for the closing of Taliban offices.

U.S. law enforcement officials have linked bin Laden to the 1998 bombings of the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which killed 234 people. The United States also suspects bin Laden is linked to the October 12 bombing of the USS Cole in Yemen. Seventeen sailors died in the bombing.

Taliban orders U.N. office in Kabul closed

The Taliban government Wednesday told the U.N. to close its political office in Kabul as soon as possible.

A U.N. official told CNN Wednesday that the U.N. office in Kabul had received a memorandum from the Taliban Foreign Ministry saying that "In case the office of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in New York is closed, no need would be felt for the UNSMA office in Kabul."

The UNSMA is the United Nations Special Mission to Afghanistan, where two staff workers handle political matters only -- primarily the mediation between the two warring parties in Afghanistan.

The U.N. official said UNSMA staff members were packing up the office in Kabul. The U.N. has about 40 other international workers in Afghanistan, but they are primarily charged with humanitarian affairs.

Boucher called the move "inappropriate and shortsighted."

"The United Nations has a very vital role to play in trying to bring about an end to more than 20 years of fighting in Afghanistan and this office helps support the political process that will establish a broad-based government and help contribute to the environment necessary for the humanitarian relief that goes on there," he said.

Zadran warned that the State Department had not considered the consequences of closing the Taliban office in the United States, which would create problems for anyone needing a visa.

"They believe the Rabbani government will take care of it," he said, "Anyone with Rabbani passports will be prosecuted and put in jail."

On Wednesday, the Taliban in New York were packing up their office space, based in an apartment building in Queens, New York.

"We're just trying to wrap up," Zadran said, "electric, gas, rent, phone bills."

U.N. asks United States to reconsider order

Fancec Vendrell, U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy for Afghanistan, came to Washington Tuesday asking the United States to reconsider the decision.

Boucher said the State Department would "take into account" Vendrell's views about the need for a continued Taliban presence in the United States, but the office would remain closed.

State Department officials acknowledged that the resolutions do not call for the expulsion of Taliban members from the United States.

"We told them the office has to be closed," a State Department official told CNN. "We haven't told them they have to leave the country."

Boucher said Mujahid and Zadran's visa status in the United States and the decision whether or not they would be permitted to stay in the country "remains to be looked at."

When asked whether the U.N. would continue to push Washington to allow some sort Taliban office in the United States, a U.N. official said, "Our intention is to continue whatever channels of communication with the Taliban, which are mutually beneficial."

The Taliban say they are currently discussing with the United Nations the possibility of office space at the U.N. in New York. Zadran said, "Certainly we cannot operate here in the U.S. We'll see what we can do in relation to the U.N."

U.S. receives letter from Afghanistan's Taliban
February 8, 2001
U.S. sends supplies to Afghan refugees
February 7, 2001
Official: China won't stand in way of U.N. resolution on Taliban
December 5, 2000
U.S., Russia seeks arms embargo against Afghanistan's Taliban
November 29, 2000

United Nations
  •  Security Council
U.S. State Department
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Taleban

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window

External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.