Bin Laden 'probably' alive

2003-06-06 15:44

London - Osama bin Laden is "probably" still alive but his al-Qaeda network is defeated and likely no longer present in Afghanistan, interim Afghan President Hamid Karzai said in an interview broadcast on Friday.

Karzai, who received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II on the third and final day of his official visit on Friday, said he didn't know for sure if bin Laden had been killed.

"There are signs that he's alive. There are also signs that he's not alive, now we don't know," Karzai told British Broadcasting Corp radio, referring to the al-Qaeda leader. "Sometimes we hear that he's along the Afghan border, sometimes we hear that he's in some other countries.

"I can't say (whether he's alive). Probably he is. But I can tell you one thing, that terrorism is defeated.

"The evidence is that they (al-Qaeda) are no longer in Afghanistan. The evidence is that they no longer control territory. The evidence is that they are on the run, they are hiding. A hiding person is not a victorious person," Karzai said.

However, the Afghan leader warned it was impossible to stop al-Qaeda operatives launching individual, random attacks.

"In Afghanistan they still can have a gun and come and kill common people. Do we have the capability to stop that? Does any nation have the capability to stop that? No," he said.

"But can they operate in large groups? Can they have other similar activities that would take an organized form of large people? No they cannot do that any more. That's gone."

Karzai was awarded the honorary knighthood by the queen during a ceremony at Windsor Castle west of London. He received the insignia of a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George, but as a foreign national he is not entitled to use the title 'Sir.'

During a Thursday meeting with Karzai, Prime Minister Tony Blair pledged Britain's continued commitment to the postwar reconstruction of Afghanistan.

"The prime minister stated the UK's long-standing commitment to Afghanistan, including the provision of humanitarian and reconstruction assistance and helping President Karzai's efforts to tackle the drugs trade," Blair's spokesperson said on customary condition of anonymity.

- SAPA