President Bush Rejects a Taleban Call that the United States Should Negtiate on Bin Laden - 2001-09-19

White House Spokesman Ari Fleischer says it is time for action from the Taleban not a time for negotiations.

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The President has made it clear that the Taleban should not harbor terrorists. It doesn't get more complicated than that.

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Mr. Fleischer says it is time for the Afghan government to turn-over Osama Bin Laden.

Taleban authorities call that request a "pretext" to destroy them. Supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar offered to open talks with the United States to settle outstanding issues, calling on the Bush Administration to provide proof that Osama Bin Laden is behind the attacks that killed more than five-thousand people.

President Bush says Mr. Bin Laden is the prime suspect in those attacks. Asked for proof, Mr. Fleischer says the United States has plenty of reason to believe he organized the violence. He has already indicted in connection with the attacks on American embassies in East Africa and an earlier bombing of the World Trade Center.(SIGNED)