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RE: State Department giving advance warnings of U.S. cruise missile attack on suspected terrorist bases in Afghanistan:

CNN MONEYLINE NEWS HOUR WITH LOU DOBBS August 20, 1998; Thursday 6:30 pm Eastern Time
DOBBS:
Today's attack was also based in part on information provided by Mohammed Saddiq Odeh. Odeh is a suspect in the Kenyan bombing. He was captured in Pakistan while trying to win entry into Afghanistan. Odeh told Pakistani officials he was involved in the embassy bombings, and was affiliated with Osama bin Laden.
Journalist Kasra Naji is in Pakistan and joins me now by phone from Islamabad -- Kasra.
KASRA NAJI, JOURNALIST (by telephone): Yes, Lou, from inside Afghanistan, early reactions from the Taliban have given sanctuary to Osama bin Laden are angry and defiant in a sense, and early indications are, in fact, that the man may have escaped unhurt. Mullah Mohammed Omar, the spiritual leader of the Taliban is reported to have strongly condemned the U.S. bombings and speaking from Qandahar, the southern Afghan city of Qandahar where he is based he spoke to an Afghan news agency. He said that Osama bin Laden had in fact been moved to a safe place before the bombings and that he was unhurt. Omar, who is the top leader of the Taliban, also said the U.S. bombings were not aimed at Osama bin Laden rather they were directed at Afghan people and they showed amnity towards the people of Afghanistan.
He definitely added that the Taliban would never hand over bin Laden. He says we will protect him with our blood at any cost -- he is reported to have said. So a defiant reaction from him, the top leader of the Taliban. The attacks came at about 10:00 local time in the evening, and when most of Afghanistan controlled by the Taliban is under curfew, it is -- I think it's about 4:30 in the morning local time in Afghanistan, and I think it is too early to get any good indication of, you know, the extent of the damage to the base. And you know, what has actually happened. But also, let me add that the attacks did not come as a complete surprise, because for days both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, people expected such an attack in a sense because -- and on Wednesday, when the State Department issued a statement calling on international aid agencies to pull out their international staff because of a serious threat to them, these rumors, the rumors that the United States would attack gained strength.
DOBBS: Kasra, I have to interrupt you. Thank you and I appreciate you continuing to follow that story and of course tomorrow at daylight we will have better assessments from you. Kasra Naji, from Islamabad, thank you very much.
You have just heard the statement -- the report from Pakistan that Osama bin Laden is safe. His voice has been heard and the head of your organization, Islamic Taliban says they will hold him onto themselves until death.