CBS: Taliban Offers to Open Discussions to Give up bin Laden if US Halts Bombing

CBS Evening News | November 14, 2001

[be-baw]

David Martin reported tonight on The CBS Evening News that the Taliban has offered to begin discussions whereby they would turn over Usama bin Laden if the United States halts the bombing.

Also Dick Cheney will give an "exclusive" interview on 60 Minutes II tonight.

[be-baw]

My guess is this is a stall tactic by the Taliwhacked. US response should say as soon as we have him and all of his top lieutenants we will stop bombing.

[JD86]

I think they already have their answer....no negotiations. So sorry, too little too late.

[DoughtyOne]

Surrender and turn him over. Those are the terms!

[glock rocks]

hmmm. might be a good opportunity to try out that military tribunal.

[X-Servative]

Not negotiable!!!

[don-o]

Tali - who?

Yesterday's news.

$50 million reward will be collected in a week.

[Hagrid]

This Taliban offer was made at the beginning of the bombing. At that time Bush was clear: turn Bin Laden over first and THEN we will stop bombing and negotiate.

[TomGuy]

Seems they already tried this tactical strategy a few times last month. It didn't work then....it won't work now. Bring Osama's head (along with Omar's)...then we'll talk!

[PoisedWoman]

Did they say "if" or "when" the US stops bombing? At this point, it would seem that Taliban is ready for a "when" negotiation-- if some Talibanny doesn't "cough up" bin Laden right now for the reward money.

[AgThorn]

This should be posted in the HUMOR section....

[Clintons Are White Trash]

This is too funny! They have alternately claimed they were ready to hand him over and they didn't know where he was several times over the last 2 months. I'd say they've earned our trust (/sarcasm off). Keep the bombs dropping!!!! Drop one for me! :)

[JD86]

You're agreeing with me, right? If so, what you said!!

[JohnHuang2]

You hit the nail on the head, my friend. Since when does the losing side get to dictate the terms to the winners?

[smokinleroy]

They must think they're still dealing w/ Bubba.

[InvisibleChurch]

don't forget that Bush offered a second time during one of his speeches

[Milosevic2]

As I pointed out in this thread : "DoD Unsure About Taliban Withdrawals: Retreat or Tactics?" the DoD's philosphy is : hope is the last thing to die. So now Bin Laden is rescued and the Taliban can go back to Kabul. The world order is saved ...

[Timesink]

Um ... isn't this about the 14th time the Taliban have made this "offer"? And the first 13 times, as soon as word of the offer spread through the media, some other Taliban "leader" said no way. These guys have no organization whatsoever, so how can we trust any "offer" one of them happens to make?

Not that we should consider the offer for even one second anyway.

Well, maybe we could consider it this way: We say okay, stop the bombing. They turn over Bin Laden. Then we say thank you and start bombing again.

[longleaf]

I think bin Laden is going to turn out to be like Castro. It's convenient to the Powers That Be to keep him around as a whipping boy (as in whipping up increased defense budgets, for one thing). I doubt if he's all that worried at this point.

[NC Conservative]

The Talibowels need to clean the shrapnel out of their ears and listen. No negotiations. Hand him over.