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Karzai says Laden probably alive
London, June 06: 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 today.
London, June 06: 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 today.
Karzai, who received an honorary knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II on the third and final day of his official visit today, 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 BBC 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 organised form of large people? No, they cannot do that any more. That's gone."
Bureau Report
"There are signs that he's alive. There are also signs that he's not alive, now we don't know," Karzai told BBC 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 organised form of large people? No, they cannot do that any more. That's gone."
Bureau Report