Fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden have set conditions on their surrender to Afghan forces in the eastern Tora Bora region, the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported Wednesday. The Pakistan-based news agency, quoting unnamed sources, said al Qaeda fighters holed up around Tora Bora mountain had demanded to be handed over to the United Nations in the presence of diplomats from their respective countries.
The mainly Arab militants, possibly numbering more than 1,000, had earlier agreed to surrender by 8:00 am (0900 ist) Wednesday but a spokesman for Afghan commander Hazrat Ali said that they had not given up.
The United States has said any surrendering al Qaeda forces would be questioned and processed on an individual basis, while Afghanistan's new interim leader, Hamid Karzai, has said they are criminals who would face international justice. Bureau Report