Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden is ready to stand trial on suspicion of attacks against the United States if Washington provides the evidence, the Taliban's deputy ambassador in Islamabad said on Thursday.
Suhail Shaheen said that the Afghan-based bin Laden, named by Washington as the prime suspect in last week's bombings in the United States, could be tried in Kabul or in another Muslim country.
''If there's evidence, he is ready for a trial,'' Shaheen said. ''He said “I am not involved, I am a guest (in Afghanistan). If they have evidence, I am ready'.''
The envoy spoke at his embassy in Islamabad shortly before senior Afghan clerics meeting in Kabul issued an edict urging bin Laden to leave Afghanistan whenever possible.
Shaheen said that Washington was not providing evidence because its real purpose was to combat Islamic governments, both the hardline system the Taliban have established in Afghanistan and the more moderate system in Pakistan.
''We want to solve the problem with talks, but they say 'no','' he said, stressing that Kabul condemned the stunning attacks that has left an estimated 6,000 people dead or missing in New York and Washington.
Bureau Report
