‘Taliban was to give up Laden’

A German member of the European Parliament, Elmar Brok, confirmed that in 1999 he had helped Mohabbat establish initial contact with the Americans. ‘‘I was told that the Taliban had certain ideas about handing over Laden, not to the US, but to a third country or to the Court of Justice in The Hague,’’ Brok said. ‘‘The aim was lifting of the international boycott.” Brok said he passed it to the US Ambassador to Germany, John Kornblum. He said Mohabbat was then summoned to Washington. This led in turn to the German meeting, which ZDF said took place between Taliban ministers and US officials in a Frankfurt hotel in November 2000.

The documentary, broadcast on Thursday, said the Afghans put forward ‘‘several offers’’ and there was talk of holding further talks at the US Embassy in Pakistan on where and when Laden would be handed over. No more talks took place before 9/11. But it did resume five days after the attacks in Quetta. –(Reuters)