> > http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/south_asia/newsid_1550000/1550366.stm > > Tuesday, 18 September, 2001, 11:27 GMT 12:27 UK > US 'planned attack on Taleban' > > > The wider objective was to oust the Taleban > > By the BBC's George Arney > A former Pakistani diplomat has told the BBC that the US was planning > military action against Osama Bin Laden and the Taleban even before last > week's attacks. > > Niaz Naik, a former Pakistani Foreign Secretary, was told by senior American > officials in mid-July that military action against Afghanistan would go > ahead by the middle of October. > > > > Russian troops were on standby > > Mr Naik said US officials told him of the plan at a UN-sponsored > international contact group on Afghanistan which took place in Berlin. > > Mr Naik told the BBC that at the meeting the US representatives told him > that unless Bin Laden was handed over swiftly America would take military > action to kill or capture both Bin Laden and the Taleban leader, Mullah > Omar. > > The wider objective, according to Mr Naik, would be to topple the Taleban > regime and install a transitional government of moderate Afghans in its > place - possibly under the leadership of the former Afghan King Zahir Shah. > > Mr Naik was told that Washington would launch its operation from bases in > Tajikistan, where American advisers were already in place. > > > > Bin Laden would have been "killed or captured" > > He was told that Uzbekistan would also participate in the operation and that > 17,000 Russian troops were on standby. > > Mr Naik was told that if the military action went ahead it would take place > before the snows started falling in Afghanistan, by the middle of October at > the latest. > > He said that he was in no doubt that after the World Trade Center bombings > this pre-existing US plan had been built upon and would be implemented > within two or three weeks. > > And he said it was doubtful that Washington >
