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Pentagon Says No Sign Showing Bin Laden Has Left Afghanistan. The Taliban envoy to Pakistan said Saturday that Osama bin Laden has left Afghanistan to unspecified destination. But the US Defense Department said Saturday it has no evidence that Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden has left Afghanistan. The Taliban envoy to Pakistan said Saturday that Osama bin Laden has left Afghanistan to unspecified destination. "Osama has left Afghanistan with his children and his wives, and we have no idea where he has gone," Abdul Salam Zaeef, the envoy said at the Ghman border-crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. The Associated Press quoted the envoy as saying that it was not possible to independently confirm the claim. "I Did Not Say Osama Left Afghanistan:" Zaeef Zaeef, however, denied Saturday night in Islamabad that he is not aware of the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden, according to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP). "I did not say Osama had left Afghanistan," Zaeef told the AIP, "I just said I was not aware of his whereabouts." Pentagon Says No Sign Showing Bin Laden Has Left Afghanistan The U.S. Defense Department said Saturday it has no evidence that Saudi-born militant Osama bin Laden has left Afghanistan. "We have no evidence that he has left Afghanistan," Pentagon spokesman Glenn Flood said. "Our search continues." On Friday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld said that he thought bin Laden was still in Afghanistan. "There is every reason to believe he's in Afghanistan. There are lots of places bin Laden could go," Rumsfeld added. Bin Laden is considered a "prime suspect" by the U.S. authorities in connection with the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States. **** Tear Gas, Water Hose Greet G-20 Protesters. The police in Ottawa used tear gas, water hoses, pepper spray and bean bags to push back demonstrators protesting against the G-20 meeting in the Canadian capital city on Saturday afternoon. Tear Gas, Water Hose Greet G-20 Protesters The police in Ottawa used tear gas, water hoses, pepper spray and bean bags to push back demonstrators protesting against the G-20 meeting in the Canadian capital city on Saturday afternoon. The police, already wearing gas masks, fired tear gas into a crowd of about 2,000 people after a group of front-line protesters began to breach barricades around the G-20 conference venue. At one point, angry protesters lifted a section of the barricade and tried to toss it at the police. Police also used a water hose and pepper spray on some rowdy protesters, many of whom came equipped with their own gas masks. Earlier in the day, as a march of about 1,000 demonstrators got underway near the convention center in downtown Ottawa, heavily armed riot police quickly surrounded a group of activists on all four sides, and then swooped in and arrested about a dozen protesters who were wearing masks. Protesters called the arrests unwarranted and shouted against police brutality. On Friday, the first day of the three-day G-20 meeting, four people were arrested and others detained as riot police with gas masks and shields squared off against an angry mob of protesters. Vehicle and pedestrian traffic are being severely restricted around the Government Conference Center in downtown Ottawa for the second day today. The protest has been spearheaded against globalization, a movement the protesters claim abandons the poor and benefits big business. The fall meeting of the G-20 was originally scheduled to take place in India , but Canada offered to host the event after security concerns emerged when the war in Afghanistan began. The G-20 is composed of the G-7 industrialized nations and other major economies such as Argentina, Australia, Brazil , China, the Republic of Korea, India, Indonesia , Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Turkey. The first meeting of the G-20 financial ministers and central bank governors was held in Berlin, Germany in 1999. The G-20 promotes discussions and studies and reviews policy issues among the member countries whose GNP totaling 85 percent of that of the whole world. **** Hezbollah Determined to Resist Despite US Threat: Officer. A senior military officer of Lebanese resistance guerrillas group Hezbollah, or Party of God, Saturday said that the organization is determined to resist in the face of U.S. threat, the official NNA news agency reported. A senior military officer of Lebanese resistance guerrillas group Hezbollah, or Party of God, Saturday said that the organization is determined to resist in the face of U.S. threat, the official NNA news agency reported. Hezbollah's military commander in southern Lebanon Nabil Kawook said U.S. threat to Hezbollah will do nothing to help Israel but to enhance Hezbollah's force and solidify Lebanese and Arab people. "Hezbollah will never succumb to any exterior pressure and threat. It will continue the mission to liberate occupied lands and force Israel to release all jailed Lebanese in Israeli prisons," Kawook said. The officer, who is responsible for all military actions against Israel in south Lebanon, also announced that Hezbollah is "confident to carry out the course of Jihad, or holy war, in the face of U.S. and Israeli intimidation and menace." The U.S. authorities have defined Hezbollah as a terrorist group in a terrorist list released recently. It called on international community to freeze bank accounts of all terrorist organizations and individuals. However, Beirut insists that Hezbollah is a resistance group against Israel's occupation instead of a terrorist group. Kawook also accused Israel of violating Lebanese sovereignty by illegal flight over Lebanese air space. "The Jewish state acquired the U.S. nod to commit state terrorism and aggression against Arab countries," he said. "But the resistance forces have succeeded in south Lebanon and disabled the U.S. and Israel to do more invasion to Arab," he stressed. **** Zambian President Accuses Western Countries of Funding Opposition Parties. Zambian President Frederick Chiluba Saturday accused western nations of funding opposition parties in the country to foster a puppet regime. Zambian President Frederick Chiluba Saturday accused western nations of funding opposition parties in the country to foster a puppet regime. "Most of the countries that colonized African states, including Zambia, are the ones that are trying to fund opposition political parties in order for them to create puppet governments that they can control," Chiluba addressed a campaign rally in Kabwe, 150 kilometers from Zambia's capital of Lusaka. "Why should they manipulate Africa? Why should they want to create puppet governments? I urge you Zambians to refuse to be led by such leaders who have no interest of the country at heart because you should ask them what are the conditions for the funding." The Zambian president, who described the action as "political interference of the worst order," cited the raging Zimbabwe an land crisis as one example of how the western "imperialists" were trying to find their way back into Africa and re-colonize it after surrendering their colonies several years ago. In an apparent reference to the opposition Forum for Democracy and Development (FDD) leader, Christon Tembo, Chiluba accused his former vice president of betraying the cause of the ruling Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) that refused to accept external funding in the first multiparty elections in 1991 when it wrestled power from former president Kenneth Kaunda's government. "Someone has accepted to receive external funding because he wants to be a puppet leader. I urge you Zambians to denounce and refuse to be led by such governments and try to maintain and safeguard your independence that you fought for in 1964," said Chiluba. The Zambian government has repeatedly accused western donors, including Britain, for funding the opposition ostensibly to cause internal strife in the country that has experienced peace since independence in 1964. The British and U.S. governments have denied the allegation of funding the opposition to undertake such clandestine activities. **** Li Peng Leaves Tunisia, Ending Visits to North Africa, Latin America. Chinese top legislator Li Peng left Tunis for Beijing on Saturday, winding up his five-nation visit to North Africa and Latin America. Chinese top legislator Li Peng left Tunis for Beijing on Saturday, winding up his five-nation visit to North Africa and Latin America. During his three-day visit to Tunisia <http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/data/tunisia.html> , Li, chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, met with Tunisian President Zine Al-Abidine Ben Ali and his Tunisian counterpart Fouad Mebazza. Li and Tunisian leaders reached consensus on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern. In a departure message to Ben Ali, Li said that his visit has served to enhance the understanding, mutual trust and friendship between the two countries. Tunisia is the last leg of his tour to North Africa and Latin America, which has taken him to Algeria, Cuba, Argentina and Uruguay. **** Putin Discusses Afghanistan with Uzbek, Tajik Presidents. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday held talks through telephone with his Uzbek and Tajik counterparts Islam Karimov and Emomali Rakhmonov, discussing the latest developments in Afghanistan. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday held talks through telephone with his Uzbek and Tajik counterparts Islam Karimov and Emomali Rakhmonov, discussing the latest developments in Afghanistan. Putin briefed the two leaders of his recent summit with the U.S. President George W. Bush, especially their talks on the Afghan issue, said the presidential press service. Putin also talked in details with Karimov and Rakhmonov the latest developments in Afghanistan and prospects for a political settlement in that country, said the service. _________________________________________________ KOMINFORM P.O. Box 66 00841 Helsinki Phone +358-40-7177941 Fax +358-9-7591081 http://www.kominf.pp.fi General class struggle news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe mails to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Geopolitical news: [EMAIL PROTECTED] subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED] __________________________________________________
