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The rightwing Jamaat-e-Islami party has said it cannot guarantee protection of US interests in Pakistan if Afghanistan is attacked to flush out Saudi exile Osama bin Laden, SADA news agency reports.
Jamaat chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed told reporters that while his party was not threatening the Americans, it could not guarantee protection if Afghanistan is attacked in retaliation for the September 11 terror attacks in New York and Washington.
The US believes bin Laden masterminded the recent terror attacks in New York and Washington, in which thousands were killed.
Ahmed said: "We cannot give guarantee (that American interests would not be targeted) but we also don't pose threat to their interests."
The Jamaat has been at the forefront of an anti-government campaign ever since President Pervez Musharraf voiced his support to a global anti-terrorism campaign, including attacks on Afghanistan.
He said the decision of the military rulers in Pakistan does not enjoy the support of the masses. He said it was "tantamount to mortgaging the national sovereignty for some petty gains."
Given the designs of the US, it is certain "the presence of American military in the region would be perpetual," something it has been planning since long, he said.
Ahmed said if the Taleban says bin Laden has left Afghanistan, the US must accept it.
Indo-Asian News Service
The Attack on America: The Complete Coverage
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