Europe rejects Bin Laden peace deal

LONDON – European leaders yesterday roundly dismissed an apparent “truce” offer by terror mastermind Osama bin Laden, saying the idea of negotiating with the Western world’s most wanted man was absurd.

An audiotape attributed to the al Qaeda leader offered peace to European countries that refrain from aggression towards Muslims and pull their troops out of the Muslim world. Within minutes of each other, Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and the European Union rejected the offer as a ploy by terrorists, even though the authenticity of the voice on the tape could not be verified.”The idea of an armistice with a group that defines itself by violence is an absurdity,” a British Foreign office spokesman said.The audiotape emerged amid a spate of kidnappings of foreign nationals in Iraq by insurgents apparently seeking to destabilise the US-led occupation and a bloody rebellion against the coalition forces.The voice on the cassette broadcast by Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television, said the offer – to be left open for three months – came after opinion polls showed European people wanted peace.It offered a “reconciliation initiative” to European countries if they pledged not to be aggressive towards Muslims, “like the American plot against the big Islamic world”.”It is in the interest of both parties to deprive them of spilling people’s blood for their own interests and in their following of the White House.”However, the speaker also vowed to avenge Israel’s March assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.The last purported bin Laden tape was aired by Al- Jazeera on January 4 in which the terror chief appeared to refer to the capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on December 13.The Foreign Office in Britain, the top US ally in Iraq and the US war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks of 2001, described the purported offer as a cynical ploy to split Europe and the United States.”Neither we nor our European partners are going to be intimidated into withdrawing from action against terrorism or to break the transatlantic alliance that has been the cornerstone of our freedom and defence policy for decades.”Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said discussing a peace deal with bin Laden was “unthinkable”.”It is absolutely unthinkable that we could sit around a table for discussions with bin Laden, everyone understands that.”And Spain’s incoming foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the message, which justified the March 11 attacks in Madrid, should be ignored.”Those of us who seek peace, democracy and freedom do not need to listen or pay attention to him,” he said.European Commission President Romano Prodi said there was no way European nations would accept the truce offer.”How could you possibly react to this statement? There is no possibility for a deal under a terrorist threat.It is completely impossible,” he told reporters in Shanghai.A German government spokesperson said:”There cannot be negotiations with terrorists and criminals like Osama bin Laden.””The international community of nations must continue the fight against international terrorism and Germany will continue to contribute to it.This is the case regardless of the authenticity of the message,” the spokesman said.He added that the interior ministry was investigating the tape.- Nampa-AFPWithin minutes of each other, Britain, Spain, Italy, Germany and the European Union rejected the offer as a ploy by terrorists, even though the authenticity of the voice on the tape could not be verified.”The idea of an armistice with a group that defines itself by violence is an absurdity,” a British Foreign office spokesman said.The audiotape emerged amid a spate of kidnappings of foreign nationals in Iraq by insurgents apparently seeking to destabilise the US-led occupation and a bloody rebellion against the coalition forces.The voice on the cassette broadcast by Dubai-based Al-Arabiya television, said the offer – to be left open for three months – came after opinion polls showed European people wanted peace.It offered a “reconciliation initiative” to European countries if they pledged not to be aggressive towards Muslims, “like the American plot against the big Islamic world”.”It is in the interest of both parties to deprive them of spilling people’s blood for their own interests and in their following of the White House.”However, the speaker also vowed to avenge Israel’s March assassination of Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, founder and spiritual leader of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.The last purported bin Laden tape was aired by Al- Jazeera on January 4 in which the terror chief appeared to refer to the capture of former Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein on December 13.The Foreign Office in Britain, the top US ally in Iraq and the US war on terrorism after the September 11 attacks of 2001, described the purported offer as a cynical ploy to split Europe and the United States.”Neither we nor our European partners are going to be intimidated into withdrawing from action against terrorism or to break the transatlantic alliance that has been the cornerstone of our freedom and defence policy for decades.”Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said discussing a peace deal with bin Laden was “unthinkable”.”It is absolutely unthinkable that we could sit around a table for discussions with bin Laden, everyone understands that.”And Spain’s incoming foreign minister Miguel Angel Moratinos said the message, which justified the March 11 attacks in Madrid, should be ignored.”Those of us who seek peace, democracy and freedom do not need to listen or pay attention to him,” he said.European Commission President Romano Prodi said there was no way European nations would accept the truce offer.”How could you possibly react to this statement? There is no possibility for a deal under a terrorist threat.It is completely impossible,” he told reporters in Shanghai.A German government spokesperson said:”There cannot be negotiations with terrorists and criminals like Osama bin Laden.””The international community of nations must continue the fight against international terrorism and Germany will continue to contribute to it.This is the case regardless of the authenticity of the message,” the spokesman said.He added that the interior ministry was investigating the tape.- Nampa-AFP