November 22, 2001	Thursday	Ramazan 6, 1422

DOHA, Nov 21: The Kabul bureau chief of Al-Jazeera television, who found fame with exclusive coverage behind Taliban lines, has reportedly returned discreetly to Qatar after a turbulent escape from Afghanistan.

Taysir Aluni, also criticized in the West as a mouthpiece for the Islamic militia and Osama bin Laden, escaped from Kabul after the channel reported that US bombs had flattened his office in the night of November 13-14.

Qatari daily Al-Sharq said, “Taysir Aluni has arrived in Doha and he is in good health.”

It also added, without explanation, that “his mental state is stable”.

A clearly shaken Aluni made several brief broadcasts during his flight from Afghanistan, saying he had been robbed and was rescued by local dignitaries near the border with Afghanistan.

Aluni, who carries a Spanish passport but is of Syrian extraction, handled all the tapes and contacts with Osama.—AFP