December 20, 2001	Thursday	Shawwal 4, 1422

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ROME, Dec 19: Afghanistan’s new leader, Hamid Karazai, on Wednesday warned the international community against abandoning Afghanistan once the anti-terrorism campaign is over and said that Osama bin Laden would be handed over to international justice if caught.

“I think the international community cannot afford to leave Afghanistan alone the way it did,” Karazai told a press conference wrapping up his three-day visit to Italy.

“The international community saw the consequences of neglecting Afghanistan. It should be wise enough not to do it again,” Karazai stressed.

He said he could not predict how long US military involvement in Afghanistan would last in his country.

“Let’s hope the situation in Afghanistan stabilizes as soon as possible, let’s hope that the Afghan people will stand on their own firm feet very soon in Afghanistan,” he said.

He emphasized that the controversial multinational security force would leave “as soon as we have the protection of our borders, of our country and a government chosen by the Afghan people”.

He said that Osama was now an international issue.

“It is not only an Afghan issue, but an international issue. A man like that who has committed crimes worldwide must be given to international justice, “ he said.

An apparently calm Karazai, wearing an astrakhan hat and shalwar-kameez, said he was looking into the deployment of a multinational force between 3,000 and 5,000.

This had to be decided by the Afghan defence ministry and the other countries concerned, he said, adding that fresh negotiations were under way to chalk out what was needed for its deployment.

He said he did not object to the use of force by this foreign force if it helped restore peace.

“If it takes the use of force to keep peace, why not?” he said, stressing that his own security would be safe in the “hands of Afghans.”

The new Afghan leader said that the main fight against Osama’s Al-Qaeda followers and their Taliban sponsors was over, but still they had be chased out of their remaining caves and dens.

He stressed that so-called Arab Afghans who have not committed crimes could go anywhere they liked but ones who were found guilty of being involved in terrorism would be tried under Shariat, which is “very tough against criminals”.

Karazai called on the international community to help rebuild a new Afghanistan in the way that they fought the Taliban and Osama’s supporters.

He said Afghans would endeavour to do everything they could, but “we will also need, as we did need the help of the international community to get rid of the Taliban and terrorism, the continued participation of the international community in rebuilding Afghanistan.”—AFP