Karzai Asks Afghans to Hunt Omar, Bin Laden

Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan's interim leader, called on his countrymen Saturday to seize suspected terror mastermind Usama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar. He said he promised to bring the two men to "international justice," in a satellite telephone interview with The Associated Press. U.S. and tribal officials believe that Omar might still be in the surrendered city of Kandahar. Karzai said reports that Omar has been captured are "all lies." He holds firm that the location of Omar is unknown and that neither he nor bin Laden was in the custody of opposition forces. Tensions were running high in Kandahar following the Taliban's withdrawal. Rival armed groups — one under Mullah Naqibullah and the other under Gul Agha — claimed control of key parts of the city. Karzai, who was north of Kandahar, said the situation in the city was quiet a day after the Taliban's chaotic departure from their last stronghold Friday, when scared residents reported looting and violence. Karzai, who was picked this week to lead an interim government for the war-shattered nation, said he had asked ordinary Afghans, as well as his own troops, to arrest thousands of Arabs and other foreign fighters who had been defending the Taliban.