White House refuses to agree to protection plan for Omar
US Defence Secretary Donald Rumsfeld says the United States will not allow Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar to remain free.
The statement follows reports of a deal between Omar and Afghan opposition forces to surrender the Taliban stronghold of Kandahar.
Mr Rumsfeld says the United States has made clear to opposition forces its view on the Taliban leader's future. "Our cooperation and assistance with those people would clearly take a turn south if something were to be done in respect to the senior people in that situation that is inconsistent with what I have said," Rumsfeld said.
Previously, Rumsfeld had said that the US goal was to ensure that Taliban and al-Qaida senior leaders were unable to continue conducting terrorist acts, and the United States wanted them brought to justice.
He also has referred to Omar as a "dead-ender" unlikely to surrender because the Taliban leader has said in the past he would fight to the death.
Rumsfeld said the United States has been providing opposition leaders in the south with much assistance, including bombing Taliban forces and supplying weapons, advisers and special forces troops to assist the fight against the Taliban.
The White House on also turned aside the idea of extending protections to Omar.
"The president believes very strongly that those who harbor terrorists need to be brought to justice," said White House spokesman Ari Fleischer.
Asked further what justice for Omar would entail, Fleischer said, "The president has left that undefined."
Omar agreed to surrender Kandahar to tribal forces and put himself under the protection of tribal leaders.
