*EPF110 12/10/2001
Cheney Confirms that U.S. Has Incriminating bin Laden Videotape
(Vice President also discusses Mideast on NBC's "Meet the Press") (620)

By Thomas Eichler
Washington File Staff Writer

Washington -- Vice President Cheney confirmed that U.S. officials have obtained a videotape of comments by terrorist leader Osama bin Laden in which bin Laden appears to indicate that he had prior knowledge of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States.

Existence of the tape was first reported in the Washington Post December 9. Speaking the same day on the NBC television program "Meet the Press," Cheney said comments on the tape are in Arabic, and he had to rely on a translator in listening to the contents. The tape, Cheney, said, "shows him [bin Laden] being interviewed or meeting with another individual, apparently a cleric, talking about the events of September 11, and it's pretty clear as it's described to me that he does, in fact, display significant knowledge of what happened, and there's no doubt about his responsibility for the attack on September 11."

Cheney characterized the tape as "one more piece of evidence confirming his [bin Laden's] responsibility for what happened on 9-1-1."

Asked whether it would be helpful to release the tape to the public, Cheney said he was uncertain. "We've not been eager to give the guy any extra television time than he can obtain for himself," he said, "but I think we'd probably rely on the experts as to whether or not it'd be a good idea" to release the tape.

Cheney said he believes bin Laden and Taliban leader Mohammed Omar still are in Afghanistan. "I would say the preponderance of the reporting at this point indicates that Mullah Omar is still down in the Kandahar region someplace, and that Osama bin Laden is also still in Afghanistan," in the general area of Tora Bora.

Asked whether, if bin Laden and Omar are captured alive, the United States will insist that they be turned over to U.S. authorities rather than to an international court, Cheney said yes. "We've made it very clear that we want Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar and their senior leadership, and if they're taken alive, we expect to take custody of them," he said.

Asked whether they then would be tried by a U.S. military tribunal, Cheney said "That's a decision the president has to make, but obviously they're exactly the kind of people the tribunals were established for."

On possibilities of a Middle East settlement, Cheney said that "until [Yasser] Arafat demonstrates that he's serious about controlling suicide attackers from Palestinian territory against the Israelis, there's not going to be any progress."

Cheney added that "The people who are suffering most, of course, I think are, in fact the Palestinians, the Palestinian people, who are led by someone in this particular case who is either unwilling or unable to deal with the home-grown terrorists."

He said that given the number of terrorist attacks against the Israelis, "It's not surprising ... that the Israelis take steps to defend themselves. They have every right to do so."

Cheney said in response to a question that there is "no question" that Arafat's behavior has pushed back the possibility of a Palestinian state.

He also said that "We've made it clear that until Mr. Arafat lives up to his commitments, which he is not doing, until he demonstrates that he is prepared to, in fact, stop the violence that originates in Palestinian-controlled territory, there won't be a meeting" in Washington of Palestinian, Israeli and U.S. leaders.

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

(The Washington File is a product of the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)

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