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DATE=2/4/99 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-245077 TITLE=AFGHAN U-S TALKS (L-ONLY) BYLINE=SARAH HORNER DATELINE=ISLAMABAD CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: A SENIOR U-S OFFICIAL HAS MET WITH A REPRESENTATIVE OF AFGHANISTAN'S TALEBAN MOVEMENT FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE U-S MISSILE STRIKES ON AFGHANISTAN LAST AUGUST. AS SARAH HORNER REPORTS FROM ISLAMABAD, ON THE AGENDA WAS SAUDI DISSIDENT OSAMA BIN LADEN WHO LIVES IN AFGHANISTAN. TEXT: U-S ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE FOR SOUTH ASIA, KARL INDERFURTH, MET TALEBAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER, JALIL AKHUND, LATE WEDNESDAY IN THE PAKISTANI CAPITAL, ISLAMABAD. BOTH PARTIES ARE BEING TIGHT-LIPPED ABOUT THEIR TALKS BUT A U-S EMBASSY SPOKESMAN CONFIRMS OSAMA BIN LADEN WAS DISCUSSED. MR BIN LADEN HAS A LONG ASSOCIATION WITH AFGHANISTAN AND MOVED THERE TWO-AND-A-HALF YEARS AGO. HE HAS MADE REPEATED THREATS AGAINST U-S INTERESTS. THE U-S GOVERNMENT HAS OFFERED A FIVE-MILLION-DOLLAR REWARD FOR INFORMATION LEADING TO HIS ARREST. IT SUSPECTS MR BIN LADEN OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE BOMBINGS OF U-S EMBASSIES IN AFRICA LAST AUGUST WHICH KILLED 224-PEOPLE. TWO WEEKS AFTER THE ATTACKS, THE U-S CARRIED OUT RETALIATORY MISSILE STRIKES ON TERRORIST CAMPS ALLEGEDLY RUN BY MR BIN LADEN IN AFGHANISTAN. THE SAUDI GOVERNMENT -- WHICH EXPELLED OSAMA BIN LADEN SEVERAL YEARS AGO -- IS ALSO UNHAPPY ABOUT HIS CONTINUED PRESENCE IN AFGHANISTAN. A FEW MONTHS AGO, SAUDI ARABIA -- ONE OF THE THREE COUNTRIES RECOGNISING THE TALEBAN AS THE GOVERNMENT OF AFGHANISTAN -- WITHDREW ITS AMBASSADOR FROM THE AFGHAN CAPITAL AND EXPELLED THE TALEBAN ENVOY FROM RIYADH. THE TALEBAN HAS SO FAR REFUSED ALL PRESSURE TO EXPEL MR BIN LADEN WHO THEY SAY IS NOT INVOLVED IN TERRORISM AND IS THEIR GUEST. A U-S EMBASSY SPOKESMAN SAYS ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF STATE INDERFURTH AND THE TALEBAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER ALSO DISCUSSED A PLANNED REGIONAL MEETING ON AFGHANISTAN. THE MEETING OF THE SO-CALLED SIX-PLUS-TWO GROUP IS SCHEDULED TO TAKE PLACE IN MARCH OR APRIL IN THE UZBEK CAPITAL, TASHKENT. THE GROUP IS A UNITED NATIONS SPONSORED FORUM COMPRISED OF AFGHANISTAN'S NEIGHBORS ALONG WITH RUSSIA AND THE U-S. IT IS PART OF A U-N POLITICAL INITIATIVE AIMING TO END TWO DECADES OF FIGHTING IN AFGHANISTAN. IN WASHINGTON, STATE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN JAMES RUBIN SAID THE U-S WANTS TO SEE INTERNATIONALLY ACCEPTED NORMS OF HUMAN RIGHTS RESPECTED BY THE TALEBAN. MR RUBIN SAID MR INDERFURTH HAD RAISED THE ISSUE IN HIS MEETING WITH THE TALEBAN, PARTICULARLY ABOUT WOMEN AND GIRLS. THE TALEBAN'S STRICT ISLAMIC POLICIES LARGELY PREVENT FEMALES FROM WORKING OR GETTING AN EDUCATION. MR INDERFURTH LEFT PAKISTAN THURSDAY TO RETURN TO THE INDIAN CAPITAL, NEW DELHI, FOR FURTHER TALKS WITH THE GOVERNMENT THERE. THE MAIN PURPOSE OF THE U-S VISIT HAS BEEN PREVENTING NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION IN SOUTH ASIA. BOTH INDIA AND PAKISTAN CARRIED OUT NUCLEAR TESTS LAST YEAR. (SIGNED) NEB/SH/PLM 04-Feb-99 8:41 AM EST (1341 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .