Pakistan to Afghanistan- Hand over bin Laden or else

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan -- Senior Pakistani officials will go to neighboring Afghanistan today to deliver a warning: either deliver terror suspect Osama bin Laden or risk a massive retaliatory assault from the West, a top government official said.

Pakistan's decision to give "full support" to the United States drew widespread protest Sunday from hard-line Islamists. Demonstrators burned U.S. flags, shouted their support of bin Laden, and warned the government they would take up arms for Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia.

"If Afghanistan is attacked, we will take part in the fight against America," shouted militant Muslim leader Abdul Ahad to an estimated 1,000 demonstrators in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border. Protesters also shouted anti-American slogans in the federal capital, Islamabad.

Most of Pakistan's 140 million people are devout but relatively moderate Muslims, but there are several strong militant Islamic groups operating in the country and tens of thousands of religious schools that turn out young boys dedicated to jihad -- holy war. Most of these militant groups are well armed and could pose a threat to the rule of President Gen. Pervez Musharraf.

The high-level Pakistani delegation is to travel to the Taliban's headquarters in the southern city of Kandahar, the official said Sunday. It was believed that the delegation will be represented by senior intelligence officials.

International attack

The Taliban will be told the international community is prepared to attack Afghanistan if the radical Muslim militia refuses to turn bin Laden over to the United States, the official said. There was no indication the Taliban would be given a deadline.

The official said there was no guarantee the Taliban would be spared an attack if they do deliver bin Laden, but that an attack is certain if they do not.

Although the Americans would also want the Taliban to hand over all of bin Laden's aides and destroy his facilities, that is not a focus for today's talks, the official said.

Bin Laden, the exiled Saudi millionaire already indicted in the United States on charges of masterminding the bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa in 1998, has been living in Afghanistan since 1996.

The Taliban have steadfastly refused to deliver him despite two rounds of U.N. sanctions that have cut off funds to its national airline and isolated its leaders. They call bin Laden a guest. The Taliban's reclusive leader, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has said in the past that delivering bin Laden to non-Muslims would be like betraying a tenet of Islam.

On Sunday, the Taliban called an "urgent" meeting where clerics from throughout Afghanistan voiced support of the leadership, condemned the United States and demanded proof of bin Laden's involvement in the airborne attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

In Pakistan, which shares a 1,560-mile border with Afghanistan and is one of only three countries to recognize Taliban rule, Musharraf met with politicians and Islamic clerics to get their backing for Islamabad's promise to give "full support" to the United States to retaliate for the attacks.