Taliban Told U.S. It Would Give Up Osama - Middleman

"U.S. and Taliban officials met secretly in Frankfurt almost a year before the Sept. 11 attacks to discuss terms for Afghanistan (news - web sites) to hand over Osama bin Laden (news - web sites), according to a German television documentary....
The documentary, broadcast Thursday evening, said the Afghans put forward "several offers" and there was talk of holding further negotiations at the U.S. embassy in Pakistan on where and when bin Laden would be handed over. In fact, no more talks took place before Sept. 11. But negotiations did resume five days after the attacks, in the Pakistani city of Quetta, ZDF said. This meeting has been reported in U.S. media. Mohabbat said the Americans pressed in Quetta for bin Laden's handover within 24 hours, but the Taliban were unable to meet that demand. Within weeks, U.S.-led forces intervened in Afghanistan to drive the Taliban from power and kill, capture or disperse al Qaeda fighters based in Afghan training camps. Bin Laden himself is still at large."