Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia Wednesday said it would consider requests for the extradition of Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden based on evidence from US investigators, AFP said.
"We can study the evidence and take action in light of that," the Islamic militia's ambassador to neighboring Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, told reporters when asked about bin Laden's possible extradition.
According to the Christian Monitor, the list of suspects behind the unprecedented attacks is a very short one, with only the name: bin Laden.
"From the scale and obvious coordination, it seems clear that a major group is responsible - and like most people, I'm betting on Osama bin Laden," says a former analyst who worked in the CIA's counter-terrorism unit. "The fact that he signaled a major hit three weeks ago suggests his organization is responsible."
However, Taliban denied that their "guest bin Laden, was responsible for the multiple terrorist attacks in the United States.
According to Kyodo News, Bin Laden has denied involvement in Tuesday's terrorist attacks but supported them as a "reaction of the oppressed against the oppressor," quoting the Islamabad-based newspaper Ausaf, known to be the mouthpiece of Islamic militants.
An article bearing the byline of the paper's editor said a special spokesman of Bin Laden read out a statement in which the alleged terrorist said he was not involved in the plane attacks.
There are other groups, of course, who could be responsible, experts told the Monitor.
There are many groups in the Middle East angry with the US over its Israel policies. And there are the mass demonstrations at the recent World Bank meeting in Washington. Most of the demonstrators were peaceful, but "there are groups committed to violence - both anti-capitalist and anti-military. The question is though, whether they have the capabilities or resources. They probably have the resolve, but that's it," an expert said.
The logic behind this thinking, and that of other experts in this area, is that to carry out the massive attacks that were leveled against American targets, a great deal of organizational skills, planning, and resources went into the operation.
Palestinian President Yasser Arafat condemned the attacks and groups denied any link to them.