Taliban Clears Saudi Bombing Suspect

KABUL, Afghanistan — Osama bin Laden, accused of orchestrating the U.S. Embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, was declared a free man Friday in Afghanistan, where he has lived for years with the permission of the hard-line Islamic Taliban militia.

The Taliban, which controls about 90% of Afghanistan, closed its three-week inquiry into allegations that Bin Laden is waging a war of terror against the United States.

The U.S. State Department responded with a statement saying there is abundant evidence linking Bin Laden to terrorism and urging the Taliban to expel him.

But Afghanistan’s chief justice, Noor Mohammed Saqib, said the United States had failed to provide any evidence. The Taliban did tell Bin Laden that political activity is banned.

A U.S. court has indicted Bin Laden in the Aug. 7 embassy bombings that killed more than 220 people, including 12 Americans.

Two weeks ago, Washington offered a $5 million reward for the capture of Bin Laden, a move that the Taliban said was tantamount to encouraging terrorist activity inside war-shattered Afghanistan.