ANOTHER FLASHBACK

I recall that the Taliban offered to turn over Osama Bin Laden for trial in the 3rd country IF the U.S. gave them evidence that he was behind the 9-11 attacks.  The initial offer was rejected and so was a later, modified offer.

New offer on Bin Laden
Minister makes secret trip to offer trial in third country
Rory McCarthy in Islamabad
The Guardian, Wednesday 17 October 2001 03.22 BST

A senior Taliban minister has offered a last-minute deal to hand over Osama bin Laden during a secret visit to Islamabad, senior sources in Pakistan told the Guardian last night.

For the first time, the Taliban offered to hand over Bin Laden for trial in a country other than the US without asking to see evidence first in return for a halt to the bombing, a source close to Pakistan's military leadership said.

The Taliban have offered to hand over Bin Laden before but only if sufficient evidence was presented. ... But until now the Taliban regime has consistently said it has not seen any convincing evidence to implicate the Saudi dissident in any crime.

"Now they have agreed to hand him over to a third country without the evidence being presented in advance," the source close to the military said.

The earlier offer was made in September:

Taliban Won't Turn Over Bin Laden
Fierce Fighting Rages Between Taliban And Northern Alliance
Sept. 21, 2001

(CBS) Without evidence, Afghanistan's Taliban rulers will not hand over Osama bin Laden, Afghanistan's ambassador to Pakistan said Friday.

The rejection came in a statement by Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban ambassador to Pakistan. Asked whether the Taliban would hand over bin Laden, Zaeef said, "No." But his translator said, "No, not without evidence."

"Our position on this is that if America has proof, we are ready for the trial of Osama bin Laden in light of the evidence."