Bin Laden is cleared by Taliban of terrorism

The man 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, who control about 90 percent of Afghanistan, Friday closed their three-week inquiry into allegations that Osama bin Laden is waging a war of terror against the United States."It's over, and America has not presented any evidence," Afghanistan's Chief Justice Noor Mohammed Saqib told The Associated Press in an interview at the Supreme Court Building in the Afghan capital, Kabul. "Without any evidence, bin Laden is a man without sin. He is a free man."

A U.S. court has indicted bin Laden in the Aug. 7 bombings that killed 224 people, including 12 Americans.

White House National Security Council spokesman David Leavy said, "Without commenting on the rigor of the Taliban judicial system, it is clear that Mr. bin Laden is a proven threat to U.S. national interests."

Bin Laden will remain a focus of American diplomatic and legal efforts to "take down his terrorist network and bring him and his associates to justice," Leavy said in Tokyo, where he was traveling with President Clinton.

Two weeks ago, Washington offered a $5 million reward for the capture of bin Laden, something the Taliban said was tantamount to encouraging terrorist activity inside their war-shattered country.

The United States does not recognize the Taliban government.