A spokesman for Afghanistan's ruling Taliban has said that Saudi dissident Osama bin Laden could not be responsible for the spate of terror attacks in the United States.

"What happened in the United States was not a job of ordinary people. It could have been the work of governments. Osama bin Laden cannot do this work, neither us," said Abdul Hai Mutmaen from the southern city of Kandahar.

"We are not supporting terrorism. Osama does not have the capability. We condemn this. This could have been the act of either internal enemies of the United States or its major rivals," he added.

The Taliban ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salam Zaeef, has also condemned what he called "terrorist" attacks on the United States, according to the Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press. "This is a terrorist act and we strongly condemn it," he said.

The agency said the Taliban ambassador called for a thorough investigation and those responsible for the multiple attacks on US targets to be brought to justice.

The Taliban have long angered the US for giving sanctuary to Osama bin laden, who is described by Washington as "the world's most wanted terrorist".

Washington has offered a $5m reward for his capture and George Tenet, director of the Central Intelligence Agency, said this week the tall, thin Saudi was the most immediate and serious threat to US security.

Apart from the embassy bombings, US officials link bin Laden to last year's bombing of a US. navy ship in Yemen and with foiled plots in the United States and Jordan at the turn of the millennium.

"Since 1998, bin Laden has declared all US citizens legitimate targets of attack," Tenet said.

He said bin Laden was using the internet "to acquire information and capabilities to acquire chemical, biological, radiological and even nuclear attack".

The Taliban sprang from religious schools in Pakistan near the Afghan border and, with almost no military experience, swept from obscurity to their 1996 capture of the capital in only two years.

Beyond Pakistan, the Taliban have few friends. Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are the only other countries to recognise the Taliban as the legal government, but they have not joined Pakistan in maintaining embassies in Kabul.

But the Taliban have other private supporters who may have deep pockets similar to bin Laden.

"It's not just bin Laden, but as Afghanistan has drifted into chaos it has become a hiding place for every terrorist group known to man," said one senior diplomat in Pakistan.