Asked about reports that Taliban Supreme Leader Mullah Mohammed Omar might be trying to negotiate a surrender for himself in Kandahar in southern Afghanistan, Rumsfeld said opposition groups, not the United States, are involved in any talks.
"It's our hope that they will not engage in negotiations that would provide for the release of al Qaeda forces, that would provide for the release of foreign nationals, non-Afghans, leaving the country and destabilizing neighboring countries," he said.
Rumsfeld added that if Omar were to be released, the United States would not let him leave the country. He also said the United States has not been in a position to take custody of prisoners because it has no jails or guards to accommodate them.
Speaking about the fierce fighting in Konduz, where Northern Alliance soldiers have surrounded the city, Rumsfeld said of the Taliban and other fighters, "My hope is that they will either be killed or taken prisoner."
CNN.com - Rumsfeld: Leaflets offer $25 million for bin Laden - November 20, 2001
