US DENIES KNOWLEDGE OF KLA'S LINKS WITH BIN LADEN, DRUGS.

WASHINGTON, May 6 (Itar-Tass) - The United States has no credible
information to suggest that the Kosovo Liberation Army, or KLA, has direct
contacts with Usama bin Laden or other international terrrorists, a US
State Department official told Itar-Tass on Wednesday.

The diplomat, who preferred anonymity, laid out the US
administration's official stance in a comment on reports of US media
to the effect that the KLA gets financial and military assistance from
the radical Islamic group Al Kadar.

The group was set up by Usama bin Laden, "international terrorist
number one", who is seen bu the United States as a key mastermind
behind two bomb attacks of American embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in
August.

The Washington Times cited the US intelligence's documents saying that
some of the KLA's guerrillas had been trained at Al Kadar camps in
Afghanistan, Albania, Bosnia and other Moslem countries.

The State Department official said this information lacked proof, but
he did not dismissed it outright.

He said the State Department knew that KLA fighters were trained in
Albania and that a number of them were said to be taught guerrilla war
in Afghanistan, but these reports cannot be confirmed, although they
cannot be dismissed altogether.

The diplomat said the US administration does not have information that
the KLA runs drugs.

Media reports said Kosovo separatists use proceeds from herion and
cocaine trade to buy arms for operations against the Yugoslav army.

The State Department official said a major part of drugs had been
admittedly reaching Western Europe through the Balkan route, but the
involvement of the KLA in it is uncertain.

He said publications about this were only suggestions.