LAHORE Osama Bin Laden believed that after the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the US would target the Islamic countries. He was for Jihad against the US, and a large number of Muslim youths were inspired by his views. He spent a good deal of time in Afghanistan, a country that has been turned into a battleground for the past three decades. A team of Pakistani journalists interviewed him at an undisclosed location of Afghanistan in the last week on May 1998, a few days before Pakistan carried out nuclear tests to come on par with India. In the interview, held under tight security, OBL spoke on many subjects. He was of the considered opinion that the US wanted to divide Afghanistan. Asked whether then Amir Mullah Omar had put any restrictions on him, he said he had not been restrained from any political activity. But, he said, the Amir did not want the Afghan soil used for any military action or terrorist activity. He was disturbed over the presence of US troops in Saudi Arabia, and said this was creating unrest among the youth. Answering a question, OBL said he was very happy that Pakistan had not recognized Israel although some Islamic countries had accorded recognition to the Jewish state. He believed that the US wanted to set up its bases in Eden to have its military presence there against Somalia. However, he said, some blasts in Eden hotels had terrified the US to an extent that it abandoned its plan. He was a strong supporter of rights of the Kashmiri people and regarded struggle for their rights justified. OBL planned to set up an International Islamic Front for better coordination among Jehadi organizations.