Official clarifies bin Laden remarks

OSLO, Norway, Aug. 28 (UPI) -- The deputy foreign minister of Norway said his country has no desire to enter into a dialogue with Osama bin Laden or the terror group he heads.

Deputy Foreign Minister Raymond Johansen said he has "no illusions" that bin Laden would enter into negotiating talks, Aftenposten reported Thursday.

A day after Johansen told the Oslo newspaper Dagsavisen that "you don't make peace with your friends but

with your enemies," including the terror leader, the Foreign Ministry said in a press release that Norway has no desire to enter into talks with bin Laden.

"There are several criteria that would need to be in place before we involve ourselves in dialogue with partners to a conflict," Johansen said in a statement on Thursday.

"A central criterion is that the partners themselves want such a dialogue. I pinpointed to Dagsavisen that I didn't think Osama bin Laden and ... al-Qaida want any dialogue. It's therefore wrong to say that Norway has a desire for dialogue with bin Laden," he added.