The leader of the Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Omar, has
renewed his call for a holy war against U.S. troops and their
Afghan sympathizers.
Omar issued the decree through posters displayed all over
eastern Afghanistan. Some 600 Islamic clerics signed poster
reminding the faithful of their duty to wage jihad, or holy
war.
"Whenever the non-Muslims attack a Muslim land it is the
duty of everyone to raise against the aggressor," the black
and white poster said.
"We were blamed for Osama bin Laden because they said he
was a terrorist and he was taking shelter with us. But what is
the fault of Iraq? Iraq has no Osama bin Laden in his
country," the poster, written in Pashtu, said.
Besides drawing parallels between Afghanistan and Iraq, the
60-centimetre by 45-centimetre poster also includes verses
from the Koran explaining jihad.
Pashtu is the native language of the majority of Pashtuns,
the ethnic group of most Taliban foot soldiers.
The message was posted openly in villages in eastern
Afghanistan and the tribal regions of Pakistan, where Taliban
loyalists are reportedly hiding.
CBC news
