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Taliban Leader Says to Stop Terrorism U.S. Must Withdraw from Gulf
KABUL, Sept 24 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - As Afghanistan's ruling Taliban says it has mobilized 300,000 experienced fighters to defend the country against any attacks by the United States, Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar said that in order to stop terrorism, the U.S. must withdraw from the Gulf, news agencies reported.
A statement issued in Kabul by the Taliban Monday says their forces have already been deployed to various locations, and are ready to defend their country and religion.
The statement also appealed to Afghanistan's citizens to be prepared for a struggle, or
jihad.
The Taliban also asserted that they were trying to avoid a battle, and that the United States should show restraint.
According to the Afghan Islamic Press (AIP), Mullah Mohammad Omar said Monday that world terrorism could only be defeated if the United States withdrew its forces from the Middle East.
"The United States should not harbor any misunderstanding. It cannot come out of the current crisis if it kills me or Osama," he said in a statement, referring to Saudi-born dissident Osama bin Laden, blamed by the U.S. for masterminding the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center on September 11th.
"If America wants to end terrorism, it should withdraw its forces from the Gulf and end its partiality on the Palestine issue."
Meanwhile, the Taliban's ambassador to Pakistan, Abdul Salaam Zaeef, said Taliban authorities have not been able to find bin Laden in order to deliver a request that he leave Afghanistan voluntarily, the Voice Of America (VOA) reported.
However, U.S. officials say they do not believe the Taliban do not know the whereabouts of the Saudi exile, despite its denials.
The United States said it would present to the American people, and to the world, compelling evidence about bin Laden's involvement in the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Secretary of State Colin Powell said a document is being prepared would prove that bin Laden and his al-Qaeda network were behind the attacks.
The Taliban appealed on Monday to the United Nations, Islamic countries and the people of the United States to put pressure on Washington to pull back from carrying out a military attack.
In a letter to U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan, Taliban Foreign Minister Wakil Ahmed Mutawakel called on the world body to intervene in the crisis, Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported.
"Your excellency is requested to use your authority and influence and not let big countries impose their evil interests on small and poor countries, especially on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," the Taliban minister wrote.
He reiterated the Taliban's position that bin Laden could not have been involved in the September 11th attacks on New York and Washington because he did not have the means by which to communicate with the outside world.
"On the one hand, the United States itself describes Osama as a suspect, but on the other it intends to attack our country, which is against the principles of the U.N. and the declaration of Human Rights.
"According to Islamic Shari'a [Islamic law] and all international laws, a suspected person is treated as innocent until the court has pronounced its verdict."
Mutawakel also attacked the world for not condemning a U.S. spy plane's incursion into Afghani airspace.
"Recently a U.S. spy plane was shot down by the forces of the Islamic Emirate. Is the sending of such aircraft to the territory of an independent country not a terrorist attack?" Mutawakel asked.
"Why the world is silent on that? There is no difference between the incidents which happened in the U.S. and the sending of planes to our territory. They are both considered as terrorist attacks."
Mutawakel sent a similar letter to the head of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), the main organization grouping the world's Muslim countries.
In an earlier statement, the foreign minister appealed to the people of the United States to put pressure on their government and call for restraint.
The statement said Afghanistan deeply appreciated the aid it received from the United States during its resistance to the 1979-89 Soviet invasion and occupation.
"The help and assistance of the American people during jihad [struggle against the U.S.S.R.] was appreciated.
"But, unfortunately, the U.S. government has been threatening the people and territory of Afghanistan for some unknown reason and different pretexts.
"It has even sometimes talked of a crusade against the religion of this country, which is very horrible."
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