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| Afghanistan |
| Taliban claim to have chemical weapons |
| 2003-01-04 |
| Interview with Taliban diplomat Naseer Ahmed Rohi in the Gulf News. Contains the usual boasts of large numbers of American casualties, but there are a few interesting items as well. Remnants of theTaliban regime announced they possess chemical and other sophisticated weapons provided by 'friendly' states to the Afghan resistance aimed at challenging the presence of U.S. and the allied forces in war-shattered Afghanistan. "Mujahideen (holy warriors) are now in possession of chemical and other sophisticated weapons provided by friendly countries. We have still not used them but guided missiles and remote control weapons have been used and the results are very encouraging," claimed former Taliban diplomat, Naseer Ahmed Rohi. Guided missle means they leaned it against a rock before running away. Remote control weapon = suicide bomber. The former Taliban diplomat, who claimed to have served as first secretary at an Afghan embassy before the fall of the Taliban was briefing a select group of senior journalists in Peshawar on Friday. He said the new weapon was not used by Mujahideen in the past. However, experts and analysts of the Afghan situation believe that the claim by the Taliban official needs verification. They think he's lying like the rug he was sitting on The Taliban official categorically denied Pakistan's role in the provision of the latest technology and dangerous weapons, but said some Muslims as well as non-Muslim friendly countries have supplied the Mujahideen with the weaponry. Denied Pakistan gave him weapons,did he? Was he asked, or did he just volunteer it? Rohi did not name the country that supplied what he claimed were chemical weapons to the resistance forces in Afghanistan, but said the situation was encouraging because of the attacks on the U.S. and allied forces in eastern and southern provinces of the country during the last few months. If we find the "weapon" we can trace it back, and return it Rohi claimed that Taliban, Al Qaida fighters loyal to Osama bin Laden and Hizb-i-Islami's Mujahideen under the leadership of Gulbadin Hikmatyar have joined hands and reactivated its dormant cells in several provinces to take on the enemy. "Hikmatyar met Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar in Uruzgan province and both the leaders have agreed on the war strategy and coordination among the resistance groups," he said adding that the two leaders have resolved to launch a joint struggle for the liberation of Afghanistan from foreign forces and holding of general elections in the country in case of success to oust the invaders. "It was Hikmatyar's insistence to hold general elections in the country after the victory," Rohi said. Bet there's only one name on the ballot Uruzgan is the native province of Mullah Omar, and the Taliban official claimed that their leader spends most of the time in his area due to the fact that he is little known to the people as he kept his distance and did not allowed cameramen to take his pictures. "It was purely because of his Islamic view, but non-existence of his photos has proved a blessing in disguise for him and is paying off now," Rohi said. That's true, there is supposed to be only one picture of him. That was taken from a long way off and not very clear The Taliban official said that Mullah Omar has not changed the way he dresses nor had Osama bin Laden, but certain key Taliban leaders wanted by the U.S., have done so by shaving their beards or trimming them out of compulsion. Rohi said that Hizb's fighters have taken responsibility to launch attacks on the U.S. forces in eastern provinces while Taliban and their supporters would carry out such activities in southern parts of Afghanistan. About bin Laden, he said, the Al Qaida chief was alive and moving in areas between Pakistan and Afghanistan along with one of his wives and children. Bin Laden has four wives and more than a dozen children. "Osama received injuries in the chest during the Tora Bora bombing by U.S. planes, but has survived the air strikes. Wishful thinking? However, the entire family of Aiman Al Zawahiri has been killed including his two wives and children," the Taliban official claimed. He said that Al Zawahiri, second in command in the Al Qaida network, has moved out of the region saying that according to his information, Zawahiri was no longer in Asia. He did not disclose his whereabouts. Saudi, perhaps? Rohi claimed that Hekmatyar's forces have captured as many as 50 U.S. soldiers on way to Kabul from Logar while the Taliban fighters captured another 26 U.S. special forces personnel during the Shah-i-Kot fighting, code named as Operation Anaconda. "We will bring them before the press after the approval of the top leadership," he said. Fiction, if we had MIA's we'd be turning over every rock in the dammed country. That lesson we learned all too well. However, Pakistani intelligence officials denied the story, saying that news about 10 to 15 missing U.S. soldiers has been in circulation for long. "I believe that the operation in Kunar province of Afghanistan last month was aimed at finding clues to the whereabouts of the missing Americans," an official of the secret agencies said. Rohi also claimed that as many as 5000 fighters loyal to the Taliban movement have been activated in southern as well as eastern provinces. "We still have Arab, Chechen, Uzbek and even Pakistani fighters with us and were ready to fight against the foreign invaders. More the merrier Taliban as well as the Arab Mujahideen are not happy with Pakistan's policy of arresting and handing over hundreds of Muslims to the U.S.," he said. They are still alive working on their suntans in Gitmo. Come to Afganistan to fight us and you might get to join them, if you're very lucky. You'll most likely just get dead |
| Posted by:Steve |
| #2 Correction... more Pakistani than Afghan. |
| Posted by: Anonymous 2003-01-05 06:27:41 |
| #1 "We still have Arab, Chechen, Uzbek and even Pakistani fighters" I note he did not mention Afghani fighters. Oversight? Taliban was always more Arab than Afghan... |
| Posted by: John Anderson 2003-01-05 05:00:22 |