Submit your comments on this article | |||
Afghanistan | |||
Hekmatyar Denies Role In Riyadh, Casablanca Bombings | |||
2003-06-27 | |||
Former Afghani premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyarâs Hizb-e-Islami party repudiated allegations it had any role in two bombing attacks in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. âWe have no whatsoever link to the terrorist attacks in Riyadh and Casablanca,â the party said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by IslamOnline.net on Thursday, June 26. "Lies, all lies" In a scratchy videocassette, run by the Associated Press TV on June 21, a masked man, claiming to speak on behalf of Hizb-e-Islami, Taliban and Al-Qaeda, said the Riyadh and Casablanca attacks in mid-May were jointly carried out by the three groups. âWe have no member who goes by the name Abu el-Hareith Abd el-Hakim,â said the statement, in reference to the name given by the masked man on the tape. âWe once again reiterate our denunciation of terrorist attacks, and consider them a violation of the Islamic sharia and principles of humanity,â said the statement, condemning the Riyadh and Casablanca attacks which only âkilled innocentsâ. He doesn't want to lose his Saudi funding.
"Since they are one and the same, why would we need a treaty?" It also threw discredit on the AP report, arguing it was âpart of an organized media campaign against the party to undermine its repeated calls for stability and national reconciliation as well as the establishment of an Islamic government in Afghanistan.â It's all a zionist american plot to discredit him.
Observers had questioned the authenticity of the AP video, as the man appeared with a face covered by a black turban, a tactic rarely used by Al-Qaeda members and leaders who used to appear unmasked on the screen, even those who claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks. Maybe they have learned to avoid the spotlght?
But since it was sweeps week, they aired it anyway. The White House declined to comment on the video and Pakistani intelligence officials denied any knowledge of the video. "We don't watch CNN anymore, Fox has hotter babes." | |||
Posted by:Steve |