Taliban say it's time to "forget" about Sept. 11 attacks

Cleveland.com ^ | November 21, 2001 | Haroon Rashid

[Mr. Mulliner]

Taliban say it's time to "forget" about Sept. 11 attacks

By HAROON RASHID
The Associated Press
11/21/01 9:11 AM

SPINBOLDAK, Afghanistan (AP) -- It is time to "forget" about the Sept. 11 terror attacks in the United States, a Taliban spokesman said Wednesday, as they have been superseded by the U.S.-led war on Afghanistan.

Syed Tayyad Agha, spokesman for Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar, also told a news conference that the Islamic militia doesn't know where Osama bin Laden is.

"You should forget the Sept. 11 attacks because now there is a new fighting against Muslims and Islam, and the international and global terrorists like America and Britain, they are killing daily our innocent people," he told journalists in the Afghan border town of Spinboldak.

He said the Taliban have lost contact with bin Laden and that he is no longer under the militia's control.

"We have no idea where he is," Agha said. "There is no relation right now. There is no communication."

Agha said he knew of no members of bin Laden's al-Qaida network in areas under Taliban control and that contact with them had been lost "due to their communication problems."

Agha also said the Taliban would defend territory they still control after a week of retreats across Afghanistan, including their home base, Kandahar.

"They have decided to defend the presently controlled areas," he said. "We will try our best and we will defend our nation ... and we will not give any chance to anybody to disturb our Islamic rule in Kandahar and other provinces."

President Bush launched the military campaign against Afghanistan on Oct. 7 after the Taliban refused to hand over bin Laden for his alleged role in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks that killed 4,000 people in the United States.

However, Agha told a group of foreign journalists in this southern border town that Sept. 11 was "America's problem" because it was carried out by people in the United States and that the Taliban was not responsible.

"This is the problem of Bush and (British Prime Minister) Tony Blair," he said. "This is not our problem."

Agha said the Taliban have no plans to abandon Kandahar and denied reports that local elders had asked them to leave, saying, "No tribal elders have contacted us."

"How could they ask for such a thing against the Taliban?" he added.

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[clamper1797]

After all I have seen about the Taliban and the atrocities they have visited upon the Afgan people, it is my opinion Bin Laden or no Bin Laden , these people need to be EXTERMINATED.

[mlocher]

there is a monty python skit here somewhere...

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

I agree that the reward is way too high. Anyone who would drop a dime on Osama for 25 million would do it for one million, or even less.

[dighton]

[Mr. Mulliner]

The reward for OBL must be working on some people. The pentagon says that they have so far received 22,000 tips on the whereabouts of the Evil One, but so far none of them specific enough to lead them to him.

[Imal]

Forget about september 11? Who's this guy talking to? Mr. Short-Term Memory?

Coming from a gang that still whines about the Crusades, this is downright hilarious!

Muslims still recall -- every year -- when Richard the Lionhearted slaughtered about 2800 captive Saracen soldiers at Acre because their ransom hadn't been paid on time. They still hold a grudge over 800 years later.

And so we're just supposed to forget about the slaughter of 4800 civilians a mere two months after they were massacred? Whoever that yabo is, he's been smoking way too much opium!

Imal

[SAMWolf]

When hell freezes over and probably not even then

We'll hunt you guys down and fight you until Hell freezes over and then we'll fight you on the ice!!

[KLT]

GGRROOOWWWWLLLLL!

FORGET ABOUT SEPTEMBER 11TH! I THINK NOT, GO TO H*LL YOU DAMN SOBS!

[CathyRyan]

Gees, there is no pleasing these people, they hated our polices before 9.11 so we change our policy and they are still are not happy...complain, complain, complain.

[SAMWolf]

Hey! Syed Tayyad Agha! Take a bite out of my shorts!!

[George Smiley]

Now Yankees, too can understand the meaning of those "FERGIT- HELL!" bumper stickers on the back of many Southern pickup trucks.

[randog]

Has JAMES CARVILLE been advising them on PR issues?

LOL! Come to think of it, we haven't seen his slimy mug lately, have we?

[wwjdn]

I agree, we should forget about September 11th...as soon as we have eliminated all terrorist group and all their stock piles of weapons of mass destruction. As well as those who harbored them...oops that was the Taliban, how could I have forgotten.

[KLT]

THAT'S IT, I'M OUT OF CONTROL!

[PeoplesRepublicOfWashington]

Boy...this fella knows how to spin a persuasive argument.

[laredo44]

When hell freezes over and probably not even then.

Tell this guy to keep his eyes peeled for Satan lacing up his ice skates. That will the sign we're ready to forget 9-11. BTW, I don't think freezing over is sufficient, Hell's got to freeze solid, at least.

[Bob Evans]

"Taliban say it's time to "forget" about Sept. 11 attacks?????

Not likely!

Napalm the Bastards!

[doug from upland]

They learned it from Scumbag. Let's move on.

[LarryLied]

Time to "move on." The tactic worked for Clinton. Don't think it will work for the Taliban.

[Mr. Mulliner]

That last picture is one of the funniest pics I've ever seen on FR!