Taliban official warns of new wave of attacks
KHOST, Afghanistan: The remnants of the Taliban, forced out of power in Afghanistan in 2001, will stage a new wave of attacks against US-led coalition forces in the south and southeast of the country this spring, a man claiming to represent the militia said yesterday.
In an interview in the southeastern city of Khost, the man, who has previously proved himself a credible source of information on the intentions of the militant group, also claimed that Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, were both alive and in Afghanistan.
Bin Laden and his deputy, the Egyptian Ayman Al-Zawahiri "are alive and both are in Afghanistan, in different places", Mohamed Saiful Adel told an AFP journalist in an interview in the city of Khost, close to the border with Pakistan.
A former leader of the anti-Soviet Mujahaddin fighters, Jalaluddin Haqqani, "has taken on the role of deputy leader of the Taliban," the Taliban spokesman said. "He is playing a key role in our movement and is responsible for all the military operations," he added.
"Haqqani is personally leading the operations in Paktia, Paktika and Khost," said the spokesman, referring to three southeastern provinces.
Since it was ousted from power in Afghanistan by US-backed forces in December 2001, the militia has been unable to do more than stage isolated attacks on the US-led coalition which supports the government of President Hamid Karzai.
Some Western analysts warn that the Taliban is now attempting to exaggerate its real power in an attempt to destabilise Afghanistan in the run up to elections intended to take place some time this year.
But Adel insisted the movement was capable of mounting serious attacks and boasted, but without providing any proof, that: "We will stage attacks on an unprecedented scale in the spring."
Taliban members would "for example, attack a big town, seize it, occupy it for several hours and then leave ... We will lead attacks against American bases here. We will have a lot of martyrs but we will do it," said the spokesman.
The interview with Adel took place over two hours in a room in a hotel in the centre of the town.
The Taliban spokesman appeared at the interview apparently unarmed but several Taliban fighters were visible nearby, patrolling the surrounding area apparently as security for him. The entire interview took place not more than a few hundred yards from the offices of the local governor and several military installations.
He claimed to have dozens of volunteer fighters in the movement's ranks, "most of them our Arab brothers, but with more and more Afghans. The Americans have killed lots of innocent people in this region and their relatives want revenge," he said.
He also said the Taliban were working with the Al Qaeda group led by bin Laden, providing them with military support in return for their financial assistance.
"We are co-operating closely with members of Al Qaeda. We are providing them with the military means in return for their financial support. Our financial means are very limited."
Parcel bomb wounds police
ROME: Three police officers were injured, one seriously, when a parcel bomb exploded yesterday as it was being inspected at a police station in the central city of Perugia. Police said one of the officers could lose four fingers on his right hand and three on his left. Two other officers were slightly injured.
The package had been posted to a woman who opened it at a local cafe. She called the police when she became suspicious about the contents. The police officers then took it to the station to examine it. The package was reported to contain a booby-trapped video-cassette. - AFP