On Dec. 8, 2008, Mullah Muhammad Omar, the leader of the Taliban in Afghanistan, issued a statement marking Eid-ul-Adha. In the statement, Mullah Omar urged former Mujahideen in Afghanistan to join the ranks of the Taliban to fight against the U.S. and NATO troops.
The Eid address was published on the Pashtu-language website www.toorabora.com. Following are excerpts:[1]
"No Enemy Can Withstand the Onslaught of the Believers Who are Willing to Make Sacrifices"
"I would like to extend my warmest felicitations on the eve of Eid-ul-Adha to all the Muslims of the world, to the oppressed... but committed and brave people of Afghanistan, [and] my heartfelt felicitation goes especially to all the Mujahideen on this auspicious day.... This day of Eid–ul-Adha marks a day of sacrifice....
"No enemy can withstand the onslaught of the believers who are willing to make sacrifices. It is the result of these sacrifices that today... we have compelled the most powerful enemy to retreat [in Afghanistan and Iraq]. I would like to remind the illegal invaders who have invaded our defenseless... people that this is a golden opportunity for them to hammer out an exit strategy for your forces. Put an end to the genocide of the people [in Afghanistan]...
"You will not be able to convince your people about the indecisive, ambiguous war, the result of which is unclear. Repeatedly, you have admitted that it is no longer a hard task [for the Taliban in Afghanistan] to kill the foreign troops and destroy their military hardware. You recognize that cutting-edge technology has had no bearing on the consequence of the war. You should understand that no puppet regime will ever stand up to the current resistance movement [led by the Taliban]...
"[The proposed] deployment of more [U.S.] troops will end up intensifying the war... As a result, the current armed clashes... will flare up.... Your current casualties of hundreds will increase to thousands of casualties of dead and wounded... Even your own people cannot make sense of the rationale [of the proposed U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan].... And because of your blind bombardments, which cause the killing of defenseless Muslims, men, women and children, you will not escape the wrath of the Islamic Ummah..."
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"The Advocates of Peace Should Put an End to the Occupation [of Afghanistan] First"
"Your superficial willingness for peace will seem absurd in view of the continuing war... and the increase in the number of foreign troops in [Afghanistan]... The advocates of peace should put an end to the occupation first... Do not think that due to the presence of the occupation forces, the followers of the path of Islamic resistance will ever abandon their legitimate struggle merely on the basis of your empty and farcical pledges... The invading forces wrongly think that they can divide the Afghans against the Mujahideen by creating tribal militias against them...
"I call on the peace-loving peoples in the world to use their influence to liberate all the occupied countries, including Afghanistan...
"Today, the world's economy is facing a growing meltdown because of the belligerent and expansionist policies of the U.S..."
"I Urge My Brave and Muslim People… Not To Be Deceived By Elections [In 2009]"
"I urge my brave and Muslim people... not to be deceived by elections [in 2009 in Afghanistan]. In fact, it is the U.S. that selects the leaders [in Kabul]. The leaders are in reality not the outcome of your votes, but rather are selected at the discretion of those who sit in Washington....
"[As in the past,] the enemy is again trying to divide the Afghans and entangle them in internal strife under various pretexts. Many countries, and the invaders [U.S. and NATO], are making overt and covert efforts... to dismantle our country by raking up [internal] language and geographic differences...
"[I] urge all Afghans, particularly those brothers who have taken part in the resistance against the Russians [during the 1980s], to come forward, and let us fuse into one. Let's join hands. You may hold a post [of privilege in the Afghan government] but still you are believers... Let us now stand shoulder to shoulder and honestly frame an independent and Islamic policy..."
"[I Urge] the Noble Peoples of the Arab World to Support the Real... Mujahideen of Iraq and Palestine"
"I call on the Islamic world, particularly on the noble peoples in the Arab world, to support the real and honest Mujahideen of Iraq and Palestine. Help them with your wealth... and fulfill your Islamic responsibility....
"The countries neighboring Afghanistan, and all countries of the region, should understand that the U.S.'s expansionist and arrogant policies and its influence in the region are not in anyone's interest; rather it is a threat and danger to the region. Therefore, we must confront it jointly. The U.S. will not be satisfied unless and until it eradicates all your military, academic and economic power...
Endnote:
[1] http://www.toorabora.com/Safhi/Rosti_pikhi/33.htm, Afghanistan, December 8, 2008.
