Taleban claims 300,000 strong force to repel invaders

By RAYMOND WHITAKER and RUPERT CORNWELL

Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Taleban's shadowy leader, has demanded the US withdraw its forces from the Gulf and end its "bias" against Palestinians, as one of his ministers claimed to be mobilising 300,000 men to fight off any attack.

And while Afghanistan's ambassador in Pakistan was repeating that the Taleban could not track down their "guest", Osama bin Laden, the arch-terrorist suspect was issuing a statement calling on Muslims in Pakistan to rise up in defence of Islam.

In the statement, which was broadcast by a Pakistan television channel, Mr bin Laden spoke of "a jihad for the sake of God urged by his prophet".

Washington's nemesis praised Pakistani "martyrs" of Islam's struggle and urged Muslims to rise up against the campaign of "the crusader Bush under the banner of the cross".

Referring to the demonstrators who died last week during protests in Karachi, Mr bin Laden praised them for "rejecting the aggression by America's crusader forces and its allies against Muslim soil in Pakistan and Afghanistan."

Pakistan, he said, was Islam's first line of defence in the region, just as Afghanistan was for Pakistan during the Russian invasion of 20 years ago.

Reuters reported that the statement's authenticity could not be independently confirmed, but an editor at the Qatar television station, which interviewed bin Laden two years ago, considered it genuine.

Meanwhile, in a statement from his headquarters in Kandahar, Mullah Omar said the death of Mr bin Laden would do little to remove the threat against the US.

"If Americans want to eliminate terrorism, they should withdraw their forces from the Gulf and put an end to the biased attitude on the issue of Palestine," he said.

Mullah Obaidullah, the Afghan Defence Minister, said an additional 300,000 "well-experienced and equipped men" had been called up, while Mohammad Qasim Halimi, a Foreign Ministry official, told a television station in the Gulf that men were besieging the defence and interior ministries in Kabul, begging for arms to help to defend the country.

"Our weapons are not obsolete and even if they were obsolete, our fighters are active ... and their faith is strong," Mr Halimi said.

Analysts believe the Afghan armed forces number some 45,000, and that no more than another 15,000 could be conscripted, but Mullah Obaidullah said many former soldiers were volunteering to return.

According to Mr Halimi, some Muslims from outside Afghanistan also wanted to join the fight. "We have not allowed them to enter so far," he said, "but if we find that we need them then we will give orders to allow them to."

The impression of somewhat confused Taleban bellicosity was heightened by their press conference in Islamabad, which was plagued by loudspeaker breakdowns, poor translation and squabbles among television crews.

Held on the front lawn of the Afghan embassy, Afghanistan's ambassador, Abdul Salam Zaeef, maintained the Taleban's claim that they did not know Mr bin Laden's whereabouts.

Pressed to clarify whether he was still in Afghanistan, the ambassador's reply was translated by his deputy, Suhail Shaheen, as: "He is not lost, but he is missing. Maybe he is some place headed."

- INDEPENDENT, HERALD ONLINE STAFF

Full text of Osama bin Laden's statement

Full coverage: Terror in America

Pictures: Day 1 | Day 2 | Brooklyn Bridge live webcam

Video

The fatal flights

Emergency telephone numbers:

United Airlines: 0168 1800 932 8555

American Airlines: 0168 1800 245 0999

NZ Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade: 0800 872 111

US Embassy in Wellington (recorded info): 04 472 2068