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Taliban leader Omar vows to retake Afghanistan
Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar has accused the United States of trying
to impose a puppet administration in Afghanistan and vowed to regain control of
the country, a Pakistan-based Afghan news agency reported on Friday. The message, to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Fitr starting this weekend, came the day before the third anniversary of the day when U.S.-backed Afghan forces captured Kabul from the Taliban on November 13, 2001. Omar said the Taliban remained committed to their Islamic ideals. "There is much more brotherhood, obedience and steadfastness in the Taliban's Islamic movement than before," he said. "America and its puppets should know that we are determined to free and regain the sovereignty of our country." Omar said Eid was coming at a time when Afghanistan and Islamic values "remain plunged into horror and Crusader vengeance" and Taliban and mujahideen (holy warriors) continued to be imprisoned by the United States in Cuba and Afghanistan. "America...is trying to impose its puppet administration," the message said. "Moral decadence, desecration of Islamic values and crime are increasing in Afghanistan. Every ploy is being used to mislead women." U.S.-led forces overthrew the Taliban after the Islamic fundamentalists refused to give up Osama bin Laden and other al Qaeda leaders responsible for the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States. Like bin Laden, Mullar Omar has remained at large despite a three-year hunt by thousands of U.S. and allied troops. U.S. officials say they believe the men are hiding somewhere along the rugged border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Bin Laden issued a video tape last month ahead of the U.S. presidential election in which he taunted President Bush and warned the United States to expect more attacks. Omar said the Taliban "could have connived with America to retain power and this worldly rule by giving up Afghan honor. "But they didn't do it," he said. "You should rest assured that I and my Mujahid colleagues will never accept anything except Islamic injunctions." The past year has seen increased violence by the Taliban and their militant allies, but they failed in their vow to disrupt presidential elections last month won by U.S.-backed incumbent Hamid Karzai. A Taliban splinter faction, which says it broke away from Omar in August, says it is holding three U.N. election workers abducted in Kabul on Oct. 28. The group, Jaish-e Muslimeen (Army of Muslims), has threatened to kill
Annetta Flanigan from Northern Ireland, Shqipe Hebibi from Kosovo and Filipino
diplomat Angelito Nayan unless 26 Taliban prisoners are freed.
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