By
Husbanullah Abdul Baqi, IOL Correspondent
PESHAWAR,
Pakistan, August 27 (IslamOnline) – Political analysts, prominent
writers and experts of Afghani affairs Tuesday, August 27, 2002, could
not agree on the authenticity of Osama bin Laden’s letter published
by IslamOnline.net Saturday, August 24. Some accused the U.S.
Intelligence of forging the letter, others asserted it was written by
the Saudi dissident, and all agreed on the great impact the message
could have on all parties.
Well-known
Pakistani writer and manager of The News International paper,
Rahmullah Sweifzy, did not believe “Bin Laden wrote that letter or
sent it”, adding that “no one knows anything about his life or
death”.
“The
U.S. administration will, of course, investigate the authenticity of
that letter. However, publishing it now will sure strengthen the
Afghani opposition to the U.S. troops there. It will also have a
negative impact on the morale of the U.S. troops,” said Sweifzy.
Expert
of Afghani Affairs and former head of the Pakistani Intelligence,
Hameed Gul, for his part, told IslamOnline that no one could tell for
sure that Bin Laden wrote that letter.
“However,
if he did, so, he is alive. We know that the Americans still believe
he is alive. The aim of publishing it now is to call for Jihad against
the U.S.,” Gul added.
He
further expected that such a call would give a strong push to the
Taliban and al-Qaeda, as well as other groups opposed to the U.S.
presence in Afghanistan.
“The
U.S. will eventually lose the war in Afghanistan, as the Taliban and
al-Qaeda will fight a guerilla war against the U.S. troops there. The
same happened with the Russians before,” Gul said.
He
described Bin Laden’s letter as “a new driving force to the
Afghani resistance (against the U.S.).
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Bin Laden, is he still alive |
Contradicting
Gul’s opinion, famous Pakistani analyst, Dr. Murad A’lishah said
that he did not think Bin Laden wrote that letter. “I believe what
happened in Sept 11, as well as what is happening now in Afghanistan
and elsewhere, is planned by the Israeli Mussad against the
Muslims,” A’lishah charged.
Afghani
reporter and writer, Zubier Shafieqi, for his part, did not believe
the world’s most wanted man wrote that letter, as he (Shafieqi)
believed Bin Laden was already dead. But, he agreed with Gul in the
aim behind publishing it. “I think it is meant to boost the spirit
of resistance against the U.S. presence in Afghanistan,” Shafieqi
said.
“Publishing
it at this timing has a meaning for sure. The Americans are completing
their preparations to attack Iraq. Several world countries, including
the Europeans are trying to persuade the U.S. against carrying out
such an attack. So, to publish it now is an attempt to divert the U.S.
attention from Iraq, keep it focused on Afghanistan,” Shafieqi
added.
However,
he ruled out the possibility that the letter carried a special
military code for Bin Laden’s men to carry out attacks on U.S.
targets. “I do not rule out the possibility that the circles of the
CIA (U.S. Central Intelligence Agency) forged and leaked that letter,
to try to locate Bin Laden’s men locations and get them,” Shafieqi
said.
But
another Afghani writer and analyst, Abdul Wahid Nahdat Frahi,
contradicted Shafieqi’s view, saying, “The letter is 100% Bin
Laden’s. It is a decisive evidence that he is still alive. The main
purpose is to remind Muslims of Uhud Battle, when the infidels spread
rumors that Prophet Muhammad (Allah’s peace and blessings be upon
him) died. The Prophet then cried out “I’m alive”. This is Bin
Laden’s way of telling his followers that he is alive, to make them
regroup and fight again,” Frahi said.
Another
Afghani reporter, Janullah Hashimza, said he believed that Bin Laden
was “alive and kicking”, but he did not think “Sheikh Osama
wrote that letter”.
“I
think the Americans forged that letter to give their military
operations in Afghanistan a justification,” he said.
