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Taliban Reorganizes Troops, Awaits Anti-Plane Missiles
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By IOL Central Asia Correspondent
KABUL, Afghanistan, May 21 (IslamOnline) – A prominent Taliban leader said Tuesday that the ousted Afghan regime has regrouped its forces, reappointed troop and regional leaders, preparing a guerrilla-like war against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Veteran Afghan leader, Qary Galiludeen told IslamOnline that ‘the organizational network among the movement’s members, both inside and outside Afghanistan, has been reactivated under the direct leadership of Mullah Mohammad Omar’.
“Mullah Omar is alive, leading Taliban forces personally from a safe place and he heads central meetings of Taliban.”
Galiludeen asserted that ‘well-organized guerrilla war against U.S. troops and their Afghan allies will be intensified in the coming period’.
Explaining the reasons to resort to the guerrilla war option, Galiludeen said: “Direct war, in this stage, will cost heavy civilian casualties. Once we receive anti-aircraft missiles, we will launch direct war against foreign troops on our soil.”
“War planes are our problem in fighting U.S. forces. They cannot fight field battles, they rely on their advanced air force. Guerilla war will inflict heavy casualties on their forces. This will sure send them running out of our land,” the Taliban leader added.
Galiludeen pointed that some countries promised to support Taliban in its war against U.S. troops. He also called on all Mujahideen (Islamic fighters) to unite behind Taliban in their war against the Americans, asserting that the movement decided not to allow ‘any one else to work independently from Mullah Omar’.
“Guerrilla war against U.S. troops in Afghanistan is the first step on the path of defeating the Americans. All we need from our Muslim brothers is to help us by praying to Allah to bestow His Victory on us,” Galiludeen said.
“Jihad (holy war) will continue till Doomsday, we will never stop fighting U.S. troops that occupied the land of Islam,” he added.
Galiludeen is a well-known field commander with the Taliban, from Laghman province. He used to lead Taliban front forces in the several battles they have gone through.
Meanwhile, reliable sources told IslamOnline that Taliban have regrouped and reorganized its forces, especially in Southern and South-Eastern Afghan provinces.
Also a source, close to the movement, who refused to be named, said that ‘organizations from neighboring countries supply Taliban with money and weapons, but in a cautious manner’.
Taliban’s announcement of reorganization comes at a time when the interim Afghan administration is preparing for convening Loya Jirga (Public Council).
The United states launched war against Taliban and al-Qaeda network, led by Osama bin Laden, late October 2001. That came following Taliban’s refusal to hand over Bin Laden to the U.S. which accused him of allegedly masterminding attacks on New York and Washington on September 11, 2001.
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