- LONDON - Following are verbatim
extracts of the interview on BBC World Service radio with Taliban leader
Mullah Mohammed Omar, conducted in Pashto and broadcast Thursday.
-
- The BBC asked the questions through a Taliban intermediary
over a satellite telephone. He passed them on to Omar through a hand-held
radio, then attached the phone's receiver to the radio for the answers.
-
- BBC: What do you think of the current situation in Afghanistan?
-
- Omar: You (the BBC) and American puppet radios have
created concern. But the current situation in Afghanistan is related to
a bigger cause -- that is the destruction of America ...
-
- BBC: What do you mean by the destruction of America?
Do you have a concrete plan to implement this?
-
- Omar: The plan is going ahead and, God willing, it is
being implemented. But it is a huge task, which is beyond the will and
comprehension of human beings. If God's help is with us, this will happen
within a short period of time. Keep in mind this prediction.
-
- BBC: Osama Bin Laden has reportedly threatened that
he would use nuclear, chemical or biological weapons against America. Is
your threat related to his?
-
- Omar: This is not a matter of weapons. We are hopeful
for God's help. The real matter is the extinction of America. And, God
willing, it (America) will fall to the ground.
-
- BBC: During the past few days, you have lost control
of several provinces. Are you hopeful to regain the lost territory?
-
- Omar: We are hopeful that you will see the same kind
of change that you saw (losing and regaining territory).
-
- BBC: What was the reason for the fast retreat? Why have
your troops fled the cities? Is it because you suffered heavily from the
US bombings or have your soldiers betrayed you?
-
- Omar: I told you that it is related to the larger task
...
-
- BBC: Can you tell us which provinces are under your
control at the moment?
-
- Omar: We have four-five provinces. But it is not important
how many provinces we have under our control. Once we did not have a single
province, and then the time came when we had all the provinces, which we
have lost in a week. So the numbers of the provinces are not important.
-
- BBC: As your participation in the future government
has already been ruled out -- if some of your forces decide to join the
future government as representatives of the Taliban in general or to moderate
Taliban, will you oppose it?
-
- Omar: There is no such thing in the Taliban. All Taliban
are moderate. There are two things: extremism ("ifraat", or doing
something to excess) and conservatism ("tafreet", or doing something
insufficiently). So in that sense, we are all moderates, taking the middle
path. The struggle for a broad-based government has been going on for
the last 20 years, but nothing came of it. We will not accept a government
of wrong-doers. We prefer death than to be a part of an evil government.
-
- I tell you, keep this in mind. This is my prediction.
You believe it or not -- it's up to you. But we will have to wait and see.
-
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- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow.asp?art_id=1218906739
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