Taliban Commander Warns Of More Suicide Attacks
27 December 2005 -- A top Taliban commander has warned of more suicide attacks in Afghanistan.
Mullah Dadullah told the AP news agency that more than 200 Taliban fighters had volunteered to carry out such attacks against U.S. forces and their allies.
He ruled out any reconciliation with the government of President Hamid Karzai.
A spokesman for Afghanistan's Defense Ministry, General Mohammed Zahir Azimi, dismissed Dadullah's claims as "propaganda" and said Afghanistan had enough security forces to deal with the rebels.
There have been a series of suicide attacks in Afghanistan in recent months, sparking fears the rebels could be adopting tactics used in Iraq.
(AP)
A Muslim woman (left) watches a Christian procession in Madrid in March (AFP)
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CONFERENCE ON ISLAM: A major international conference on Islam concluded in Vienna in November 2005 with strong appeals from prominent Muslim leaders to recognize international terrorism as simply "terrorism." Political figures from Islamic countries, including the presidents of Iraq and Afghanistan, argued that it should never be labeled "Islamic" or "Muslim" terrorism because Islam is based on peace, dialogue, and tolerance. "Salaam" -- meaning "peace" -- was the key word of the three-day conference, titled "
ISLAM IN A PLURALISTIC WORLD."
Iraqi President Jalal Talibani and Afghan President Hamid Karzai used the word in their remarks to emphasize the peaceful nature of Islam. Other speakers quoted passages from the Koran to the effect that all men and women, regardless of faith, are creatures of God and should live in peace with each other without discrimination
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Listen to Afghan President
HAMID KARZAI's complete address to the Vienna conference (in English):
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Listen to UN special envoy
LAKHDAR BRAHIMI's complete address to the Vienna conference (in English):
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