UPDATED ON:
Saturday, January 31, 2009
18:42 Mecca time, 15:42 GMT
News CENTRAL/S. ASIA
Taliban warns US over Afghan plan
Rasul was formerly the governor of Nimruz
province under the Taliban

The Taliban has warned Barack Obama, the new US president, that his plans to send more troops to Afghanistan will lead to more bloodshed.

In remarks broadcast on Al Jazeera on Saturday, Mullah Mohamad Rasul, a Taliban leader, said that fighters of the group were ready to take on the US troops.

"Just as they are bringing more troops, so too the Taliban will have more troops," Rasul, a former governor of Nimruz province, told Al Jazeera.

"During the Bush administration the suicide bombers were registering individually, but now they are coming in groups. The whole nation is ready for the fight," he said, referring to the administration of George Bush, Obama's predecessor.

"Every year our military power gets stronger and stronger and our forces are getting bigger and bigger and we are heading towards success," Rasul said.

Obama campaigned for the US presidency on a promise to redeploy US troops and resources to Afghanistan from Iraq.

The US has 36,000 troops in Afghanistan and the White House is expected to announce up to three new brigade-size deployments as early as next week to help meet a long-standing request for additional forces from field commanders.

The plan would mean sending as many as 30,000 extra troops in the next 12 to 18 months.

New strategy

Oxfam, the international aid agency, has urged Obama to look beyond purely military solutions for Afghanistan, calling on the president to develop a new plan for US operations in the country.

"With spreading insecurity and civilians facing critical needs, there must be a comprehensive new strategy which will avert a major crisis," Raymond Offenheiser, Oxfam America's president, said.

The relief group said it had sent a memo to Obama, who took office on January 20, raising its concerns that "events have reached a critical juncture in Afghanistan".

Oxfam said "conditions could deteriorate further unless the United States takes a lead in addressing failures in governance, aid and reconstruction, and protecting civilians".

The US is the biggest provider of both money and troops on which the Afghan government depends to fight the Taliban and rebuild the country.

But security has massively deteriorated following an upsurge in violence.

Civilian deaths caused by international military operations have also stoked anger among Afghans.

Oxfam estimates that about 800 civilians died last year in operations carried out by international and Afghan government forces.

Security force

Meanwhile, Mohammad Hanif Atmar, Afghanistan's interior minister, announced on Saturday plans to establish a special force to boost security in areas worst hit by Taliban violence.

The paramilitary-style force, to be funded by the US government, is to operate under the command of the interior ministry, the department responsible for the country's police force.

"Considering the special situation in the country we've decided to ... create public protection forces with a special security mission within the interior ministry frame," Atmar said.

Their tasks will include protecting communities, schools, other government installations and highways.

 Source: Al Jazeera and agencies
 
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Feedback Number of comments : 3
 
Ernest
United States
01/02/2009
This fighting really is no good
Why did the fighting start? It started because of Al-Quida camps and training on Afghan soil. What is it going to take for this to stop? Would it be a pledge not to aid or abide organizations contemplating terroristic activities, locally or abroad? Would it be to declare a willingness to make efforts to cultivate the poppy plant for respectable purposes? This of which would be admirable. Positive responses would be key to bringing life back to normalcy. Other issues will be discussed.

J Werkman
Canada
01/02/2009
LOSERS
Taliban must be Homosexuals. All men? Anyhow, they will lose because they are against God in every way. These Satanic worshippers are doomed. May God have Mercy on their souls and deliver them from their evil.

wfraser1
Afghanistan
01/02/2009
success for the Taliban
Success for this guy means illiteracy, banning women from school, public beheadings, intolerance, suicide bombers, jihadi fascism and non secular education for those fortunate enough to end up in a madrasa prior to killing themselves. What an ignorant clown

 
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