"mere suspicion".....what balls !!!!!!! :(
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Taliban Chief Urges Rich Muslims to Fund Defense
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (Reuters) - The leader of the Taliban was quoted Wednesday as calling for a holy struggle against what he called a Western crusade against Afghanistan and urging rich Muslims to fund its defense.
Qatar-based al-Jazeera television quoted Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar as saying ``mere suspicion'' against Osama bin Laden, named by Washington as top suspect in last month's attacks on the United States, was no justification for attacking either bin Laden or an entire country.
``Merchants and owners of capital, your prime duty is to spend in the way of God,'' Omar was quoted as saying in a statement broadcast by al-Jazeera. ``In a situation like the one we are in today jihad (holy struggle) becomes a duty for all Muslims against those invaders.''
There was no independent confirmation of the authenticity of the statement, but Jazeera faxed Reuters a copy typed in Arabic with a handwritten signature.
Saudi-born bin Laden has denied any role in the Sept. 11 attacks on New York and Washington that left nearly 6,000 people dead or presumed killed.
The United States has told the Taliban to surrender bin Laden or face the consequences. It has massed military forces within striking distance of Afghanistan and is gathering international support for a possible strike.
Omar's statement was addressed to Muslims around the world:
``No doubt you are following carefully and attentively the flagrant crusade led by the United States of America with international support from Britain, and the Christian countries of Europe and NATO and Russia and the former communist countries and those who join them from the ranks of infidels and apostates,'' it said.
``They are building armies and creating alliances against the Islamic emirate of Afghanistan to achieve declared goals, at the head of which is to topple the Islamic government of Afghanistan and destroy what they call the bases of terrorism.
``No doubt you realize that the reasons they claim are behind their crusade are only an excuse to achieve their underlying aims...They want to destroy this Islamic state because it is Islamic.
``Otherwise, what law allows the punishment of a person for a mere suspicion that has not been established, not to mention punishing a nation because of that person.''
Reut11:12 10-03-01
