The attacks on the United States were to avenge US "cruelty" toward Muslim countries, the Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar said Tuesday in a message to the American people.
"The American people must know that the sad events that took place recently were the result of their government's wrong policies," he said in the message, delivered through Pakistan-based private news agency, the Afghan Islamic Press.
"Your government is perpetrating all sorts of atrocities in Muslim countries. Instead of supporting your government's policies you should urge your government to reconsider their wrong and cruel policies," he said.
"The recent sad event in America was the result of these cruel policies and was meant to avenge this cruelty," he said, without claiming to know who was responsible.
Omar again defended alleged terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden, named by the United States as the prime suspect for the September 11 attacks.
He reiterated that bin Laden, the Saudi-born dissident who has been living under Taliban protection in Afghanistan since 1996, was incapable of planning the sort of sophisticated suicide hijackings which leveled the World Trade Center and part of the Pentagon two weeks ago.
"You must think of where the attack took place and who was behind it, but Afghanistan is being made the target and preparations are being made to attack Afghanistan," he said.
"What will be the consequences?
"You accept all just or unjust statements from your government but why can't you judge whether Osama bin Laden is involved in this? Can he do this in America?
"It is better for you to consider this seriously and act with wisdom” -- ISLAMABAD (AFP)
© 2001 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
