Afghan rebel leader proud to be branded a terrorist

AFGHAN rebel commander Gulbuddin Hekmatyar said he is proud that the US has branded him a terrorist and echoed Osama bin Laden’s call for suicide attacks against Americans, according to a statement released yesterday.

Calling the US the big Satan of the world, Hekmatyar, a former Afghan prime minister, also vowed jihad against US troops in Afghanistan. US forces are combing eastern Afghanistan for Hekmatyar, his loyalists and Taliban and al-Qaida fugitives.

“I am thankful to Almighty God that the United States of America thinks I am a terrorist. It is a matter of pride for me that such a strong country wants to punish me for the sake of my holy religion, Islam,” the statement attributed to Hekmatyar said.

“I ask the Muslims of the world to wage a guerrilla war by using suicide attacks,” the statement said. “Now is not the time for large group assaults, but for individual attacks,” he said.

The Pashtu-language statement was provided by a security officer in Hekmatyar’s Hezb-e-Islami group at an Afghan refugee camp in north-west Pakistan. Hekmatyar’s signature was confirmed by a former member. The statement urged Iraq to respond with suicide bombings if the US attacks.

The former Hezb-e-Islami member, speaking on condition of anonymity because he feared for his life, said Hekmatyar was seen in Afghanistan’s eastern Kapisa province two weeks ago and has been shuttling between Kapisa and the nearby regions of Nangarhar, Laghman and Kunar.

US special forces are stationed in Kunar, where Hekmatyar is believed to have a significant force. A Western diplomat in the Afghan capital, Kabul, said Kunar was of particular concern because of its proximity to Pakistan and hills where fighters can hide.

US troops there have come under regular attack, often the target of ambushes. In the statement, Hekmatyar denies being affiliated with the Taliban and with al-Qaida in Afghanistan. US and other Western intelligence officials, several Taliban and even members of Hekmatyar’s own group have said he has ties to bin Laden’s group.