Destruction of religious statues 'ended drought'

Afghanistan's Taliban leader says Allah has sent rain to the drought-hit country because he's pleased at the smashing of the Buddha statues.

Widespread rains have broken a four-year drought in Afghanistan.

Mullah Mohammad Omar told three Pakistani Islamic scholars that Allah deprived Afghanistan of rain because of the delay in destroying the statues.

Islamabad's Urdu-language newspaper Ausaf says Omar believes the West is more concerned about the statues than Afghans who had been suffering from the drought.