Taliban will rule again fugitive leader vows

Hardline Islamic rule will return to Afghanistan once US military forces are driven from the country, according to a statement purported to have been written by Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar.

The statement was dated to coincide with the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, but first appeared yesterday on an Internet site that has carried Islamic militant material in the past.

It was impossible to verify the statement’s authenticity.

"We told our (Islamic) community - that we are not afraid of (President George) Bush’s and America's threats," the statement said. "We are continuing jihad (holy war) against America and all the invaders. We reassure Muslims everywhere that we are abiding by the pledge, and that victory is coming."

According to the statement, Mullah Omar said Sharia - Islamic law - would return to Afghanistan and "America won’t enjoy Afghanistan or find comfort in it until it will leave ashamed".

Mullah Omar’s radical Taliban government was toppled by US-led forces after America launched its war on terror following the September 11 terror attacks. The Taliban had offered sanctuary to Osama bin Laden and his al-Qaida forces.

"The war that America is waging on our country is part of its campaign against Islam," Mullah Omar's statement went on.

He said America was "arrogant" for not understanding why people would hijack passenger planes and crash them into US landmarks, and for believing that it could remain in Afghanistan.

"America is a big state, but has a small brain and is arrogant. It appears powerful with its planes, bombs and engines, but at its core it is weak," the statement said.

The whereabouts of Mullah Omar, bin Laden and several of their lieutenants remain unknown.

Last month, Afghanistan’s foreign minister said he believed bin Laden and Mullah Omar were hiding in north-west Pakistan, but Pakistani officials have said repeatedly that they do not believe they are on Pakistani soil.