Afghanistan’s ousted Taliban regime is calling on the army and police to join the hard-line Islamic movement in its campaign against President Hamid Karzai and U.S.-led forces, an official said Monday. Pamphlets have been distributed in the restive southern province of Zabul, part of the former heartland of the Taliban movement, said Mohammad Omar, deputy governor of Zabul. “For the past several days we have been seeing these leaflets here,” Omar told Reuters by telephone from Zabul. “They have called on the army and police force to join the Taliban to fight Karzai’s government and coalition forces instead.” Omar said the pamphlets also warned that those who failed to follow the orders of the Taliban would be killed. “At the beginning, the wording is very mild and encouraging, but at the end they threaten death to those who do not listen to the Taliban.” Western diplomats are concerned that Taliban guerrillas and sympathizers are growing in number and confidence in the south and southeast of the country. Afghan officials blame the increase in attacks this year against U.S.-led forces, international peacekeepers and aid workers on “criminals” and “terrorists” drawing support from radical elements over the border in Pakistan. Full Story
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