U.S. under attack - terror promises another Vietnam for America
January 31, 2003
By Toby Westerman
Copyright 2003 International News Analysis Today
www.inatoday.com
As America prepares to commit hundreds of thousands of troops against Saddam Hussein's Iraq, an old enemy is making fresh threats, promising a renewed series of attacks upon the U.S., and a new fanatical alliance is arising against U.S. troops in Afghanistan.
Osama bin Laden returns to prominence calling for "martyr brigades" to attack the U.S. and other Western targets, according to a message recently delivered to the Arabic news paper Al Majalla, and reported in the German news daily Focus.
A messenger sent to Al Majalla claimed that Bin Laden is promising "surprises" for the West and that the terror leader will reappear "in word and picture" throughout the news media in about two weeks.
In Afghanistan, a "brutal holy warrior" is forging alliances with Islamic suicide bombers, the remnants of Taleban forces, and "mercenary terrorists" to attack U.S. and allied troops, according to a recent report in the German news magazine, Der Spiegel.
The ability of militant Islam to generate leaders sworn to destroy the U.S. and its Western allies prompted Der Spiegel to compare America's struggle in Afghanistan with the ancient Greek hero Hercules' fight with the mythical Hydra. The Hydra was a snake with multiple heads, and every time one of the heads was cut off, it grew back again.
Gulbuddin Hekmatjar, a 52 year-old Pastun war lord, is calling his followers and allies to attack foreign troops and the "marionette regime" of Hamid Karzai.
Karzai leads an interim government that has the responsibility of drafting a new constitution for the country, establishing an army, and holding elections for a permanent government, which is to take power in 2004. Karzai was selected by a special assembly of Afghan tribal leaders, called a Loya Jerga.
Hekmatjar has already attacked U.S. troops in Afghanistan, and is known to receive support from Islamic militants within neighboring Pakistan's intelligence service.
Former Taleban diplomat Nasser Ahmad Rohi stated that there is wide support for leaders such as Hekmatjar. "They [Afghans] are agreed that they must free Afghanistan," asserted Rohi in a statement to the Pakistan daily "Dawn," and reported in Der Spiegel.
Hekmatjar is well equipped to instigate attacks upon U.S. forces. He fought invading Soviet forces from 1979 to 1989. He has governmental expertise having served as Afghan Prime Minister in 1995. After the Taleban seized power in most of Afghanistan, Hekmatjar fled to Iran.
Now Hekmatjar is joining with former enemies to fight U.S. troops, and is promising a long, deadly struggle similar to America's war in Vietnam.
"The Americans are in the same situation as were the Soviets - they [Americans] have returned to Vietnam," declared Hekmatjar and quoted in Der Spiegel.
Copyright 2003
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