Taliban Form 'Resistance Force'

June 24, 2003

SPIN BOLDAK, Afghanistan (Reuters) - The shadowy leader of Afghanistan's former Taliban regime, Mullah Omar, has named a 10-man leadership council to organize resistance against foreign troops in the country, a news report said on Tuesday.

Pakistani newspaper, The News, quoted a Taliban spokesman as saying Mullah Omar announced the formation of the body in an audio tape sent from his hiding place in Afghanistan.

The whereabouts of Mullah Omar and al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, who is blamed for masterminding the September 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, remain unknown despite more than a year and a half of U.S.-led operations in Afghanistan.

There are about 11,500 foreign troops under U.S. command hunting Taliban and al Qaeda remnants in Afghanistan.

In the tape, Mullah Omar called on the Taliban to make sacrifices to drive out U.S. and other foreign troops and the "puppet" government of U.S.-backed President Hamid Karzai, the paper quoted Mohammed Mukhtar Mujahid as saying.

The paper said members of the Rahbari Shura, or leadership council, were mostly Taliban military commanders and most were from the southwest of the country.

The paper said the council included former defense minister Mullah Obaidullah and military commanders, including the one-legged Mullah Dadullah and Akhtar Mohammad Usmani.

Mullah Abdul Rauf, a provincial governor in the Taliban regime ousted from power by a U.S.-led coalition in late 2001, told Reuters the council was formed after five days of talks that ended Monday between senior Taliban officials at an undisclosed location in southern Afghanistan.

"The Shura was formed to expedite jihad (holy war) against occupation forces and strengthen the Taliban movement," he said.

Mullah Abdul Samad, a Taliban intelligence official, said the council had already begun its work.

"Now jihad will be waged against the U.S. and allied forces under a new military strategy," he said, but gave no details.

Saturday, U.S. forces launched an air assault in the southeast to prepare for a deployment of troops on the border with Pakistan to stop Taliban and al Qaeda fighters crossing and carrying out attacks.

Afghan and U.S. officials have blamed a spate of attacks in Afghanistan this year on "terrorists" crossing from Pakistan.

Afghan officials have said they believe Taliban leaders like Mullah Omar and Usmani have been taking refuge in Pakistan and have called on Islamabad to act against them.

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