-Caveat Lector-

Assalamu'alaikum,

Afghan men return to defend their country

FROM CATHERINE PHILP IN QUETTA

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,2001320010-2001324798,00.html

Sept 20, 2001

PASHTUN tribesmen from across the Pakistani border region of Baluchistan,
both Afghans and Pakistani, are flooding into Afghanistan to answer the
Talebans call for volunteers to fight in a holy war against an American
attack.

Hundreds of Afghan men who arrived in Quetta, the provincial capital, as
refugees in recent days have crossed back into Afghanistan to volunteer
for battle after delivering their families to safety in refugee camps or
relatives homes.

They are answering a call from senior Muslims to defend their country if
the United States starts a military offensive to find and capture Osama
bin Laden.

Many are ordinary citizens who have never fought for the Taleban before,
but, as Afghans, feel compelled to take up arms to defend their homeland
amid the threat of war.

Gul Ahmad, an Afghan shopkeeper, arrived at Quettas dusty bus station two
days ago after fleeing from the Taleban stronghold of Kandahar with his
wife, their three children and five other members of his family. After
settling the women and children at the home of family friends, however,
he, his younger brother and their father set off back to the Afghan
countryside, where they will meet other new recruits to the growing
Taleban Army.

We are not afraid, Mr Ahmad said. We will fight to the death to defend our
country. We will face the American aggression.

Torjhan Adhul Halis, a bus driver, who plies the route from Quetta to the
Chaman border crossing, said that he had ferried many other Afghans on
their way back to fight in Afghanistan.

Yesterday there were 20 busloads of Afghans who went back to the border,
he said. I drove one of the buses and all the men on it had left their
families and were going back to fight.

He said that almost the same number of buses had also left for the border
carrying members of the so-called Pakistani Taleban, fundamentalist
Muslims who share the same tribal ethnicity and radical ideology of
Afghanistans leaders. Many already have years of experience fighting in
Afghanistans long civil war.

The legendary fighting spirit of the fierce Pashtun tribesmen will be a
key weapon in their arsenal. The Taleban know that they will be quickly
outgunned by the Americans, but, nonetheless, they appear to be girding
for war.

Refugees crossing at the Chaman Pass have reported new deployments of
heavy artillery on mountain- tops around the border area, in anticipation
of airstrikes or a ground assault across the border. Nearby Quetta is home
to a large military base and airfield and would be an obvious choice for
any assault on Afghanistan launched from Pakistani soil.

Most of the refugees crossing here have fled from Kandahar, the home of
the Taleban leadership, believing that it is likely to be among the first
targets.

There are many anti-aircraft guns and cannon mounted in the hills above
the border, one man who had arrived from Kandahar said. I have been in
that area many times, but these weapons were not there before.

Other refugees reported seeing large tank patrols along the road from
Kandahar to the border.

The number of new refugees arriving from Afghanistan was slowing yesterday
after Pakistani officials moved to try to stem the tide, closing the
border to all but those with official Pakistani identity papers or able to
afford to bribe their way through. Border guards said that in the past few
days more than 35,000 people have crossed the border, although officials
estimates are much lower.

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of segregation and discrimination as practiced in South Africa and
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