‘Beginning of the end of US’

An audiotape said to be recorded by Osama bin Laden called the United States’ campaign in Afghanistan as a ‘‘defeat’&#14...

An audiotape said to be recorded by Osama bin Laden called the United States’ campaign in Afghanistan as a ‘‘defeat’’, which marked ‘‘the beginning of its end’’, in a broadcast on Sunday night by the Al-Jazeera TV.

The News quoted the voice as saying: ‘‘America did not achieve its objectives in Afghanistan. The Americans got stuck in the Afghan quagmire … and America’s defeat in Afghanistan heralds the beginning of its end. The withdrawal of the Taliban forces and the Mujahideen (after the US launched a military campaign in October 2001) was a tactical retreat.’’ ‘‘The situation in Afghanistan has now turned in favour

of the Mujahideen … who are waging guerrilla warfare’’ against US forces.

Osama vowed to pursue his struggle against US and branded Arab leaders as US puppets. In Islamabad, a message purportedly from ousted Taliban leader Mullah Mohammad Omar urged Afghans to wage a holy war against Washington and Kabul government.

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The Pakistan-based Afghan Islamic Press quoted a statement from Omar as saying that Afghans who could not participate directly in jehad, or holy war, should distance themselves from the government of President Hamid Karzai and the United States.

‘‘Vacate all offices, ministries, provinces so that the distinction between a Muslim and a crusader is made,’’ said the Pashtu-language statement sent to newspapers in Peshawar, capital of Pakistan’s North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan.

The statement was the first directly attributed to the reclusive, one-eyed Taliban leader made public since his government was ousted from power in late 2001, following a massive US-led bombing campaign.

Omar said if any Afghan failed to distance himself from Karzai’s government, he would be considered an ally of crusaders and punished accordingly.

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The statement, which carried Omar’s name and title at the bottom but was not signed, did not mention what the punishment might be.