Afghan Taliban say 'anti-Islam' policy in the Netherlands could result in terrorist attacks

Afghan Taliban say 'anti-Islam' policy in the Netherlands could result in terrorist attacks

2010-10-18 18:12:26 GMT+7 (ICT)

KABUL/AMSTERDAM (BNO NEWS) -- The Afghan Taliban on Monday warned that Party for Freedom (PVV) leader Geert Wilders' 'anti-Islam policy' could result in a terrorist attack against the Netherlands, according to a newspaper report.

The Volkskrant newspaper interviewed Zabiullah Mujahed, the official Taliban spokesman for east and northern Afghanistan, who spoke about the political situation in the Netherlands. He criticized plans Wilders for his comments against Islam and warned that his plans could result in a terrorist organization carrying out a terrorist attack in the Netherlands.

"If he manages to manipulate the Dutch parliament to proceed with more anti-Islam laws or laws unfavorable for Dutch Muslims, then without doubt Muslims from other countries will take action to help their Muslim brothers and sisters," Mujahed told the newspaper.

The new Dutch government was installed by Queen Beatrix last week and is led by Prime Minister Mark Rutte. The cabinet is controversial because Rutte's People's Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD) and the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) were unable to form a majority coalition and turned to the PVV for support.

Wilders is currently on trial for inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims through his speeches and writings in recent years, including writings in which he compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf. However, prosecutors said on Friday that Wilders should be acquitted of those charges, saying they were not criminal.

Mujahed said the last option would be to carry out a terrorist attack, but it appears unlikely that this - if it were to happen - would be done by the Afghan Taliban. "If the Netherlands proceeds or escalates its anti-Islam policy then it is without doubt that the Netherlands will be the target of an attack by a Jihad group," he said. "This group does not necessarily have to come from another country. Dutch Muslims will attack the Netherlands and other international Jihad groups will be ready to assist."

Mujahed would not directly say if any attack was already being planned but indicated that the Taliban is careful about its 'relationship' with the European country as it pulled its troops from Afghanistan earlier this year. The Afghan Taliban congratulated the Netherlands on the pullout.

However, the new Dutch government will soon have to decide whether or not to again send troops to Afghanistan. "If the Dutch government decides to continue their mission in Afghanistan, then the Netherlands will be seen as a hostile country," Mujahed said.

In a message addressed to the VVD and CDA parties, Mujahed warned: "It does not matter under which label you send your soldiers to Afghanistan. They are not welcome (..), also not for a humanitarian mission. (..) Your soldiers will be treated as occupiers and the whole world already knows what Afghans do what those."

Coalition casualties in Afghanistan have been rising sharply this year, with around 90 service members being killed in July alone. It was the deadliest month for U.S. forces since the war began on October 7, 2001 in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States.

On September 11, 2001, two hijacked airliners crashed into both towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, causing them to collapse. Another airliner crashed into the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., while a fourth crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

The council of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) eventually declared that the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people from scores of countries, was considered an attack on all NATO nations. The NATO-backed war aims to defeat the Taliban and other insurgent groups in the country.

The Netherlands lost 24 of its service members through its deployment in Afghanistan. The last fatality was 25-year-old corporal first class Luc Janzen, who died in May as a result of an improvised explosive device (IED) attack.

So far this month, around 45 service members have been killed in incidents throughout Afghanistan, according to a BNO News tally. Most of the casualties were American and died in Afghanistan's war-torn southern region.

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