Posted on 09/11/2001 5:06:14 PM PDT by libertarian_usa
MOSCOW, Aug. 30 (UPI) -- Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemnedthe appointment of Saudi terrorism suspect Osama bin Laden as the commander-in-chief of the armed forces of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban regime, the official RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Bin Laden's appointment confirmed that a center of international terrorism is being set up in Taliban-controlled territory, the ministry said in a statement.
"Pseudo-religious values are being used as a cover to prepare a bridgehead for expansion of militant extremism and separatism far beyond the region's borders," added the statement.
This month, Russian media quoted Pakistan's Nation daily as saying that the Taliban had named bin Laden commander of their troops. Afghanistan's civil war concerns the Kremlin as hundreds of Russian border guards monitor the Afghan-Tajik border and a potential spill of violence could plunge the whole region into chaos.
Moreover, the Taliban's aim to build an orthodox Islamic state has given rise to many Islamic extremist movements in the former Soviet republics in Central Asia. In recent years, Islamic insurgents from Afghanistan launched raids on Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan.
The Taliban's ongoing clashes with the Northern Alliance movement backing ousted President Burhanuddin Rabbani -- the leader of the government general recognized by international organizations -- have alerted Russia and its partners as arms smuggling, drug trafficking, kidnapping and other crimes have flourished along the Afghan-Tajik border.
On Thursday, Moscow also condemned the appointment of Juma Namangani as bin Laden's deputy. Namangani, an ethnic Uzbek, was liked to a number of raids on Kyrgyzstan's Batken district over the last three years. Namangani advocates creation of an Islamic state run by a regime similar to the Taliban's and spreading over Central Asia.
"Incorporation of the international terrorists' leaders into the ruling structures of the Taliban shows the need to take decisive measures to collectively counter global challenges that are put forward from the Taliban-controlled territory," said the statement.
Copyright 2001 by United Press International.
All rights reserved.
This cannot be overlooked.
Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Kabul
Bomb bomb bomb, bomb bomb Kabul
Bomb Kabu-u-ul
It'd be so coo-oo-ool
To bomb Kabu-u-ul
Give Osama Bin Laden
A thumpin' on his noggin, bomb Kabul
The story is at least a week old. One of the British papers reported it last week.
That Russia lodged an objection is apparently what made it news to UPI.
OK, I'm kidd'n, but you get my drift?
That is total coverage? One British paper and no American papers, radio or tv .
It doesn't seem odd to you that the Number one most wanted man to Americans becomes the Chief of the military of another country and the US MEDIA leaves it alone?
Not odd at all.
When was the last time the US media paid attention to anything that didn't come from a DNC fax machine?
If the DNC missed the story, ipso facto, the mainstream media missed the story.
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