Move to drum up support of Afghans backfires

PESHAWAR: In trying to win the hearts and minds of the Afghan people, the US military dropped leaflets carrying offensive material that not only offended the Taliban, but also aroused strong criticism from the Muslims across the world.

Thought the attempt was aimed at gaining the support of the Afghan people, the ill-advised move backfired and prompted the US commander in Afghanistan to seek an apology straightaway. 

The leaflets featured an image of a dog holding a flag of the Afghan Taliban, bearing Kalma Tayyaba. The leaflets showed a lion chasing a white dog holding the Taliban flag.It sought support of the Afghan people against the Taliban and urged them to report whenever they see Taliban militants.

However, the US military commander in Afghanistan, Maj-Gen James Linder was very quick to realise sensitivity of the leaflets and immediately apologised for the offensive leaflets dropped by his forces in Afghanistan’s Parwan province.

In a statement, he argued the design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslim and their religion.“I sincerely apologise. We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide,” the US general said.

It is not first time US forces dropped leaflets in Afghanistan intending to seek people’s cooperation but it is first time the pamphlets are designed highly offensive that hurt the Muslims everywhere.

“Take back your freedom from the terrorist dogs and cooperate with the coalition forces so they target your enemy and eliminate them,” the US forces said in the leaflets.In the past such offensives against Islam had triggered violence in the war-torn country.

It is second time US military in Afghanistan apologised for its blunders. In 2012, the US authorities apologised when copies of the Holy Quran were burnt at the military airbase in Bagram that triggered widespread violent demonstrations in which a number of people were killed.

The Afghan Taliban strongly reacted to the offensive leaflets, and warned to wage ‘series of attacks’ on US forces to seek revenge of “insulting Islam and Sharia.’“There is no doubt that this stupid practice of the American forces had broken our hearts, but they themselves did what we have been trying to make the Afghan people and other Muslims understand for past 16 years that the prime purpose of US invasion is to fight against Islam, not the Taliban,” said one senior Taliban member.

Pleading anonymity, he alleged the US forces during their stay in Afghanistan committed different types of atrocities against the Afghan people, but dropping offensive leaflets featuring Kalma Tayyaba on dog’s image had shocked the Muslims all over the world.

“Through this practice, Americans drew a clear line and made it easier to understand why they invaded Afghanistan. They didn’t come here to fight us, they invaded our country to force the Afghan people to stop practicing Islam,” the Taliban member noted.

Another Taliban commander said the Afghan people understood why they (Taliban) were fighting the occupying forces. “Today common Afghans have realised why the Americans invaded our country,” he said.

Afghan Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told The News that the pamphlets had offended the entire Muslim world.He said the US military through such offensive leaflets proved their enmity and hatred towards Islam and the Muslims.

The Taliban spokesman said they had launched fresh attacks against the US forces to seek revenge for dropping the offensive leaflets.He said the attacks began from a suicide bombing on US forces at Bagram airbase on Wednesday when a young suicide bomber identified as Mohammad Idrees rammed his explosives-laden motorcycle into the American army’s spacious military base.He said the suicide bomber belonged to Afghanistan’s Kapisa province.