Taliban urge retaliation over planned Dutch cartoon contest

KABUL: The Taliban urged Afghan soldiers on Thursday to attack Dutch troops serving in the NATO-led Resolute Support mission in retaliation for a contest of blasphemous cartoons planned by far-right politician Geert Wilders.

The Taliban threat was issued shortly before Wilders announced on Thursday that he was calling off the planned contest because it posed too great a threat of provoking violence against innocents. In a statement the Taliban´s main spokesman called the contest a blasphemous action and a hostile act by the Netherlands against all Muslims. Members of the Afghan security forces “if they truly believe themselves to be Muslims or have any covenant towards Islam should turn their weapons on Dutch troops” or help Taliban fighters attack them, the statement said. Around 100 Dutch troops are serving in the 16,000-strong Resolute Support mission to train and advise Afghan forces, according to the Dutch ministry of defence. About half of the NATO-led force is made up of Americans.