dream of Afghan jihad

CHITRAL (PAKISTAN), Oct 3 (Reuters) It was a hot, lazy morning at the Jamia Mosque in Chitral, high in Pakistans mountainous north, and the teenage boys here to learn the Koran were talking more about Afghanistan than about Allah.

"The Americans will attack Afghanistan and all Muslims will go to fight against them," Mohammad Karim, a sharp-eyed boy with a whispy beard, declared with a certain bravado.

"Yes, Jihad (holy war)" others sitting in the circle chimed in, pointing to the Afghan border only 60 km (40 miles) to the west.

"Amreeka Murdabad (death to America)," they murmured.

Then something their Koran training never prepared them for happened.

An American reporter sat down with them and began asking each one if he really was ready to go fight.

"Im ready," one piped up, adjusting his prayer cap.

"Me, too," another said, grinning.

Boys sitting in other circles with teachers stole furtive glances over to the discussion, but then buried their faces back in the Koran.

When his turn came, Attaullah hesitated before blurting out, "Its dangerous there.

I dont want a war.

Islam is a peace-loving religion." Slowly, others backpedalled too, despite the efforts of an older boy named Saidullah to end this talk with the infidel and herd the students back to their Koran readings.

"Stop talking to that American" he shouted in the local Khowar dialect, rather than the Urdu they were speaking.

"Doesnt he know the Jews did it? the Jews destroyed the World Trade Center to get America to start a war against Islam." The youngest boys, maybe about 10 or so, watched in fascination, even if they could not follow the whole discussion in Urdu, Pakistans national language.

One waif nibbled absentmindedly at a corner of his Koran as he listened to the bigger boys talk war.

These are Taliban (Koran students) with a small "T" , poor Muslim boys whiling away their days at the Madrassa (religious school) at the local Mosque like millions of others around Pakistan who have no other school to go to.

Pakistani Madrassas have earned a bad name abroad ever since the Afghan Taliban, a movement of fire-and-brimstone fundamentalists, transformed seemingly overnight from studying at hardline Koran schools at refugee camps in this country to seizing power in Kabul in 1996.

Their draconian rule, including barring females from work and school and destroying unique Duddhist art from the pre-Islamic past, made them world Pariahs even before September 11.

From that day on, their most famous "guest", Saudi-born Osama bin Laden, has been Washingtons prime suspect in the attacks in the United States and Afghanistan looks scheduled for a US,led attack to punish it for harbouring him.

Chitrals Taliban talk about the World trade Center attack as if it were a video game, although a few, like Attaullah, 17, call it "terrorism" and denounce it.

Theyre not very sure about the details of the current crisis, especially what to do with bin Laden.

"Maybe he should leave Afghanistan, but he cant come here and no other Muslim country would take him," hazarded Rahimullah.

"He didnt do it, but hes dangerous." "Maybe he can hide in a cave and the Americans wont find him," another chipped in.

Zakaria, one of the older boys, ended the discussion with a classic Deus Ex Machina.

"God will come and take him far away to safety," he intoned.

Little heads nodded all around.

Another of the bigger boys, Ahmad, said no US soldier would ever leave Afghanistan alive.

"We hear there are ladies in the American army , we wont hurt them," he added.

A little redhead named Aziz, one of the few Afghan refugees at the Madrassa, danced around outside the Mosque singing "Jihad" and "death to America." When told the reporter he just spoke to was American, he scampered away howling "watch out danger" "I dont have a Kalashnikov, Aziz," I protested.

"But your government will give you a bomb," he shouted back, grinning and shaking his finger.

Ssheikh Aabdullah, one of the seven teachers at the Mmadrassa, graciously made room on the carpet for his rare western guest and explained how the school worked.

"We have about 200 boys who come here after five years of primary school and spend 10 years studying here," he said in his book-lined but deskless office.

"They learn classical Arabic grammar, they read the Koran and they study the Hadith (sayings of the Prophet)." Asked which other subjects were taught, he said Persian , the language spoken across the border in northern Afghanistan.

No, he said when pressed, they learn nothing else.

The boys were genuine Koran students, he said, not Afghan-style Taliban, and this government-sponsored Madrassa had nothing to do with schools turning out fundamentalists elsewhere.

So all the pupils talk about joining a Jihad next door was just some young boys bluff? "No, I think theyre all ready to go, with their teachers too," said Abdullah, 46, an imposing man with a distinctly unfundamentalist combed black beard.

"Well start an Intifada," he said, using the fighting word popularised throughout the Muslim world by Palestinians protesting against Israel.

"The Americans think they will fight a long war, maybe 10 years, but we will fight them 100 years," he said.

"We dont have arms, but we have our confidence, that is quite sufficient for us.

"Please excuse me now, Im very sorry but i must go," he said, standing up.

"It is time for prayers." Over 100 mln dollars assets frozen after US attacks WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (Reuters): More than 100 million Dollars worth of assets have been frozen in US and foreign banks in a crackdown on suspected "terrorist" finances since the September 11 attacks on US targets, the Washington post said today.

The paper said none of the money came from accounts belonging directly to Saudi-born fugitive Osama bin Laden or his Al-Qaeda network.

Khaleda Zia sweeps Bdesh polls DHAKA, Oct 3 (NNN) : Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader and countrys former Prime Minister, Khaleda Zia, on Wednesday called on the head of the caretaker government to discuss the formation of her new administration in the country following the victory of her four-party coalition, including the Islamic fundamentalists, in the just-concluded general elections.

Khaleda Zia, who was last in power in 1996, is expected to be formally announced as prime minister by President Shahabuddin Ahmed within the next two days.

Her BNP and its three coalition partners won a two-thirds majority in parliament, ousting Sheikh Hasinas Awami League from office.

Though the final results still have to be confirmed, the latest count indicated that the BNP-led alliance has won 185 seats, with the Awami League predicted to have just 62 representatives in the 300-member parliament.

US prepares massive $600 m aid package for Pak WASHINGTON, Oct 3 (NNN) : The Bush administration is reportedly preparing a massive $600 million economic support package for Islamabad, its ally in fight against terrorism, and the aid would be offered to Pakistan once the Congress passes a bill tabled by Senator Sam Brownback to clear further obstacles of democracy sanctions against the General Pervez Musharraf-led set up.

According to a report in The Washington Post, the Bush administration will give another $ 50 million to Pakistan "in the coming days" from its economic support fund quota for the current fiscal year that started on Monday.

The US gave Islamabad an initial $50 million instalment last week, the maximum allowed each year under the still remaining sanctions against Islamabad.

This larger economic package is part of Bush administrations plans to provide financial assistance to allies in the campaign against international terrorism, which will benefit countries like Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Afghan opposition groups fighting the ruling Taleban militia.

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