A purported senior commander from Afghanistan's ousted Taliban militia today claimed the radical group's fugitive leader Mullah Mohammed Omar and al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden are alive and well.
In an interview broadcast by Pakistan's Geo television, a man identified as Taliban military commander Mullah Akhtar Usmani, a former aviation minister and corp commander in southern Kandahar province, said he still receives instructions from Omar.
Asked whether bin Laden was hiding in parts of Afghanistan still under Taliban control, he refused to specify where the terror mastermind was but insisted, "Thanks be to God he is absolutely fine."
The man wore a black turban to shield his face, making it impossible to recognise him or verify his identity. He wore a grey jacket and had an AK-47 rifle propped up next to him as he spoke in front of a red-patterned, Afghan-style rug.
Geo said the interview was recorded last week, but declined to say where. A senior journalist at the independent station said the interview was recorded near the Afghan town of Spinboldak, close to the Pakistani border.
The interview was conducted in broken Urdu, Pakistan's main language and the language in which Geo broadcasts most of its programmes. Most senior Taliban speak Pashtu as their native tongue.
The man said the Taliban are still organised and that senior Taliban leaders hold regular consultations.
"Our discipline is strong. We have regular meetings. We make programmes," the man said. He said Omar does not attend the meetings but "decisions come from his side."
He did not say where those meeting take place. In the interview, the man refers to Omar by his self-proclaimed title "ameerul momineen" or "leader of the faithful."
"Ameerul Momineen is our chief and leader. No one is against him. Our ameerul momineen is alive. He is all right. There is no problem. He is not sick. He is my commander. He gives me instructions," said the man reputed to be Usmani.
Asked whether he has direct contact with Omar or meets him, the man said "I will not say whether I meet with him or not. But he is giving instructions."
A US-led coalition ousted the Taliban from power in late 2001 for harbouring al Qaeda, which is blamed for the September 11th, 2001, terror attacks in the US.
AP