Purported jihadists ask Afghan government for forgiveness
Last Updated: Saturday, October 27, 2007 | 9:32 PM ET
CBC News
Afghanistan's government displayed three self-proclaimed would-be jihadists to the media on Saturday in what Afghan officials said is proof the Taliban recruits new fighters from neighbouring Pakistan.
In an unusual press conference in Kandahar, Afghan security intelligence officers paraded the three young men, legs shackled, before reporters to tell their incredible tale, which the CBC's Carolyn Dunn described as either a stunning confession or well-orchestrated propaganda.
The men brought before the media on Saturday claim they were convinced by a man in their home in Peshawar, Pakistan, to travel to Afghanistan to fight foreigners.
(CBC)
The men were arrested a week ago on their way to Uruzgan province, where they say they were planning to wage jihad, or holy war, against foreigners.
They said they come from Peshawar, Pakistan, where they met a man at a mosque who persuaded them to fight in Afghanistan.
"He just told us to go to Afghanistan and there are foreigners, infidels who are oppressing Muslims," said one of the men, who identified himself as Khalid Ghulam. "He told us to do jihad."
'We saw it was wrong with our own eyes'
According to the men, they travelled from Peshawar to Chaman, Afghanistan, where they claim to have completed three days of insurgent training. The training included how to fire Russian rifles and to set explosives, they said.
They were convinced they were doing the duty of Islam until they began the trip through Afghanistan and didn't see any infidels, the men said.
"When I arrived here, I saw the people were Muslim," another of the men, Wajit Hussein, told reporters. "They even brought us water to do ablution and pray."
The men said they have not been forced to say anything and have been treated well.
"We ask the government to forgive us for our mistake," said the third man, Usman Haji-Khan. "The man misled us and he is misleading others. I hope God helps him to stop doing these things."
Ghulam said with their confession, they hope to battle the lies they were told.
"We hope to be released and then we will tell others who are doing this not to," he told reporters. "We saw it was wrong with our own eyes."
With their last-minute conversion told to the world and no comment from the security officials, the men were led away again, presumably back to a jail cell, the CBC's Dunn said.
