WASHINGTON, Oct 29: Mossad, the Israeli intelligence service, organized the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, in order “to start a war between Muslims and Christians,” says NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani.

In an interview to United Press International (UPI), Mr Durrani said: “It is inconceivable that a power like the United States, which has enormous technological means at its disposal, would not know ahead of time what was being planned.”

Asked if the Taliban movement was staging a comeback in Afghanistan, Mr Durrani said: “America wanted to be the sole superpower and the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan was the sine qua non of its quest. Then came Taliban in the vacuum that followed the Soviet withdrawal. The Taliban are not just students. They are the same Jihadis who chased the Russians out. Many came from Saudi Arabia and other Muslim countries to fight against the Russian invader. But when they tried to go home, they were treated as criminals and terrorists. Some were barred from returning home and others were sentenced to death or life imprisonment. So they returned to the region where they knew they would be welcome.”

Asked if he was suggesting that Taliban are for the most part foreigners, Mr Durrani said: “In the literal sense (they) were no more than 1,000 at the outset. Later Taliban came to symbolize the entire Afghan nation.

Mr Durrani criticized the US government for human rights violations in Guantanamo Bay prison where he said: “Afghan prisoners of war were caged like dangerous animals.”

Criticizing the US decision to invade Iraq, he said: “Your reason for attacking Iraq was weapons of mass destruction that did not exist. It is now obvious that the Bush government’s objective was Iraq’s oil resources that will now be under American control.”

Mr Durrani firmly rejected the accusation that the NWFP’s ruling coalition comprises Taliban-like religious zealots. “We are true democrats,” he responded, “witness the way we conduct our policies in NWFP, in sharp contrast to the military dictatorship at the center. We also advocate peace with India over Kashmir; again witness the recent journey to New Delhi by one of our three top leaders with an offering of peace. As a result, India has responded with 12 confidence-building measures.”

Responding to news reports that MMA workers were attacking cinemas in Peshawar, Mr Durrani said: “We are not closing down movie houses. But a few emotional zealots, acting on their own, did tear down some salacious billboards. And the police who did not interfere were suspended. We apologized on the floor of our provincial assembly and compensation was voted for damage done. We have promoted female education and female sports. Taliban are definitely not our cup of tea.”

Asked what he thought of President Pervez Musharraf’s pro-American policies, Mr Durrani said: “The people of Europe are against America’s Iraq policy and the American people are also beginning to turn against Bush government’s policies now that they realize WMDs were a hoax. That is why we (the MMA) demand that Gen Musharraf doff his uniform and compete as a civilian politician. That would bring about an end to the military dictatorship.”

The chief minister rejected charges that MMA was trying to hasten the establishment of the sharia in NWFP. “We are leaning over backward to avoid being accused of anything that might be seen as rash,” he said.

Mr Durrani concluded by saying that a world with one superpower “is very dangerous. There is no counterweight. Things were less dangerous during the Cold War when we had two superpowers. The same applies in a village that only has one elder. He could take unwise decisions with no countervailing force. A village is much safer with two elders. So was the world.”