Syria's mufti calls for suicide attacks

2003-03-27 18:28

Damascus - Syrian mufti Sheikh Ahmad Kaftaro, the country's top Muslim religious authority, called on Thursday for suicide bombings against the US and British troops in Iraq.

"I call on Muslims everywhere to use all means possible to thwart the aggression, including martyr operations against the belligerent American, British and Zionist invaders," he said in a statement, a copy of which was faxed to AFP.

"Resistance to the belligerent invaders is an obligation for all Muslims, starting with (those in) Iraq," the mufti said.

This is the first time that a senior Syrian religious figure has called for suicide attacks against US and British troops in Iraq. Syria views suicide attacks by Palestinians against Israel as a legitimate "resistance to occupation."

Kaftaro called on Muslims everywhere to boycott US and British products and those from countries backing their attack on Iraq. He also urged "free citizens" all over the world to demonstrate, strike and disrupt airports and ports and any other facilities that support the war effort in Iraq.

Separately, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad predicted the United States and Britain would never be able to bring Iraq under their full control and would face "popular Arab resistance", in an interview published on Thursday in Lebanese daily As-Safir.

- AFX